RE: Group Help

[Guest guest]

Go to SLC.

Group Help

Hi All,

My husband and I have been struggling with what to do, I am asking for any and all advice. We have had 2 appts with Loma Univ. Medical Center and at this second appt, the Dr. suggested that we cast my son. We agreed, it was time to stop the waiting and watching. I guess I have a bond with the MD since he was the first Dr. to finally agree that my son had IIS and he is Mehta trained. The story gets complicated with.....insurance. I (very!!) thankfully bonded with Olivia during this difficult time over..will my insurance cover this or not. Well last week after many, many weeks of fighting, I finally received the insurance authorization letter for Jack's casting...however they will only cover 80% and we need to pay 20%. Beacuse I was scared that this casting was not going to be covered at all, I applied to SLC, we were accepted. I just got a call from SLC and the MD has reviewed my son's medical information and agrees that he could benefit from a cast. I am just so torn and I don't know what to do.

My family and friends are handing out mixed opinions and I just thought I need to send this problem out to those that live this day in and out. I understand the casting methods are different (under the arm vs over the shoulder) I am hoping that parents can respond how they feel about this issue. I don't want to feel in my heart that my son's medical care boiled down to money. I want to feel that I am chosing the VERY best facility for him. Fighting with the insurance companies as taken such a toll on me that I just don't know if I can keep going through this. I hope this is making sense, I'm tired and emotional. My husband says that the descion is up to me and I have to say this is making it even harder. Please feel free to respond privately if you like. Thank you for any help, Krista

[Guest guest]

Krista,

This is a decision you will ultimately have to make yourself, but I did want to say that I have heard good results from some of the parents on this group who have taken their children to SLC. Maybe some of the members who have gone to SLC can chime in and give you more details about the staff, the doctors, and their experiences with SLC. If the doctor there has the experience with early treatment and if several patients have had good results with that facility, it might be worth considering to save the out of pocket expense. Of course, you might also want to do the math and figure out how much you would be spending on travel (gas, hotels, etc.) and compare that to the 20% you would pay out of pocket at the other facility. I'm guessing the travel expenses will only be a fraction of the cost of the healthcare cost though. Antoher thing to keep in mind is that if you choose one

facility over the other and you are dissatisfied with the experience, the technique, or with the results after the first cast, you could always switch doctors. I know you don't want to have to do that, but just keep it in mind that you are not "locked in" once you make your choice.

Group Help

Hi All,

My husband and I have been struggling with what to do, I am asking for any and all advice. We have had 2 appts with Loma Univ. Medical Center and at this second appt, the Dr. suggested that we cast my son. We agreed, it was time to stop the waiting and watching. I guess I have a bond with the MD since he was the first Dr. to finally agree that my son had IIS and he is Mehta trained. The story gets complicated with.....insurance. I (very!!) thankfully bonded with Olivia during this difficult time over..will my insurance cover this or not. Well last week after many, many weeks of fighting, I finally received the insurance authorization letter for Jack's casting...however they will only cover 80% and we need to pay 20%. Beacuse I was scared that this casting was not going to be covered at all, I applied to SLC, we were accepted. I just got a call from SLC and the MD has reviewed my

son's medical information and agrees that he could benefit from a cast. I am just so torn and I don't know what to do.

My family and friends are handing out mixed opinions and I just thought I need to send this problem out to those that live this day in and out. I understand the casting methods are different (under the arm vs over the shoulder) I am hoping that parents can respond how they feel about this issue. I don't want to feel in my heart that my son's medical care boiled down to money. I want to feel that I am chosing the VERY best facility for him. Fighting with the insurance companies as taken such a toll on me that I just don't know if I can keep going through this. I hope this is making sense, I'm tired and emotional. My husband says that the descion is up to me and I have to say this is making it even harder. Please feel free to respond privately if you like. Thank you for any help, Krista

[Guest guest]

Group Help

Hi All,

My husband and I have been struggling with what to

do, I am asking for any and all advice. We have had 2 appts with Loma

Univ. Medical Center and at this second appt, the Dr. suggested that we

cast my son. We agreed, it was time to stop the waiting and

watching. I guess I have a bond with the MD since he was the first Dr.

to finally agree that my son had IIS and he is Mehta trained. The story

gets complicated with.....insurance. I (very!!) thankfully bonded with

Olivia during this difficult time over..will my insurance cover this or

not. Well last week after many, many weeks of fighting, I

finally received the insurance authorization letter for Jack's

casting...however they will only cover 80% and we need to pay

20%. Beacuse I was scared that this casting was not going to be

covered at all, I applied to SLC, we were accepted. I just got a call

from SLC and the MD has reviewed my son's medical information and agrees that

he could benefit from a cast. I am just so torn and I don't know what

to do.

