insurance

Insurance says Sissy "no longer meets the criteria for inpatient care" and intends to give her a discharge before the end of February.

The RTC therapist informed me of this last night via email. Not during our therapy session that morning. And her email was only in response to mine, letting her know that the public school here wants to make their recommendations. So... if I hadn't contacted the therapist, I suppose I would still be living in blissful ignorance this morning? What? Was the RTC going to call me and say, "come get her today?" and I'd have had no idea?

The therapist says Sissy still isn't showing her anger so when they evaluate her biweekly, that's why she has fallen out of "meeting criteria". The therapist, (all in this email that I got at 7 pm last night, mind you, the email that was solicited, read: I only know this because I asked about something else) wants us to take Sissy overnight in the hopes she'll demonstrate her anger while with us so they can tell insurance she needs another 30 days.

Why hasn't Sissy shown her anger before now? Oh, could it be because she's 3 hours away and the only way we can spend our TLs is on campus (which got nixed five weeks ago because other residents' parents weren't observing patient confidentiality) or off campus to some public venue like McDonald's or to parks. Point of fact, this past weekend was the first time we went to a park because after 5 weeks of asking where else could we go for our TL, they finally mentioned the park. So no, public environments where we eat or play on playgrounds is NOT going to trigger Sissy. DUH! BIG HUGE O.M.G. DUH DUH DUH!!!!!

And why haven't we taken Sissy home for overnights before this? Because the therapist only tossed it out to me three weeks ago as an aside at the tail end of a session, 'Oh, insurance says you are approved for 48 hour overnight TL" and I was left standing there with my mouth hanging open. but, but, but.... I have ANOTHER impaired child. I have a 5 year old that has suffered at Sissy's hand. I'm supposed to put Sissy back in that bedroom with Wonder Girl in the hopes something will escalate?!?! HELLO!?!?!? I'm supposed to drive 12 hours in one weekend with Aspie Boy in tow?!?!? HELLO?!?!?! How am I not making myself clear?!?

And what about how much all of these trips cost us in lost wages, gas, wear and tear on the vehicle, eating out (because you can't have a picnic in a van in winter weather and even if you could, HELLO?!? I have ASPIE BOY!!!!)

The therapist said in the email Sissy needs to go to alternative school and continue her neurofeedback. HELLO?!?!? Are those even options for us in Augusta? I've been EXCEEDINGLY CLEAR that our area is horrendous for mental health resources and support. I even asked insurance about it last week. They said nothing. Atlanta where Sissy is at right now is overwhelmed with resources. We have nothing. I can't even get our RAD therapist to return my calls about starting a support group and we've been talking about it since October!!!!

Therapist says all of these things will be taken care of by intensive family intervention services. Uh.. ok. What are the credentials of these folks? Social workers? LPCs? Interns from the medical college (god help us!) That whoever/whatzit is going to walk into my house and I'm going to greet them at the door and to say "let's discuss triangulation." before s/he can say another word.

and The Dad makes a good point, as my fridge is bare and so is my bank account and the weather is STILL not cooperating so we can do a full week's worth of work AND the kids are out because of furlough days until Wednesday so that means I'm not working either, he says, "I know God says he won't give you more than you can handle, that He will meet all of our needs. OK. So God gave us these kids knowing they would have needs. But guess what? Their needs are still being unmet. And we still scrape by in this tiny house with no money and no help. Who can babysit for us so WE can have some sanity once in awhile? There is NO ONE. How do I make money when the weather won't cooperate? How do I protect Wonder Girl when our house is too small to create a fourth bedroom to put Sissy in when she returns in TWO WEEKS!? How is God meeting our needs? How is God also not giving us more than we can handle? Because so far, these needs aren't being met and this is way more than I can handle."

And I cried with my poor husband and he thought my non response meant I didn't agree with what he said but that wasn't the case at all because all I've got it, "What he said."

So today I'm putting all the bookshelves in the hallway and rearranging the living room, pulling the sofa forward and moving the other furniture into the vacancies from the bookshelves. This would be our 14x16 living room, ya'll. This weekend we'll disassemble the bunk bed and put Sissy's top-bunk portion behind the sofa, hang some curtains, add her dresser and try to figure out some kind of alarm something-or-other. We're not sure what. That's as far as we got last night in our discussion that ended at 10:30, both of us angry, weepy, nauseated and unable to think anymore.

Ask me if I slept. Nah, you already know the answer. My head is splitting. I feel like I'm going to throw up. I've called the school's principal to ask if we even have an alternative school in our area for girls Sissy's age and if there are openings and if we can get her in based on the criteria from the RTC. I know for a fact that there isn't one in our county. then I'll call our local RAD therapist again, begging for her to get the support group started.

I'll pay S&H, please send me any RAD books on your shelves you think I'll benefit from that you don't currently need. They will be returned when I've read them. Lisa can vouch for me.