It took about a year to resolve all the outstanding bills from Paul's birth. I had foolishly hoped that, since this particular hospital stay was quasi-routine (I mean, so many people have babies, right?!) the billing/payment for it would be straightforward. It was anything but. It started out normally enough: we got a bill that … Continue reading That one resident
Author: jesslbear
Oh… hi?
uh, hello? nice to see you again? I say that because if you're reading this right now, I'm guessing that you are a long-time reader of this blog. You may have even "subscribed" long ago, and just got a confusing notification in your inbox that some blog—"Type what now"? What was that one?—had an update. … Continue reading Oh… hi?
Incredible normalcy
When I first got pregnant, I'll be honest: I was pretty sure it wasn't going to stick. I'm guessing that's most womens' experiences -- medicine does a VERY good job of focusing on the fragility of early pregnancy. Being a woman is so strange. You spend decades living in fear of a "positive" on a … Continue reading Incredible normalcy
The worst thing
I want to tell you about the worst thing I've ever been through. It wasn't diabetes, in case you're wondering. But it began in a similar place. Like diabetes, the worst thing I've ever been through started in a doctor's office. It was seven and a half years ago, when I was in graduate school … Continue reading The worst thing
A long-overdue life update
There's so much to say that I legitimately don't know where to start. (Which, in and of itself, is kind of a cliche way to start, so apologies to my readers who are just here for my wholly original and fresh writing style.) The last time I was consistently updating, I was just moments out … Continue reading A long-overdue life update
it’s been a while
but i've been on hold with insurance the whole time, so...
A brief reminder about how much insurance sucks
My new health insurance plan considers Dexcom sensors "durable medical equipment," which means they are covered at a 50% coinsurance. That means, the weekly sensor I wear costs me $40 out of pocket. That's $160 dollars for a month's supply. If you're keeping track, that's over $1900 a year, which is more than 1 month's … Continue reading A brief reminder about how much insurance sucks
Diabetes: Day 1,567
This afternoon, I cooked myself lunch. I scrambled an egg with melted leek, split a whole wheat-millet muffin and popped it in the toaster, plated it all, garnished the egg with a bit of matcha sea salt and a basil leaf, filled a glass with water, then walked to my living room. I balanced the … Continue reading Diabetes: Day 1,567
Reflections on 7 weeks with a service dog
Is this "reflections" post a poorly-disguised excuse to share as many pictures as I can of Mickey? (PS follow him on instagram @mickeytheservicedog. HASHTAG SHAMELESS.) Yeah, I think it pretty much is, but whatever. Who doesn't need more dog pictures in their life? It's been just about 7 weeks since we got Mickey, and the … Continue reading Reflections on 7 weeks with a service dog
A Template For Anyone Writing A Letter Complaining About Discrimination Because of Their Service Dog
As I recounted on Tuesday, Mickey and I faced our first incident of discrimination. Since I suspect that, unfortunately, this will be a recurring experience, I'm offering you, my readers, this useful template if you ever want to send an email to a company that you feel has discriminated against you unfairly. Note: this particular … Continue reading A Template For Anyone Writing A Letter Complaining About Discrimination Because of Their Service Dog