My family and friends are handing out mixed opinions

and I just thought I need to send this problem out to those that live this

day in and out. I understand the casting methods are different (under

the arm vs over the shoulder) I am hoping that parents can respond how they

feel about this issue. I don't want to feel in my heart that my son's

medical care boiled down to money. I want to feel that I am chosing the

VERY best facility for him. Fighting with the insurance companies as

taken such a toll on me that I just don't know if I can keep going through

this. I hope this is making sense, I'm tired and emotional.

My husband says that the descion is up to me and I have to say this is making

it even harder. Please feel free to respond privately if you

like. Thank you for any help, Krista

[Guest guest]

Hi Krista:

I will share my experience for what it’s worth. We

initially casted with a non-Mehta doc who did under the arm casts. We got

great results but they didn’t hold. We liked this doctor and liked

that he was local. We then travelled to a Mehta trained doctor and were

casted in over the shoulder casts. They were really only more bothersome

for our daughter the first few days when she was learning to sleep in

them. Other than that she was fine with it. These casts have

provided more long-term correction for us. I personally regret not doing

it sooner. I can’t tell you what to do but I know how draining

fighting with insurance and paying hefty bills can be and can tell you how nice

it is to be at Shriners not having to worry about that any more.

Good Luck!

E

From:

infantile_scoliosis

[mailto:infantile_scoliosis ] On Behalf Of Hyatt

Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:46 AM

To: infantile_scoliosis

Subject: RE: Group Help

-----Original

Message-----

From: infantile_scoliosis [mailto:infantile_scoliosis ]

On Behalf Of Krista Sloan

Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:20 PM

To: infantile_scoliosis

Subject: Group Help

Hi

All,

My

husband and I have been struggling with what to do, I am asking for any and

all advice. We have had 2 appts with Loma Univ. Medical Center

and at this second appt, the Dr. suggested that we cast my son. We

agreed, it was time to stop the waiting and watching. I guess I have a

bond with the MD since he was the first Dr. to finally agree that my son had

IIS and he is Mehta trained. The story gets complicated

with.....insurance. I (very!!) thankfully bonded with Olivia during

this difficult time over..will my insurance cover this or not. Well

last week after many, many weeks of fighting, I finally received

the insurance authorization letter for Jack's casting...however they will

only cover 80% and we need to pay 20%. Beacuse I was scared that

this casting was not going to be covered at all, I applied to SLC, we were

accepted. I just got a call from SLC and the MD has reviewed my son's

medical information and agrees that he could benefit from a cast. I am just

so torn and I don't know what to do.

My

family and friends are handing out mixed opinions and I just thought I need

to send this problem out to those that live this day in and out. I

understand the casting methods are different (under the arm vs over the shoulder)

I am hoping that parents can respond how they feel about this issue. I

don't want to feel in my heart that my son's medical care boiled down to

money. I want to feel that I am chosing the VERY best facility for

him. Fighting with the insurance companies as taken such a toll on me

that I just don't know if I can keep going through this. I hope this is

making sense, I'm tired and emotional. My husband says that the

descion is up to me and I have to say this is making it even harder.

Please feel free to respond privately if you like. Thank you for any

help, Krista

[Guest guest]

Please

read below and feel free to contact me direct, should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

HRH

1-

Early

Treatment Defined:

Facts gleaned from the

article, “Growth as a corrective force in the early treatment of

progressive infantile scoliosis” and personal time spent with Dr. Min

Mehta, FRCS.

Why materials, proper

windows, and the correct frame are non-negotiable in the treatment of

progressive infantile scoliosis.

Why act Early?

First

and foremost Early Treatment with serial corrective plaster jackets is simply a

preventive treatment that is provided as soon as an infants curve is considered

progressive. We now know that the infants curve will keep pace at the

rate in which the child is growing, and that is very fast the first two years

of life. If the child is diagnosed with progressive infantile scoliosis under

2 years of age, and treated with a series of specialized plaster jackets, the

jackets have the ability to harness that vigorous rate of growth and train the

young spine to grow straight gently, and permanently. The time it

takes for the curve to grow into the corrected position is about equal to the

time from initial curve detection, to its first proper corrective treatment by

POP jackets.

