How do you choose a new doctor? It is one of my dilemmas in life. How do I trust another person who doesn't even know me to make medical decisions about my body, me?
I think we should have a way to interview the person who may be your next doctor. I want to know if they have similar values. Do they like to be zealous or laid back in their treatments? Are they totally honest in their assessments or do they just tell you the minimum? Will they respect my choices if they are different from theirs? Will they trust that I know my own body and listen to me? Will they let me ask questions? How much time will they take with me? Will they care if I do my research and know as much as I can?
Why do I have to go to a doctor first and pay for an appointment to someone I may not even like , nor want to treat me? I would like to have others' recommendations, but last time I did that the doctor I chose wasn't taking new patients. :-(
What kind of doctor should I choose? Do I need a family physician? Should I see a doctor specifically for women? Do I need to see an internist? What about a P.A.? Or a nurse practitioner or a midwife?
My insurance company has a say in it, too. They determine who gets paid, and thus, who I can see. Distance and availability may also play into it.
What am I to do? In almost all other areas, I am decisive. In this area, I don't know where to start. I need my annual exam as it isn't annual anymore. I missed last year. I know it's time, but what to do? How do I choose? How do you choose? I need help in this!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
What I Didn't Get for my Birthday!
1. I didn't get ignored! Many wishes came my way for a good day! My sons called or came over and my daughters-in law both called. I loved hearing "Happy birthday, Oma" from some of my grandchildren. I heard from one of my sons-in-law and a granddaughter, too.
2. I didn't get any cards in the mail, but I got FB messages and email messages galore! The post office didn't get any business from us because of it!
3. I didn't go out for supper, but we had all the ingredients for all my favorites at home! We had BBQ Ribs, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Fresh Asparagus, Cantaloupe, and Snickers Cake! It was delicious!
4. We didn't go out on a date. Instead I got The Hobbit Movie and we all watched it together.
5. I didn't have a big party, but my two youngest daughters and I had a nice lunch out.
6. I didn't get any particularly bad news. That's good, really!
7. I didn't get the warm weather I had hoped for. I do live in Minnesota and, at least, it didn't blizzard. It has on my birthday before.
8. I didn't get any sicker. I have had a cold for over 2 weeks and it is getting better. Yeah!
9. I didn't get any younger! That's OK! My dad always said any day above ground was a good one! I am alive and glad of it! I love life!
10. I didn't have to get up early. I didn't have to put down my book until it was finished. I didn't do school with my daughter(teacher's day off!) I didn't have to do the dishes. I was spoiled, treated with love and care, and made to feel special. Though there were a few disappointments, I knew joy and found much to be thankful for!
I received gifts that I asked for, but now am questioning the wisdom of asking for a bathroom scale and my favorite cake! I received both! So should I eat cake? Sure! It was my birthday. The scale can come out of the box next week!
2. I didn't get any cards in the mail, but I got FB messages and email messages galore! The post office didn't get any business from us because of it!
3. I didn't go out for supper, but we had all the ingredients for all my favorites at home! We had BBQ Ribs, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Fresh Asparagus, Cantaloupe, and Snickers Cake! It was delicious!
4. We didn't go out on a date. Instead I got The Hobbit Movie and we all watched it together.
5. I didn't have a big party, but my two youngest daughters and I had a nice lunch out.
6. I didn't get any particularly bad news. That's good, really!
7. I didn't get the warm weather I had hoped for. I do live in Minnesota and, at least, it didn't blizzard. It has on my birthday before.
8. I didn't get any sicker. I have had a cold for over 2 weeks and it is getting better. Yeah!
9. I didn't get any younger! That's OK! My dad always said any day above ground was a good one! I am alive and glad of it! I love life!
10. I didn't have to get up early. I didn't have to put down my book until it was finished. I didn't do school with my daughter(teacher's day off!) I didn't have to do the dishes. I was spoiled, treated with love and care, and made to feel special. Though there were a few disappointments, I knew joy and found much to be thankful for!
I received gifts that I asked for, but now am questioning the wisdom of asking for a bathroom scale and my favorite cake! I received both! So should I eat cake? Sure! It was my birthday. The scale can come out of the box next week!
Monday, March 4, 2013
My Homeschooling Journey
Homeschooling has become a way of life for us now and I can't imagine not doing it. But it wasn't always that way. I first heard of homeschooling while I was living in Maryland in 1984-1985. I heard about it on a radio program that Marlin Maddoux did in the afternoons. But since my only child at that time was only 3, I wasn't too serious about checking into it. I heard of Raymond Moore and his wife and eventually looked at their books and a few others I found at the library.
