Today's Health Care System ~ JOKE

Normally, I chat about children's literature in one form or another. On occasion, I toss in a post about my trials through mommydom and wifyhood. There's even been a few that fetch to tickle your funny bone or inspire you.

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Once in a while I'll throw you a curve ball. 
Ready?

Welcome to a new meme created by me, for me, and about me. Honest, it's not as self-absorbed as it sounds. I have in issue, a gripe, I'd like to share with you. 
Normally, I keep inspirations here on a positive note. But this is a subject that has been gnawing at my sides for a while now and I'm wondering if some of you have similar thoughts and feelings on the subject.
Health care.
According to Dictionary.com, the term health care means: 

"The field concerned with the maintenance or restoration of the health of the body or mind."

Ever have an issue with your health insurance company? Of course you have. We all have. Like any oiled machine--note I refrained from using the word 'well'--parts wear and systems need updating. Understandable, right? 
Sure.
I mean absolutely no insult to anyone utilizing state or federal programs. We take care of our own, and I'm 100% good with that. What frustrates me is this: No matter how loyal you are to your insurance company, your doctors, or your hospitals, everyone is out for themselves. Period.
Approximately five years into our marriage, my husband was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea (AP-ne-ah). According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. You may have sleep apnea if you snore loudly and you feel tired even after a full night's sleep. There are two main types of sleep apnea - Obstructive sleep apnea (the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax) and Central sleep apnea ( which occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing).
Of course, there is a lot more to it, such as pauses in breathing ranging from a few seconds to as long as a minute. This obviously puts stress and strain on vital organs and affects the patient's waking hours as well. For the purpose of this article, I'll stop there. But you can check with sites such as National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute or American Sleep Apnea Association for more information. 
My husband went under two separate sleep studies, which lead to a prescribed BiPAP machine (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure). A CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine) can also be used in treatment. Let me reiterate the machine was prescribed by a doctor - a physician who specialized in sleep apnea. My hubby used the machine for a while. Then, like the stubborn man he can be, he tired of it. 
Fast-forward to about six months ago. His sleeping patterns and snoring had gotten so bad, neither of us had slept in months. He finally returned to the doctor for sleep apnea treatment. It had been so long since his last sleep study, he needed to undergo another one. Okay, whatever. Let's get this done so his body stops aging more quickly because of his lack of breathing/oxygen while sleeping. And, or more selfishly on my part, so we can sleep and function.
HOWEVER ... when his doctor submitted the necessary test to our insurance company they deny her request for his testing. Why you ask? 
Because, in their opinion - His condition is not life-threatening enough and unless he shows other signs such as a stroke they are denying her request. The insurance company wants him to have a freaking STROKE before they'll let him have the test, which he's had twice in the past - both of which came back positive and his condition has only worsened over the years??? 
What is wrong with our health care system? We have been good citizens. We work hard. Raise our children well. Help others. Pay our bills - including the overpriced insurance company premiums. And this is what we get in return. Bah...
So I barked, which encouraged my husband to bark at his doctor and the insurance company.  And guess what?  He had the test. And guess what?
Ding, ding, ding...it's sleep apnea, again. Go figure.
Obama's health care blah, blah, blah ... is suppose to bridge this gap for those of us Americans considered The Middle Class. (key in booming music)
Enough said.  This is me. Frazzled.  Utterly distressed. Angry.

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I would very much appreciate you chiming in, here. Tell me what you think. Share your healthcare experiences (or nightmares). This inquiring writer wants to know.

Middle Grade Mania ~ ICE DOGS

MMGM aka Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday was created by Shannon Messenger to give middle grade reads the attention they deserve. I'm joining in, today. If you'd like to see more MG books, click HERE to follow other participants. 
I'd like to start off with thanking the author for sending me a hard copy of this book. She merely sent it to me because, in her words, You've been a wonderful supporter and I wanted to thank you. Yeah, I got a little teary-eyed. Terry is an amazing person, blogging bud, and writer. Whatever I share about her or her work is because I believe it in my heart. 
I'm sure some of you have heard of ICE DOGS before, but I wanted to share my thoughts on it because it's much deserved.

AMAZON | B&N | GOODREADS

ICE DOGS by Terry Lynn Johnson
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Genre: Adventure Released: February 4, 2014 Pages: 288
Favorite Passage/Line: I climb back to where the dogs are watching me with amusement. Blue's tongue hands in a silent laugh. I motion for Christ to let the dogs go and I grab the sled as it slides by. Chris beams at me from his runner and then grabs me with one arm and awkwardly crushes me into his side. I grin right back with abandon, feeling absolutely giddy with joy. Our eyes connect with the shared delight of the moment. (pg. 176)
Description: Victoria Secord, a 14-year-old Alaskan dogsled racer, loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival, and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods, is entirely up to her.
Author Terry Lynn Johnson is a musher herself and her crackling writing puts readers at the reins as Victoria and Chris experience setbacks, mistakes, and small triumphs in their wilderness adventure. 

COVETED! MUST HAVE!

My Splats: Follow the touching survival journey of a young girl, as she finds strength in the love of her sled dogs to deal with a deep loss and return herself, the dogs, and a lost boy home.

Victoria is a tenaciously-willed tween/teen, both physically and mentally. As far as comprehending her surroundings, she's wise beyond her years. Her instincts of survival are as upfront in her being as some of our favorite foods are to us; they are simply part of what makes her tick. 

No one tells her what to do, when it comes to her place in the beauty of nature, which is such a refreshing element in this book. The majority of kids this age are focused on shopping, their next game, and even preparing for college - not which way the wind is blowing and how it could affect the falling snow or how they'd get food and shelter without electricity (me included). Victoria respects the natural world and its power. A born leader, she's self-assured and assertive. Her voice is fantastic and truly made this story move forward. The story is 'real', like I could help Victoria and Chris or pat one of the dogs. Johnson put me there. 

The relationship Victoria has with her dogs is tender and sweet. They are her family, tangible and important. She also has a beautiful connection with her father, albeit he's no longer with them. But she harnesses all he's taught her in her heart, which becomes an anchor for the story after she finds Chris--a former city dweller new to town and now stranded in the middle of nowhere on his crashed snowmobile. Together, equip with only the bare minimum out in the tundra, they must dig deep to find courage and strength to beat the odds of the frigid cold and distance they must travel home.

Distinct terminology is essential in order for the reader to understand Victoria's Alaskan world. The author does not disappoint. This tale is perfectly woven between expected/average word choices and intriguing terms that are easy to understand. It made the story flow and beam with enchantment. I also gained a deeper peek into Victoria and her every day life and learned a lot about the sport of sled dogs and the care given to these amazing animals.  

ICE DOGS is a great read and much deserving of its Junior Library Guild Selection.

Have you ever read a story about outdoor survival, children's lit or adult? Care to share?