Parents

are most often the first to detect their child’s scoliosis. Medical

professionals typically advise parents to wait 3-6 months to determine whether

or not the scoliosis will progress. However, there is a measuring

technique that will help determine if the scoliosis is of the progressive

nature, or self - resolving. The RVAD (Rib Vertebral Angle Degree) can be

measured with a pencil and ruler, and will be able to give the surgeon an

indication of what type of curve is present. There is a window of time

that children benefit from Early Treatment. “The earlier

treatment is begun, the greater will be the chance of success.”

Time is critical for maximum correction and/or resolution of infantile

scoliosis.

Why Plaster?

“Plaster-of-Paris”

(POP) is the most comfortable and effective material in the application of

jackets. Plaster of Paris is easier to mold to the child’s unique

body shape than newer synthetic materials. The surgeons applying the

jackets only have a certain amount of time to mold the jacket properly to the

child’s torso, and since plaster doesn’t dry as fast as fiberglass,

it allows them the time required to apply the best jacket possible.

Other synthetic materials may not give the surgeons the time they need.

Not to mention, overall comfort for the child, and time spent under

anesthesia. Fiberglass is a very rigid material that dries fast and does

not breathe with the child’s body at all.

Why Windows?

Properly

placed windows are crucial in the proper application of plaster jackets.

Each child’s curve(s) is individual and unique. Consequently, the

windows in the jacket must address the child’s specific needs. Dr.

Mehta has found that a large mushroom shape window in the front with rib flaps

to support the rib cage and prevent rib flaring will give the child a lot of

breathing room. We call this a chest expansion window. The window

in the back should start at the midline, and should be placed on the concavity

side of the curve. This window allows the flattened ribs on the concave

side of the curve to grow out, and the prominent ribs on the convex side to

grow flat. This cut out will also be unique to your child, because every

curve is different. This window will not only help to improve over all

body shape, but will also address rotation.

With

over 30 years of research and treatment, Dr. Mehta has found that these windows

are absolutely essential in preventing chest wall deformities and that they

allow ample room for normal breathing. In fact, proper lung growth is the

primary reason for treating scoliosis other than cosmetic deformity.

Why use the correct frame?

Scoliosis

occurs three dimensionally. The spine not only curves, but will

eventually rotate also. A proper frame should be child size appropriate,

and incorporate a series of devices and mechanisms that facilitate controlled

traction and assist the surgeon with derotation and lateral pressure of the

spine while a POP jacket is being applied. The frame is essential to this

process because it assists the surgeon in obtaining gentle correction. A great

example of this is how the child’s spine loosens up while on the frame

during jacket application preparation. While the team is preparing to

assist the surgeon the child is on the frame and you can clearly see the spine

become straighter. By the time the surgeon is ready to apply the plaster,

the spine has had time to loosen a little via traction, and derotation.

This “loosening” of the curve(s) helps the surgeon tremendously in

overall gentle correction on all three planes. These are critical

components in the Early Treatment Method of addressing progressive infantile

scoliosis.

Over the Shoulder –vs- Under the Arm Jacket?

This

depends on the child’s individual presentation of scoliosis. My

understanding of this is that the over the shoulder type of jacket provides

extra support to the spine and the jacket, itself. Over time, plaster

jackets loosen up and if the jacket is an under arm style, the jacket will

begin to ride up under the arms and is no longer supportive. To prevent

this from happening, surgeons using the under arm jackets must apply them

tighter around the chest cavity, and in some cases must tightly reinforce the

top section of the jacket with an extra roll of plaster in effort to prevent

the jacket from eventually riding up and loosing all support.

The

over the shoulder type of jacket has shoulder straps, which help prevent the

jacket from riding up and work best for thoracic curves.. The surgeon

doesn’t have to reinforce the jacket tighter around the chest or use

extra plaster, because the shoulder straps assist in holding the jacket down

through the life of the jacket.

Children’s

bones are soft, so less pressure around the chest cavity is best. There

are many factors that contribute to chest wall deformities. The length of

time your child wears the jacket, the location of the child’s curve(s),

the proper application of the jacket, and the equipment used to apply the jacket

should all be taken into account. A surgeon that has been trained to use

the Early Treatment Method developed by Dr. Mehta will know what type of jacket

is best for your child.