We moved back to Minnesota and when it was time for our oldest to go to school, we sent him to a small public school in a little town not far from where we lived. He went to kindergarten and first grade there and it was OK. I had a few issues, but not terrible ones. He rode the bus too long. He learned evolution and there were witches in the story books. Some of those things just didn't work with our Christian worldview. He also came home saying,"My teacher said..." and I would have to correct him and tell him we didn't always agree. I didn't like the conflict in authority. But the biggest thing was our schedule. My husband worked at a camp and we lived there, too. We worked long days in the summer and on weekends. Our weekend was Sunday noon until Tuesday noon. When we wanted to do something as a family, our son was in school. We took vacations during the scool year, too. He would have to get out of school to go with us.
I decided to try this thing called homeschooling for a year to see if it would work for us. I researched curriculum, the state's laws, and sent a letter to my school district to let them know what I was going to do. No one had ever done it in this small community so they asked me for a copy of the law! We moved in about two months so I had to let another school district know about it. They were not thrilled about it, but none of us were sure of our roles. We weathered the storms that came and figured it out a year at a time. The laws have changed a couple of times and so we have had to keep up to date on those. We had more children and adopted 2 older children that didn't speak English. There were many changes to adapt to. Curriculum choices have exploded and homeschool groups abound now.We have support in many different areas and people homeschool for many different reasons.
I started because I wanted more family time and more flexibility. But I have continued for so many other reasons. First of all, I am able to impart our Christian worldview to my children in every subject. We can pray together in school! i teach Creation science rather than evolution. We eat together, talk together, work together, and develop close relationships. I know my children well. They know me well. We share so much just by virtue of the amount of time we spend together. We get to travel together and try things that they would never get to do if they were in public school and on their schedule.
My children have had many opportunities to volunteer, to try new things, and to study what they love because I can individualize their studies to them. They have also taught me things I would never have learned on my own.
It has been a journey for us, but one I would do all over again. I got to teach them to read and write. I got to read to them and instill a love of books and learning in them. I was privileged to give them a foundation of faith. And I was honored to see them grow 'in the way the should go' as they each learned and used their gifts and talents. They each have experienced different things and have each gone into their own areas with enthusiasm and excellence.
Homeschooling was a surprise to me. I was just going to try it for a year, and then one more. I still am doing it 23 + years later and have years ahead as my youngest is in 6th grade. God has blessed me through it and it has definitely been one of the joys of my heart.
We moved back to Minnesota and when it was time for our oldest to go to school, we sent him to a small public school in a little town not far from where we lived. He went to kindergarten and first grade there and it was OK. I had a few issues, but not terrible ones. He rode the bus too long. He learned evolution and there were witches in the story books. Some of those things just didn't work with our Christian worldview. He also came home saying,"My teacher said..." and I would have to correct him and tell him we didn't always agree. I didn't like the conflict in authority. But the biggest thing was our schedule. My husband worked at a camp and we lived there, too. We worked long days in the summer and on weekends. Our weekend was Sunday noon until Tuesday noon. When we wanted to do something as a family, our son was in school. We took vacations during the scool year, too. He would have to get out of school to go with us.
I decided to try this thing called homeschooling for a year to see if it would work for us. I researched curriculum, the state's laws, and sent a letter to my school district to let them know what I was going to do. No one had ever done it in this small community so they asked me for a copy of the law! We moved in about two months so I had to let another school district know about it. They were not thrilled about it, but none of us were sure of our roles. We weathered the storms that came and figured it out a year at a time. The laws have changed a couple of times and so we have had to keep up to date on those. We had more children and adopted 2 older children that didn't speak English. There were many changes to adapt to. Curriculum choices have exploded and homeschool groups abound now.We have support in many different areas and people homeschool for many different reasons.
I started because I wanted more family time and more flexibility. But I have continued for so many other reasons. First of all, I am able to impart our Christian worldview to my children in every subject. We can pray together in school! i teach Creation science rather than evolution. We eat together, talk together, work together, and develop close relationships. I know my children well. They know me well. We share so much just by virtue of the amount of time we spend together. We get to travel together and try things that they would never get to do if they were in public school and on their schedule.
My children have had many opportunities to volunteer, to try new things, and to study what they love because I can individualize their studies to them. They have also taught me things I would never have learned on my own.
It has been a journey for us, but one I would do all over again. I got to teach them to read and write. I got to read to them and instill a love of books and learning in them. I was privileged to give them a foundation of faith. And I was honored to see them grow 'in the way the should go' as they each learned and used their gifts and talents. They each have experienced different things and have each gone into their own areas with enthusiasm and excellence.
Homeschooling was a surprise to me. I was just going to try it for a year, and then one more. I still am doing it 23 + years later and have years ahead as my youngest is in 6th grade. God has blessed me through it and it has definitely been one of the joys of my heart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)