Search Results for: blog do you really need the emergency room

Life Is Short, So Appreciate It

Fellow blogger, Michele Cheplic, just wrote about the tragic loss of seven lives in the Bronx. It was a tragedy that has probably struck a chord in every heart. And as Michele pointed out, the realization that when it comes to our time, we do not know the day nor the hour. I want to play off that a bit with another passage from the Bible that you may be familiar with, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life…” (Psalm 90:12, NIV) Life is filled with uncertainties and while I cannot relate to the impact of a tragedy such … Continue reading →

How to Make Your Basement Safe from Fire

Basements can be scary things, and I am not just talking about the pretend monsters that kids imagine being down there. In fact, recent estimates state that there are almost 17,000 basement fires each year. Basement fires can be particularly worrisome, since they usually have limited ways to get out of them, making escape in an emergency difficult and sometimes tragic. With the economy and home prices being what they are, we are also using our basements more fully now, turning them into livable space, rather than upgrading to larger homes. Home theaters, man-caves, workshops, game rooms, play rooms, bars … Continue reading →

Uninsured Americans Get Dental Care From ER

What happens when an American needs a dentist, but doesn’t have dental insurance? Increasingly, the uninsured are waiting until they have a dental emergency, and then heading for the emergency room. This is less than ideal, for many reasons. It also points out a huge gap in insurance coverage. The Pew Center is an organization that works to advance state policies that serve the public interest. They analyze things that are going on in individual states, in order to figure out what works, and what doesn’t work. Recently, the Pew Center did some research that involved looking at hospital information … Continue reading →

Inspiring Fiction for Frugal Living

It isn’t too late for a good Christmas story, is it? I hope not. You see, now that the holidays are done, the tree is put away, the bills are reconciled, and I seem to be spending hours each week waiting for my kids in one room or another as they take part in their extracurricular activities, I am ready to get some reading done. One of the books that I have neglected is a collection of inspiring Christmas stories. One story in particular struck me in a way that I am not likely to forget. It centers around a … Continue reading →

Christmas Can Be Dangerous For Pets

Pet owners need to be especially aware of the potential dangers that the holiday season brings to your dogs, cats, and other animals. Your pet could decide that your Christmas decorations look tasty. Now is a good time to check to see what your pet insurance policy covers. If your family celebrates Christmas, then you have probably spent quite a bit of time decorating your home in anticipation of that holiday. The human members of your family are very aware of exactly how many days are left before Christmas. Your pets, on the other hand, might be confused about just … Continue reading →

What You Need to Know About Your Texting Teen

If your teenager cannot connect with you on a relationship level or if that relationship is too stressful, painful, or difficult, there are plenty of other places your teen can connect. Even if your relationship is merely strained and not broken altogether, your teen has plenty of options for connection, validation, acceptance, and support apart from you. You are in competition for your teen’s connection. You are competing with peers and with technology because many of those other options for connection are only a cell phone or keypad away. It used to be that you punished a child by sending … Continue reading →

Flexible Schedule To The Rescue

I have talked before about the importance of planning some wiggle room into your work schedule. At least in my life, examples keep coming up that show me just how important it is to plan my schedule this way. Whenever I am tempted to cram my schedule as full as I can, all I have to do is think back a few days or a few weeks to find a good reason not to. My latest example of a not-packed schedule saving the day happened yesterday. A friend of mine called me around lunch time and asked whether I could … Continue reading →

Keeping Pets Safe on Halloween

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I think it’s due to many happy childhood memories I have of this season and of this holiday in particular. But it just might be my pets’ least favorite, as a new report calls Halloween the most dangerous holiday for pets. The Baltimore Sun has the scoop from the Pet Poison Hotline. Just hearing the name of the company releasing the report makes it obvious why Halloween is considered so dangerous: chocolate. That’s right; the hotline says that calls made to it go up 12% this time of year. The first step I should take … Continue reading →

More Than Three Visits to the ER Will Cost You

The state of Washington is doing something unheard of in an attempt to keep the costs of Medicaid as low as possible. Patients will be limited to three non- emergency visits to the emergency rooms at hospitals per year. After that, Medicaid patients will have to pay out of pocket for additional visits to the ER. At first glance, it may sound as though the state of Washington is unsympathetic to the health care needs that people who use Medicaid require. Whether or not that happens to be true is debatable. What is true is the new rules about Medicaid … Continue reading →

Channeling Anxiety Through the Body: Rita’s Story

It’s challenging enough dealing with the anxiety that lives in our minds. But when it is channeled through the body – as it always is – anxiety works us over double time. Sometimes it manifests as a tightness in the gut, or clenching of the teeth or hands. Over time, though, anxiety takes a more dangerous toll on our physical sides, from ulcers and panic attacks, to high blood pressure and heart attacks. What’s worse is when we add fuel to the fire, treating our bodies in ways that only make anxiety worse. Rita knows this all too well. Promptly … Continue reading →