Why go to a trained Dr.?

If

the treatment of progressive infantile scoliosis were non-specific there would

not be the prevalence of cases nor the need for organizations like ISOP.

Again, if progressive infantile scoliosis was so non-specific, any cast

technician with basic skills could apply any kind of cast and get consistent

results without detrimental side effects. We know, and must remember,

that the early treatment of infantile scoliosis is very specific to the

individual child. As Miss Mehta would say, “Treat the child, not

the x-ray.” There are many individual factors which define each

child’s own presentation of scoliosis. Dr. Mehta has devoted over

30 years of her medical career to the development and perfection of the Early

Treatment Method. Her findings are not based on one child or even a handful

of children. The Early Treatment Method is substantiated by over 136

cases, of differing scoliosis presentations, whose treatment was documented

over several years. These cases highlight the consistent and lasting

results gained through the Early Treatment Method.

Conclusion

In

the last few years I have been able to witness at least 25 POP jacket

applications by Dr. Mehta. On each occasion I learn something new, and

these experiences have been invaluable to me in understanding that there is a

very specific formula to applying serial corrective plaster jackets early and

properly to our young children. My goal in sharing what I have

learned is to help you make the best decisions possible for your child.

Early Treatment is still very new in the orthopaedic world and ALL of us

familiar with it, are on a learning curve. Please take this into account

when pursuing this option for your child. Children have a short window of

rapid growth in which to benefit from Early Treatment. The best plan is

to have the jacket applied properly, so the window of time for your child to

benefit is not lost.

From:

infantile_scoliosis [mailto:infantile_scoliosis ]

On Behalf Of Krista Sloan

Sent: Wednesday,

October 15, 2008 10:20 PM

To:

infantile_scoliosis

Subject:

Group Help

Hi All,

My husband and I have been struggling with what to

do, I am asking for any and all advice. We have had 2 appts with Loma

Univ. Medical Center and at this second appt, the Dr. suggested that

we cast my son. We agreed, it was time to stop the waiting and

watching. I guess I have a bond with the MD since he was the first Dr.

to finally agree that my son had IIS and he is Mehta trained. The story

gets complicated with.....insurance. I (very!!) thankfully bonded with

Olivia during this difficult time over..will my insurance cover this or

not. Well last week after many, many weeks of fighting, I

finally received the insurance authorization letter for Jack's

casting...however they will only cover 80% and we need to pay

20%. Beacuse I was scared that this casting was not going to be

covered at all, I applied to SLC, we were accepted. I just got a call

from SLC and the MD has reviewed my son's medical information and agrees that

he could benefit from a cast. I am just so torn and I don't know what

to do.

My family and friends are handing out mixed opinions

and I just thought I need to send this problem out to those that live this

day in and out. I understand the casting methods are different (under

the arm vs over the shoulder) I am hoping that parents can respond how they

feel about this issue. I don't want to feel in my heart that my son's

medical care boiled down to money. I want to feel that I am chosing the

VERY best facility for him. Fighting with the insurance companies as

taken such a toll on me that I just don't know if I can keep going through

this. I hope this is making sense, I'm tired and emotional.

My husband says that the descion is up to me and I have to say this is making

it even harder. Please feel free to respond privately if you

like. Thank you for any help, Krista

[Guest guest]

Since your husband left the decision making up to you as a mom of

this little boy what is your gut telling you to do? Bottom line who

in your opinion is the BEST qualified? My daughter has

infantile scoliosis and we waited 2 years before I took action. Same

method wait and see. My husband left everything to me to figure out.

What other choice did I or my child have? I wasn't going to let her

down and I wanted to give her a fighting chance at getting better.

So, as a mom, I took that upon myself to seek the best Dr I could

find and that was Dr. Astous at SLC.My insurance wouldn't cover

casting. I fought the insurance and lost. I was trying to figure out

how I was going to pay for casting. Then was heaven sent and

she suggested I try SLC and was accepted. In my opinion if anyone

could correct the problem it would be D'Astous and Mike Pond. I say

this because I also bonded with another doc here in Ca but he wasn't

the best in my opinion. Now 4 casts later my daughter has less than a

10% curve and de-rotation is gone. My words can not do justice for

the staff at SLC. They are in my opinion the BEST of the BEST. I also

had plenty of opinions from " friends and family " about what I should

and should not do. Honestly I just followed my gut I wanted the best

for my child and something inside told me it was at SLC. It was a

chance I had to take.

