The Sweet Smell of Saving Money!

Some of you may know that this last Thursday, Eric, Eva and I drove down to Salt Lake City for surgery on a hernia that I've had since my last month of pregnancy (a year and a half ago). It wasn't hurting me, I just felt like I should get it checked out. So I met with a surgeon here in Boise. After our appointment he very quickly booked an appointment to operate the next week, saying that it was pretty important I get it done now. He quoted me $3,000 for the procedure alone. This may not be a big deal to some but it was to us considering Eric was with a new job and we don't yet have insurance. After being in tears about how much it was going to cost us I figured I better see how much it was going to cost us total with the hospital and the anesthesiologiest. The anesthesiologist quoted me around $800 and get this--the Hospital quoted me $7,000. SEVEN THOUSAND?!!! For 2 1/2 hours of being in the hospital for outpatient surgery! I could not believe it! After this I had decided there was no way I was going to get this done. The next day, Eric's sister Cathryn suggested I find a surgeon in SLC, because she had had an operation done for thousands less than anywhere else. So I did. Not having any background knowledge on anyone I decided I would just call all the surgical centers and ask for the recommended surgeons and their prices. After several calls, I found a Surgeon who would do it for $1,000 and a hospital for $1,000 and an anesthesiologist for $350 and a family friend who recommended all three. I immediately scheduled an appointment. Sorry to make this story so long, but I have to say my hard work paid off. The surgeon was awesome and actually only ended up charging us $550 (for paying up front) for an operation that wasn't as urgent as the first surgeon made out to be and the hospital and anesthesia were priced as said before. The care I received there was the best ever and totally worth it.

I wanted to post my experience for those of you out there who happen to be in this same situation and are looking to avoid spending rediculous hospital bills. So before you decide on spending outrageously priced facilities, check out Dr.'s in SLC first. We used the Utah Surgical Center. We ended up spending just under $2,000 for what would have been a $11,000 expense.

I'm recovering very well, the hardest part is not being able to hold or pick up Eva. But I have plenty of help. It was good for me this Thanksgiving because it stopped me from gorging myself sick. But I hope you all had a wonderful time gorging yourselfs and Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

I actually convinced Eric to dress up this year, or should I say dress down. Cheesy I know! Anyway, he wrapped himself in buffalo hair as a caveman, Eva was the cutest little chicken you've ever seen and I somehow managed to throw together a flapper girl outfit (I've always wanted to be one). We had lots of fun trick or treating and attending a couple of family halloween parties with super scary haunted houses.

Pillow Talk

Fun Custom Pillows with favorite music lyrics. Why settle for the mass produced, standard plaids, striped or solid throw pillow? Whether it’s for humor, your theme song, or just a forever classic, personalize your living space with a one of a kind, custom pillow from Pillow Talk. We have many of the more popular styles in stock or you can custom order your own. Great as gifts!

Email me at andreabelnap@hotmail.com if you are interested.

Some top sellers are:

Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar
Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses

Thank God I’m a Country Boy – John Denver

Everybody's working for the weekend - Loverboy

Two Tickets to Paradise – Eddie Money

Every Rose has it's Thorn - Poison

I’m Bring Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake
Don’t Stop Believin’, Hold onto that Feelin’ – Journey

I’ll Stand By You- The Pretenders
Don’t Stop til You Get Enough- Michael Jackson
The Kid is Not My Son –Michael Jackson
Born To Be Wild- Steppenwolf
Play That Funky Music- Wild Cherry
Rock and Roll All Night- Kiss
Take Me Home Country Road- John Denver
Take My Breath Away- Berlin
Don’t Do Me Like That- Tom Petty
Because You’re Mine, I Walk the Line –Johnny Cash
Bye Bye Love –Simon & Garfunkel
Help, I Need Somebody –The Beatles
It’s Been a Hard Day’s Night –The Beatles
Love Me Tender –Elvis Presley

Forever in Blue Jeans -Neil Diamond
I'm hooked on a Feelin -Neil Diamond

1 for $30
2 for $50
3 for $75

Eva's new battle wound!

Saturday, while climbing up on the dining room chair she lost her balance and fell off, catching herself with her arm. The Doctor believes it was just a buckle fracture, which is when a few fibers that make up the bone, break. Honestly, I think she likes her new accessory. She gets it off in 3 weeks.

Eva doing what she does best and climbing to be where us big people sit.

Eva and Mom tired after a long drive home.

SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT LIFE FROM A DIFFERENT VIEW.