Monday, May 1, 2017

Shriner's update

Last Friday, was our Shriner's appointment. Our drive down is a little under 2 hours and we forgot Bella's kindle. Let me tell you she was thrilled about that (insert eye roll here!). However, it was a really good opportunity for her and I to chat about some things that are going on in her little 7 year old life. A good chance for mama and Bella bonding.

We made it to Shriner's and then checked out inside the hospital a bit. We did some reading, played with a little 16 month old guy who was also waiting, fishtailed braided Bella's hair and did some more chatting. We got called back and met with Dr Ackerman, Michael (from scheck & siress prosthetics) and a resident. Dr Ackerman agreed with me that a sports arm with a terminal device would be a good fit for Bella at this point in time. Did I lose you yet? The terminal device is the part of the prosthetic that goes on her left arm and then the "hand" portion is interchangeable... Why go this route? Because this will allow her a mushroom tip (which is used for gymnastics, handstands and cartwheels) and a bike piece (that can clip onto her bike but releases easy, this could then be adapted for tennis, baseball bat, hockey, kayaking)... It gives her some options.

Why not a full prosthetic that she can wear all of the time? I want her to have a purpose, right now she does most things just fine. After her neck injury in PE is when I decided that she should probably have something to help prevent further injuries, to her neck, her wrist, her elbow or other injuries that could occur due to her limb difference and the length difference in her arms. IF later she decides that something would be beneficial ALL of the time, then we'll go that route. However, for now, this is a start.

Why Scheck and Siress? Shriner's in Chicago sends out their prosthetic needs to this company... Why? I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that they have great communication with Dr Ackerman which will help to get our insurance on board. This is one of the main problems we have in Milwaukee. Our pediatrician isn't well versed in prosthetic or limb differences and our needs, which means she would have to communicate better with Hanger. Hanger can't call and talk to her because then insurance would deny our claim because "they are trying to sell her something"... their words, not mine. That's one of the main reasons we went to Chicago, to get a hold of experts. Dr Ackerman is just that, an expert in amputations, limb differences and the needs related to such.

What about the cost? Before I get into this, I'm going to get on my soap box. Here goes. Why is it that someone with TWO hands gets to sit behind a desk and decide what MY daughter NEEDS and if it is appropriate or not? Why is it that this person gets to decide if it's a NEED or a WANT? Why should Bella have a harder time doing handstands or cartwheels because she was born different? We risk injury to her good limb from all of the extra stress that she places on that hand and those joints. The person behind the desk surely is considering all of those things right? Wrong...

Okay back to the cost. I stood at Shriner's and called to be sure Scheck and Siress was "in-network". It took me about 30 minutes to verify that is was and then we headed from Shriner's to their office. We have decent insurance. We've almost met our deductible. Once that is meant, we pay 10% and the insurance company pays 90%. This isn't too bad. The problem comes into place when the policy says the prosthetic can be replaced every 3 years, so then that means we'd  have to fight with insurance because she's a child and she's growing constantly so she will likely need something before the 3 years is up.

Why did I share the cost? I feel like it's important for other parents of kids with limb differences to realize there is a a cost, a significant one. We'll likely have to travel to Chicago 2-3 more times for appointments, that's time off of work and school as well as gas and wear and tear on my vehicle. The cost of the prosthetic as well and the things that go along with it are not cheap. The sleeve alone for the inside of the prosthetic (this helps decrease rubbing and ensure a good fit) is $500. Again, these are things that I as a parent of a child with a limb difference did not know or realize. As we move forward, these are things that we will keep in mind. Just some insight for those that are in our shoes.

I hope that this helps someone! I hope that you as a parent of a child with a limb difference can think about your child's needs as they arise and have some sort of understanding because of this blog. I hope those in the community can understand prosthetics a little better.

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