The days have been passing in a blur lately. Appointments, bills, family obligations - and at some point we finally bid farewell to winter and hello to glorious spring ... Of course, for me that means allergy season, but I'm willing to grin and bear it to not see any more snow or ice!
We ended up with some extra funds in March and after much discussion, threw an extra $500 at the American Express card. Of course, two days later, our medical equipment provider called to say insurance wouldn't pay for a needed adaptation on DS's wheelchair and we were on our own to the tune of $327. They kindly did not charge us labor or shipping. We have the cash, so we paid it. That is such a huge improvement over past years. We wouldn't have blinked at putting it on a credit card. Medical expenses like that are a big part of our current debt. It's a relief not to be adding to it.
One of the reasons we had some extra to spare is because the grocery bill was considerably lower. I attribute that to two things: all the meat I was able to get for basically free with some awesome coupons and the store's doubling. The second is my giving up soda. I figure that is worth about $15 a week. No kidding. I could put away some diet soda. Haven't touched the stuff since Feb. 14 and I no longer think about it.
Jane suggested I do something with that soda money and I've decided she's right. So I've set up an automatic deposit into a separate savings account - $15 a week. I'm earmarking that account for a 30th anniversary trip. We've been married 28 years and the past 10 have had precious little time alone because of DS's needs. But if the nursing care we are pursuing works out, it might be possible for us to get away for a few days. Just dreaming about it has done wonders for my attitude and knowing that I'm actively saving for it makes it seem like it might one day become a reality.
Hanging over our heads, though, is yet another piece of medical equipment. DS has become considerably weaker in the past year or two and is no longer to lift his arms at all, making feeding himself or even adjusting his glasses on his own impossible. At a clinic visit, his neurologist suggested a mobile arm support that allows some range of motion. DS was able to try it out this week and absolutely loved it. In fact, he wants one for each arm. Just being able to touch his face made him light up. (We able-bodied folks take so much for granted!). DH says he looks like Doc Oc - I think that's the bad guy in one of the Spiderman movies. Of course, the technology comes with a price tag - $5,000. Per arm. Did I mention they are powered by rubber bands. Seriously. So now begins the process of convincing insurance that they are necessary for DS to be independent. The vendor is optimistic and so I'm going to share his optimism for now. Obviously, we won't be able to provide them for DS if insurance doesn't come through. Lots of prayers going up around here.
And now I'm off to update the April numbers.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Sarah
