Medicaid and stuff

Morning began with C. doing a lot of gagging. Shortly after giving her meds and getting up in her chair she got the red-eyed, nauseous look that says "I'm gonna lose it!" Which she did. Only about a 1/2 cup worth, but then we were faced with the question of whether to re-do her medications. Ended up giving about a third of a dose of the DDAVP again, just to be sure. The log says this is the first vomit since Jan. 20th. Not bad in our world.

Saw this news item today about Medicaid. I'd just like to mention how in a case like mine, Medicaid is absolutely vital. As I mentioned here I am currently out of work and seeking a job. But given the difficulty of finding childcare for C, getting her enrolled in Medicaid and the HomeCare Waiver program to provide nursing care was absolutely critical to me being able to commit to a job when (please, oh please!) I get an offer. So here is a case where you can look upon Medicaid which pays for nursing care for my daughter as a true economic stimulus - it will allow me to look for and accept work, pay taxes, receive an income so we can resume our rightful place in the consumer society.

Today

We overslept by a few minutes this morning, which is only a problem because C has to be ready for the school bus to arrive before 7AM. That is so @#$%ing early! We generally cut it pretty close, so losing a few minutes can be a big deal. It takes C a few minutes to wake up and become alert. Also she quite gaggy first thing in the morning, and while she rarely vomits it is always a danger. We generally do not have to change her diaper because lately C has been dry upon waking - she generally voids later in the morning (this is the only time in the day when her toileting is predictable). But still, getting dressed, giving meds, getting into AFO's and bundled up into coats and gloves and into her wheelchair all takes time. At any rate, we made it on time this morning.

After school, C enjoyed her afternoon with Nurse Peggy. We sent the nurse home early because of heavy snow. Then towards dinner time, C began to cough a lot, with moist, juicy coughs. We put her in bed with a DVD to settle. At bed time, I rolled her on her back to change clothes, which set off a round of gagging and coughing, and she brought up a wad of phlegm. As I sat her up at the edge of the bed, I could tell she was going to lose it: and she did. This is one of C's most regular problems: nearly any irritation can bring on vomitting. It usually starts with a simple gag or cough and ends with a full vomit after which she generally feels much better. I checked her log: today was the first vomit since Dec. 31. For C, once in 2 weeks is not bad.