Ultimate Nightmare of the Poor

In my younger days, like before starting my first job at the NLRB, I never thought about not having health insurance. But after six and a half years with full coverage, being pregnant right now, and with a 15 month toddler, not having health insurance coverage does keep me awake at night. I don't know how the working poor manage those fears. I am certainly not very good at it. My very calm husband just tells me, "Stop stressing over it, it's just going to be a week." Yes, it's just going to be a week. From January 1st to January 7th, we have no coverage because we changed from his plan to the government plan. Unfortunately, the government's fiscal pay period doesn't start until 1/7/07 so all must work around it, including when health coverage commences. I kicked and screamed over the phone for a day and realized that I can't convince the government to make this one exception for me and my family.

The unthinkable happened on December 27th. JK got a minor strep throat. Since we still had coverage then, he got some antibiotics. I cautioned him to stay away from me and Ethan. Well, TAKE A BIG GUESS, he did not. He casually kissed me on the lips several times on December 31st because it was almost midnight and I was dead tired and didn't pay much mind to his strep throat. So on the first day of no coverage, I was coughing up a storm. Great, just GREAT! I am trying to stay away from Ethan but he loves to hug me, grab my hands and thrust me his cheeks so I can kiss him. Oh, it is all so sweet but the last thing I want to do is to get him sick, especially now. We have so much expenses coming up with the big move to Manhattan. I just don't want to shell out several hundred dollars or may be even over a thousand dollars just to visit the doctor. I hope to fight this strep throat until next Tuesday, when I am scheduled to see my OBGYN. Meanwhile, I hope God protects Ethan from mommy and daddy. We just have to endure five more days.

JW