You need to find the strength to keep fighting because no one else is

going to do it for you and your child needs someone strong for him

right now. From what I have read that person is YOU. You scream off

the top of your lungs and fight until you accomplish what you want

for your son. Is it exhausting, YES but you have to keep going. I

prayed to God for strength and guidance and guess what he delivered.

Take my opinion for what it's worth my opinion. If you would like to

talk my phone # is .

- In infantile_scoliosis , Krista Sloan

wrote:

>

> Hi All,

> My husband and I have been struggling with what to do, I am asking

for any and all advice.  We have had 2 appts with Loma Univ.

Medical Center and at this second appt, the Dr. suggested that we

cast my son.  We agreed, it was time to stop the waiting and

watching.  I guess I have a bond with the MD since he was the first

Dr. to finally agree that my son had IIS and he is Mehta trained. 

The story gets complicated with.....insurance.  I (very!!) thankfully

bonded with Olivia during this difficult time over..will my insurance

cover this or not.  Well last week after many, many weeks of

fighting, I finally received the insurance authorization letter for

Jack's casting...however they will only cover 80% and we need to pay

20%.   Beacuse I was scared that this casting was not going to be

covered at all, I applied to SLC, we were accepted.  I just got a

call from SLC and the MD has reviewed my son's medical information

and agrees that he could

> benefit from a cast.  I am just so torn and I don't know what to

do. 

>  

> My family and friends are handing out mixed opinions and I just

thought I need to send this problem out to those that live this day

in and out.  I understand the casting methods are different (under

the arm vs over the shoulder) I am hoping that parents can respond

how they feel about this issue.  I don't want to feel in my heart

that my son's medical care boiled down to money.  I want to feel that

I am chosing the VERY best facility for him.  Fighting with the

insurance companies as taken such a toll on me that I just don't know

if I can keep going through this.  I hope this is making sense,

I'm tired and emotional.  My husband says that the descion is up to

me and I have to say this is making it even harder.  Please feel free

to respond privately if you like.  Thank you for any help, Krista

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Krista,

I was in the exact same boat for you, trying to decide between SLC or LLUMC. For me the decision was made by the fact that SLC was able to cast us 9 weeks earlier than LLUMC. I did ask the "over-the shoulder or under the arm" cast question at SLC and the surgeon told me that he uses both methods, and he decides based on the location of the curve, so each child is different.

There is an expense to 'travel' to SLC, but I believe you can get help from your local Shriners to cover the expense. We have a PPO insurance and also have a 20% copay, so for us, I view the paying for travel as the copay I would give to the insurance company. Another thing you might want to factor into your decision is whether or not your policy has a lifetime 'cap' of coverage. Ours is only $2 Million for the entire family, and while that sounds like a big number, it adds up quickly over the years.

I guess you need to weigh the inconvience and expense of travel against fighting with your insurance company and co-pay expense for each cast. For me, I am so grateful that I don't have to deal with insurance, the journey is stressful enough without that added factor . And remember, you can always change doctors/hospitals at a later date if you need to.

Hang in there,

Liz

Subject: Group HelpTo: infantile_scoliosis Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 9:19 PM

Hi All,

My husband and I have been struggling with what to do, I am asking for any and all advice. We have had 2 appts with Loma Univ. Medical Center and at this second appt, the Dr. suggested that we cast my son. We agreed, it was time to stop the waiting and watching. I guess I have a bond with the MD since he was the first Dr. to finally agree that my son had IIS and he is Mehta trained. The story gets complicated with.....insurance. I (very!!) thankfully bonded with Olivia during this difficult time over..will my insurance cover this or not. Well last week after many, many weeks of fighting, I finally received the insurance authorization letter for Jack's casting...however they will only cover 80% and we need to pay 20%. Beacuse I was scared that this casting was not going to be covered at all, I applied to SLC, we were accepted. I just got a call from SLC and the MD has reviewed my

son's medical information and agrees that he could benefit from a cast. I am just so torn and I don't know what to do.

