this week--the good, the bad, and the ugly

This week was, as a friend from college used to say, "straight from the pit of the land of yuck." I think Murphy was actually stalking us this week and having a jolly good time of it at that! :-p But I can also honestly say that God has been with us and blessing us through it all. Murphy no doubt could have done much more damage had God not been looking out for us and working on our behalf in spite of all the "yuck."

The story actually begins before this week ever started. The day after Christmas, Nelson took my car to do an errand. He came home without completing said errand due to the engine overheating and the copious amounts of white smoke the car was emitting (he said the smoke was so bad it was like driving in a fog). On Tuesday of the following week (December 30), we managed to get the car towed to a service station for repairs. They thought that even with the holiday on Thursday (New Year's Day), they would be able to have the car repaired by Friday or Saturday of that week.

Ha ha.

Naturally this is where Murphy struck first. Everything that could have gone wrong with the repair of this car did. The car had blown a head gasket, which is a time-consuming fix in the best of circumstances. But the best of circumstances were not at work here. There were delays with the machine shop. Used parts didn't work out. New parts weren't delivered when expected. Etc. The service station was as frustrated as we were, because my car was taking up a work bay and a mechanic, both of which were needed for other jobs. And the cost kept climbing. In the end, the station capped the price and ate some of the cost for us, to make up for it taking so long.

How long did it take? We towed my car in on Tuesday, December 30. Today is Saturday, January 10. Today at 4:15, we finally drove my car home. I joked with Nelson that I hoped I remembered how to drive a car after all this time!

But that was only one aspect to our difficult week. I mentioned in the previous post that Sarah had her first ear infection diagnosed on Sunday. She began taking her first antibiotic. This particular antibiotic made her somewhat hyper. She felt much better almost immediately upon beginning the medicine, but she was climbing the walls. And of course we were stuck at home all week long, so climbing the walls is almost a literal description! Both of us got a bit stir crazy. I wasn't sure which of us was going to snap first. Even going outside to play wasn't an option--the weather this week has been cold, rainy, windy, and generally nasty. So both Sarah and I had short tempers by the end of the week.

Furthermore, Nelson's insurance at work has changed. The effective date for the change was January 1. However, we still don't have new insurance cards. We have had a trip to the doctor for Sarah, a trip to the doctor for me, and a trip to the pharmacy for Sarah--all without any sort of proof of insurance. Well, I take that back. Nelson was given a phone number that medical care providers could call to verify insurance coverage. The problem? The number is only staffed Monday through Friday, 8:00-5:00. Guess how useful that was when we were with Sarah at the pediatric clinic and then the pharmacy on a Sunday. It's not like you can plan when you need medical care! :-p

Friday was my monthly ob/gyn appointment. This appointment also included the one hour glucose tolerance test. I have been dreading this test. I loathe the super-sugary drink, and since I had gestational diabetes with Sarah, I was worried about the results. Plus, I am positively a basket case when it comes to anything that involves a needle. I drank the solution on Friday morning and concentrated on controlling my nausea. I didn't want to have to take the test again.

I shouldn't have bothered trying to control my nausea. I have to take the test again anyway. My doctor had to go deliver two babies, and the rest of the office got backed up trying to cover for him. In the confusion, the lab tech wasn't able to draw my blood for the test an hour after I drank the solution. In fact, it had been almost two hours by the time I saw the tech. She said there was no point in even sticking me with the needle; the test would be thrown out as invalid. I have to take it again on Tuesday. :-p

So although nothing catastrophic has occurred, it has been a long, frustrating week. Still, I have some bright spots to report. :) God is gracious to us even in the midst of all of the "yuck."

Bright spot #1: Even without proof of insurance, the doctors we have visited have been unbelievably understanding and accommodating. They have bent over backward to work with us. We did have to pay for Sarah's antibiotic completely out-of-pocket, but even then Wal-Mart said that once we had a valid insurance card we could simply return for a refund.

Bright spot #2: As you can well imagine, my car repair bill was atrocious. It very easily could have wiped out our savings completely. But my parents have generously stepped in to help us out, and we are so grateful. So here's a public thank you, Mom and Dad!

Bright spot #3: This one may seem a bit silly. But it sure made me feel better! Thursday night I desperately needed to go grocery shopping. Nelson drove us, and we went to Fazoli's first to eat supper. By a random fluke, we were the "customers of the day." Our entire bill was FREE!! This kind of thing never happens to us. But I truly think it was just a small "It's going to be okay" present from God.

Bright spot #4: A week this stressful normally would have flattened me with a migraine to end all migraines. I do not cope with situations like this well under ordinary circumstances. But God's grace combined with the magnesium supplement my doctor recommended have left me virtually headache-free through the whole week. I don't have to tell anyone who's ever had a migraine what a blessing that is!

Bright spot #5: Oh, wait. That's another post! Sorry, you'll just have to be curious for a bit. But I do promise to try to get it on here as quickly as I can! ;)

I hope all of you have had a better week! And here's hoping for life to return to normal (whatever that might be) next week! (But if you don't mind praying for my glucose screening coming up on Tuesday and the results thereof, I sure would appreciate it!)