For those of you who think Obama's health care plan(socialized health care) is a good idea, let me tell you a story. Free health care for all, yay, it sounds good but what else comes with it?
For those of you who know this story feel free not to read on...
We had Ayva, our oldest in London. Josh was put on a project over there for 6 months, so off we went. We debated on what to do about the delivery. For private health care over there was going to be about $30,000 for a delivery. We just didn't have it, so yes, we figured out a way to use the public health care. I know, we probably shouldn't have because we weren't citizens but what's done is done. This is exactly one reason why I don't think it's a good idea for Obama to put this in effect. You think it's bad now with illegal immigrants? Just wait, with free health care, the States will get flooded with them.
This is the hospital, St. Mary's Hospital
So Ayva came 2 weeks over her due date because they don't induce unless you do go over two weeks. So she finally decided to come. We got to the hospital early, about 7am. Of course, I was going to try it without any help, what was I thinking. Now remember I grew up with the idea that when you have a baby the doctors and nurses take care of you and the hospitals are nice and they have baby stuff there for you. I was put into this room that was divided by curtains. I can't remember how long I was there but they told us that they don't have a room for me and that they wanted me to go home because she wasn't going to come for a while. WHAT, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? From the very beginning it was hard labor up until they delivered her. Just for your info, they are not fans of Americans.
They finally took me upstairs to another community room to just wait it out. Oh and the bathrooms are done the hall. They didn't have any wheelchairs so my dad and Josh had to hold me up as we went upstairs. The midwife who was in charge of me at that time, I called her the Nazi midwife. She told me I should go to Hyde Park and walk around it a few times because she wouldn't be coming until about midnight that night. I was devastated! Then she said, "Or you could just go home and bake me a cake." WHAT!! Ok, so I understand she wasn't coming for a while but I wasn't going anywhere until she came.
The above pictures are from the only private room I had.
Inside the hospital
I wasn't progressing very fast, so I finally told the midwife that I wanted some drugs. Every time a contraction came I would get very down because I knew that it was going to be painful. Apparently it took them a while to get a hold of the guy who handles the drugs. So after some hours went by I finally got my own room. Midwives would come in and I think the doctor came in once or twice. Still no drugs, so they put me on nitrous oxide (I ended up being on the nitrous oxide for about 10 or 15 hours, I can't remember exactly how long). Oh and that wing is like 110 degrees. So for about 10/15 hours my dad and Josh were taking turns fanning me with a piece of paper and holding the mask on my face.
I know, cute picture but just a visual to see what it was like.
Josh and mom while I was in surgery.
At this point it's sometime late that night and still no drugs. I think they gave me some kind of drug, if I remember right, that made me sleepy. I don't remember it helping but if you talk to my mom, dad or Josh they might tell you something else. It just got to a point that I didn't remember a whole lot. I do remember them coming in and saying that I couldn't have an epidural because apparently since I arrived at the hospital I developed a fever. That's what we were told. I was just fine when I went in though. Anyways, again I was devastated. They said I only progressed to a 7 and it had been a day and I was done so they decided to do an emergency C-section. Because I couldn't have an epidural they would have to put me out. They said it wouldn't be that long, they just had to get the "theater" ready. Theater=operating room.
They came for me, got me all ready, we said our goodbyes and started to wheel me out of the room. Still no drugs. We got down the hall and I remember this lady running after us and said, "No, not yet!" WHAT, NO, IT'S MY TURN, I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE, NO, NO, NO! The lady told the people that they had a lady that had a worse emergency. I understand that and I'm glad she got taken care of but I had to go back to my room and wait, again. They said it would only take about a half hour. Again devastation set in big time. I know 30 minutes is nothing but at that point I was in hard labor for at least 24 hours. 30 minutes went by-nothing. 15 more minutes-nothing. 30 more minutes went by-nothing. They finally came in and got me, took me back to the theater and started to put me out. I remember laying there and lying flat on my back felt very uncomfortable and painful, then I looked up and the dude was there and I asked probably in a panic, "How long will it take for the drugs to kick in?" And that's the last thing I remember.
When I came to, the only thing I remember, I WASN'T IN ANY PAIN!!! I was in this room by myself for a while and my mom and dad and Josh came in and then they brought Ayva in. She had to eat right away but I still wasn't all there so Josh fed her a bottle.
Meeting Ayva for the first time.
Mom and dad right before they left for the States. Ayva came the day my parents had to leave. Perfect timing. This was the community room where Ayva and I stayed for the three days.
When I was feeling better they transferred us to another room, another community room. I was in this room with 5 other women and their new babies. Our beds were divided by curtains. They didn't have a nursery so Ayva was with me the whole time. I had to take care of her, which would have been fine but for the fact that I was hooked up to all these cords and just had major surgery on my stomach. All visitors had to leave by 9pm, including my husband. So there I was, a huge incision on my lower stomach, hooked up to all these cords pumping drugs in me, a brand new baby that I had to take care of with no real help from any of the midwives, the bathroom down the hall, no baby supplies and my husband at home(during the night). It was interesting. I wasn't aware of this event, when you first stand up after delivering a baby. I stood up for the first time and freaked out, so did Josh, walked all the way down the hall with this red trail behind me.
It's a good thing this was my first experience.
There was one point that I asked a midwife for a diaper and she said while rolling her eyes, "You Americans." Needless to say, I didn't feel very comfortable, secure or wanted there. Ayva and I left the hospital after 3 days. We walked. Our apartment was right behind the hospital and plus we didn't have a car seat so a cab was out of the question. It wasn't that far but it felt like the longest walk I'd ever been on.
Josh's parents also came out to help. They came a couple days after my parents left. I got to sleep and it was wonderful, Thank you G&G Bates!
This was the inside of the kitchen, dining and living room area.
It's a little fuzzy but that was our apartment complex
So not only do you have experiences like that and a flood of illegal immigrants but there is also the waiting lists. I heard that people over there are on waiting lists for surgeries and some die because the wait is so long.
I don't know about you all but I'm ok with our health care system, it may need some fine tuning but I'd rather have ours than theirs.
Sorry for the venting and long story, I just had to get this off my chest. As you can tell I'm not a fan of Obama.
Just a side note, did you know that he's now trying to silence conservative talk radio because he doesn't want people listening to the opposing side. I don't know, isn't that kind of like taking away our Freedom of Speech. Just not a fan!!!
