The medical care system in California is infamously expensive. Doctors overcharge, insurance coverages are selective, and big pharma continue to balloon the cost of prescriptions. I know a little something about this when we took a deep look into the healthcare industry when Portia was sick.
The short version of her story was she was having chest pains, stomach aches, chronic coughing/choking, and vomiting (just to list a few). We visited different pediatric doctors from a pulmonologist to an ENT. She was off and on different prescriptions with no improvement.
Finally, a gastroenterologist diagnosed her with Achalasia, an esophageal disorder, after a run of x-rays, being sedated for an endoscopy, and undergoing a very painful and traumatizing esophageal manometry test. Portia would need surgery to repair her lower esophagus.
If you don't have insurance, here's what $120,000 of the best pediatric surgical care can buy at Children's Hospital Los Angeles:
A security detail of the finest medical and surgical team.
A ride on a fire truck.
VIP all access stickers and wristbands 👊.
Parent badges to enhance overall guest experience.
Real time status for parents to monitor how far along procedures are taking.
A generous dose of "happy juice" to give patients all the benefits of a restful nap.
The big sticker price gets you on the top floor via Panda Express of the West wing.
Restoration for a 3 night stay in a private room includes a sleep-number-like adjustable bed, a cozy recliner, and a touch screen TV mounted on a swivel arm.
A ceiling mural enchanted with puffs of white clouds and falling leaves bring the outdoors in.
A parent's luxurious corner bed (mine!).
At this premium price you'll get a room with a view of the Hollywood sign to the north.
And The Church of Scientology to the west.
A connecting bathroom with a shower...and tub was a bonus.
Some other amenities include a teen lounge and a library down the hall.
DAILY housekeeping and a round-the-clock care team which included a rotation of three nurses at a time.
Room service is available from morning...
Till night.
The sticker shock will wear off once you've entered the HBO cafe, the hospital's cafeteria offering enticing hot entrees and world cuisine stations. The poke bowls were so tasty!
Two Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf coffee bars in the lobby were a treat but so was Don Francisco's Hawaiian Hazelnut offered in the cafeteria.
We passed the time laughing, crying, watching movies and playing cards.
This wasn't a mother-daughter bonding retreat I had envisioned but this experience brought us closer than ever. I'm continuously growing as a human and a mother because of her. Nothing will test your patience like having a sick child who is suffering, and nothing will raise your trigger meter more than when she takes out her pain and agony on you. Learning how to respond to her feelings is an ongoing process.
I am thankful for David's job that provides medical insurance so we can give our children the best care. After almost a year of frustration, sadness, uncertainty, hope, and prayers, Portia is on the road to recovery. I'm so happy we found Children's Hospital Los Angeles.