This week CNN published Study: Average preemie costs $49,000 in first year.

The average cost of medical care for a premature or low birth-weight baby for its first year of life is about $49,000, according to a new report from the March of Dimes Foundation. By contrast, a newborn without complications costs $4,551 for care in its first year of life, the report said. Newborns with other kinds of complications, such as congenital defects, have medical expenses of $10,273 on average in the first year. Read Entire Article.

I think $49,000 seems like a low estimate. Considering by definition that a premature baby is one born before the 37th week of pregnancy, I can see how that can skew the results.  My youngest daughter, Tatym, was born over 3 weeks early (thus before the 37th week), but was still happy and healthy and a bouncing 7 lb. 4 oz. I didn’t consider her a preemie at all.

Whereas my twins were born over 13 weeks premature, and they maxed out the $1 million lifetime benefits on our health insurance.  See why I call Macy and Mallory my million dollar miracle babies?

I wonder how much the Octuplets‘ care is going to cost?!  I think I’m going to dress up as Octomom for Halloween this year!

I obviously thought wrong.  Last week, my daughter showed me a little bump under her arm, but I wrote it off to razor burn.  Then she got a lesion on her back, and I wrote that off as a bug bite.  When her left front and back upper torso all broke out, I thought it was poison ivy/oak from playing in the park and took her to the Urgent Clinic. Being the weekend, we waited an eternity for the doctor to tell us it’s shingles, and there was nothing we can do about it. Nothing?

I then researched shingles to read that anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk, but shingles itself is not contagious. I used to work in a dermatology office where we’d treat elderly for shingles, usually brought on my stress, so knew there surely had to be something to stop my daughter crying from the hurting and itching.

So, I made an appointment with our local physician assistant who prescribed Acyclovir (an antiviral med), Prednisolone (steroid) and Triamcinolone Cream. She is now on her way to recovery! Once a person has shingles, they aren’t likely to have them again, thank God.

Even though stress is the main culprit to aggitate shingles, it can occur for any reason at all.  Being a single mom of four, I’ve been my fair share of stress, but have never had shingles, but I’ve also never had the chicken pox!

If you read Macy & Mallory’s NICU story, they had to be given the VZig antibody to ward off the chicken pox since my then three-year old son broke out lesions. When I said I had never had the chicken pox, they wouldn’t let me see the babies until I had a blood test showing I was immune to the varicella zoster virus. So either I acquired the immunity somehow or else I had a mild case of the chicken pox at some point in time and my mother nor I never knew it.

The VZig was only a temporary prophylactic, and because the twins were given that, they couldn’t be given Chickenpox varicella vaccine to ward off the disease permanently. They eventually contracted the chicken pox in second grade and missed picture day that year.

My daughter’s shingles…



Related Article: Mailbox Monday video about my daughter with shingles

My daughter, Tatym, is a huge fan of the Reba television show. The show’s opening song is I’m a Survivor by Reba McEntire herself. I love to listen to the lyrics about her being premature and surviving, so thought I’d share…

I was born three months too early
The doctor gave me thirty days
But I must’ve had my mama’s will
And God’s amazing grace

I guess I’ll keep on livin’
Even if this love’s to die for
‘Cause your bags are packed and I ain’t cryin’
You’re walkin’ out and I’m not trying
To change your mind ’cause I was born to be

Chorus:
The baby girl without a chance
A victim of circumstance
The one who oughta give up, but she’s just
Too hard headed
A single mom who works two jobs
Who loves her kids and never stops
With gentle hands and the heart of a fighter
I’m a survivor

I don’t believe in self-pity
It only brings you down
May be the queen of broken hearts
But I don’t hide behind the crown
When the deck is stacked against me
I just play a different game
My roots are planted in the past
And though my life is changin’ fast
Who I am is who I wanna be

Repeat Chorus

A single mom who works two jobs
Who loves her kids and never stops
With gentle hands and the heart of a fighter
I’m a survivor

But I must’ve had my mama’s will
And God’s amazing grace