My family and friends are handing out mixed opinions and I just thought I need to send this problem out to those that live this day in and out. I understand the casting methods are different (under the arm vs over the shoulder) I am hoping that parents can respond how they feel about this issue. I don't want to feel in my heart that my son's medical care boiled down to money. I want to feel that I am chosing the VERY best facility for him. Fighting with the insurance companies as taken such a toll on me that I just don't know if I can keep going through this. I hope this is making sense, I'm tired and emotional. My husband says that the descion is up to me and I have to say this is making it even harder. Please feel free to respond privately if you like. Thank you for any help, Krista

[Guest guest]

I just wanted to add that the comment about the local Shriners covering the travel expenses is a good point. We paid the travel expenses ourselves for the majority of our trips, but the cost was adding up, so we did ask our local Shriners for help with one of our trips. We were travelling from Florida to Chicago. They paid for our airline tickets. So, if there is going to be a significant travel expense that you can't afford, it is definetly worth asking your local Shrine Temple if they can provide any assistance.

[infantile_scoliosi s] Group HelpTo: infantile_scoliosis @yahoogroups. comDate: Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 9:19 PM

Hi All,

My husband and I have been struggling with what to do, I am asking for any and all advice. We have had 2 appts with Loma Univ. Medical Center and at this second appt, the Dr. suggested that we cast my son. We agreed, it was time to stop the waiting and watching. I guess I have a bond with the MD since he was the first Dr. to finally agree that my son had IIS and he is Mehta trained. The story gets complicated with.....insurance. I (very!!) thankfully bonded with Olivia during this difficult time over..will my insurance cover this or not. Well last week after many, many weeks of fighting, I finally received the insurance authorization letter for Jack's casting...however they will only cover 80% and we need to pay 20%. Beacuse I was scared that this casting was not going to be covered at all, I applied to SLC, we were accepted. I just got a call from SLC and the MD has reviewed my

son's medical information and agrees that he could benefit from a cast. I am just so torn and I don't know what to do.

My family and friends are handing out mixed opinions and I just thought I need to send this problem out to those that live this day in and out. I understand the casting methods are different (under the arm vs over the shoulder) I am hoping that parents can respond how they feel about this issue. I don't want to feel in my heart that my son's medical care boiled down to money. I want to feel that I am chosing the VERY best facility for him. Fighting with the insurance companies as taken such a toll on me that I just don't know if I can keep going through this. I hope this is making sense, I'm tired and emotional. My husband says that the descion is up to me and I have to say this is making it even harder. Please feel free to respond privately if you like. Thank you for any help,

Krista

[Guest guest]

Hi Krista,

It really is a shame that insurance had to be such an issue, but I think both facilities are great.... SLC is top notch and the care coordinator there, I believe, can help you with travel arrangements..... I think Darrell has had a very good experience with that and maybe he'll chime in...... Good luck and keep us posted, Steph

Subject: Group HelpTo: infantile_scoliosis Date: Thursday, October 16, 2008, 4:19 AM

Hi All,

My husband and I have been struggling with what to do, I am asking for any and all advice. We have had 2 appts with Loma Univ. Medical Center and at this second appt, the Dr. suggested that we cast my son. We agreed, it was time to stop the waiting and watching. I guess I have a bond with the MD since he was the first Dr. to finally agree that my son had IIS and he is Mehta trained. The story gets complicated with.....insurance. I (very!!) thankfully bonded with Olivia during this difficult time over..will my insurance cover this or not. Well last week after many, many weeks of fighting, I finally received the insurance authorization letter for Jack's casting...however they will only cover 80% and we need to pay 20%. Beacuse I was scared that this casting was not going to be covered at all, I applied to SLC, we were accepted. I just got a call from SLC and the MD has reviewed my

son's medical information and agrees that he could benefit from a cast. I am just so torn and I don't know what to do.

My family and friends are handing out mixed opinions and I just thought I need to send this problem out to those that live this day in and out. I understand the casting methods are different (under the arm vs over the shoulder) I am hoping that parents can respond how they feel about this issue. I don't want to feel in my heart that my son's medical care boiled down to money. I want to feel that I am chosing the VERY best facility for him. Fighting with the insurance companies as taken such a toll on me that I just don't know if I can keep going through this. I hope this is making sense, I'm tired and emotional. My husband says that the descion is up to me and I have to say this is making it even harder. Please feel free to respond privately if you like. Thank you for any help, Krista