Marissa’s 12.5% Irish heritage bids you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Watch this space for Marissa sporting the green after her bath in a few hours.  At a family party not that long ago, a younger family member was commenting on one of his schoolmates and pondered how she was French/Filipina and how such a mix could ever happen.  While he wasn’t quite ostracized from the family after that somewhat ill-informed remark, I do recall somebody slapping him upside his head thus sparing me the effort.  Look no further- Marissa is French/English/German/Irish/Filipina, or, alternatively, American.

Near another week has passed between posts- not my finest hour nor my most verbose week.  No extremes this week, not so busy I have to put breathing and eating on the iCal to insure they happen, not so slow that I have to call the paramedics to restart my heart every once in a while.  Again, no excuses, I just couldn’t quite make it to the keyboard when I had something to say.

Marissa’s ongoing care sort of fades into the background noise of life.  I can’t think of any more natural thing than medicating a baby twice a day with mind-numbing anti-epileptics, although that’s actually about as natural and normal for child raising as comparing a twinkie to organic foodstuffs.   Near daily battles with pharmacies, insurance companies, assistive device suppliers or any of a phalanx of people looking to take a piece of Marissa’s healthcare pie are checkbox items on a to-do list, rather than a rare ambush by the incompetent.  Any of the above not putting the thumbscrews to you is a cause for celebration rather than expected normal business.  Note to providers - most of you know this, but for those of you that don’t, a little empathy on the phone or in the office is a good thing, a productive bedside manner isn’t odious to your customers, patients, or partners in healthcare- pick whichever buzzword you want to apply to me.  Hanging up on a patient’s Father because they challenge you on what paperwork you say you’ve received is probably not your best course of action to insure that a multi-thousand dollar disbursement from insurance is awarded.

Schedule Notes

March 26th is Purple Day.  You’re already wearing green today, what’s another shirt in a week and a half?

March 28th is the National Walk for Epilepsy.  Not sure at this juncture if we’ll be attending, as we have a bit of a schedule conflict. 

Marissa Update

Marissa rocking the Green!

We’ve discussed hobbies before- the same not too busy not too slow ailment I touched on above has kept the Wife from her jewelry creating.

She made this for Marissa (and a matching bracelet for herself!)

It’s a creativity I don’t have and am awed when I stand in it’s presence.

Fairfax Update

Fairfax has heard Marissa’s pleas to check in, and has reported from sunny Reigate, England.

The old house on Slipshoe Street

Fairfax at the Priory

NATO Fairfax is headed deeper into the London commuter zone to the city proper.  Hope for nice weather!