Anyone want a dog and a kid?

[FrankenFretter]

I got the news today that my fiancee's daughter Matilda needs six thousand dollars worth of orthodontic work. I'm not even sure I could get that much for her on the black market. Even if I sold all my guitars (gasp!), I wouldn't be able to come close to that. If I married her mother before her work starts (about a year from now), I could add them to my insurance, which would probably help. But then my monthly paychecks would be pretty small after the insurance is deducted; adding family members is EXPENSIVE!

I also got more fantastic news: One of our dogs needs surgery. I noticed a bump on her belly about a year ago, but figured it might be a scar from her spay operation. Just the other night I noticed it had grown quite a bit, and I got a little worried. She went to the vet today, and it's a fatty tumor. They're common, I know, but he says it should be removed soon. That's another $150.

My wallet hurts.

[Tig]

Ouch! Mojo sent.

We have my 15 year old son and 2 grand kids from the eldest step daughter, plus 5 dogs. There is never a dull moment!
Luckily, everyone's teeth are straight.

[Spudman]

What flavor are they? Winter's coming and I gotta stock up. :hungry

Sorry to hear the news. That's a lot of dough for sure. If you added her to your insurance can mom contribute funds?

[Eric]

I have a cat I'm trying to get rid of, so maybe we could work out some sort of trade. Your step-daughter-to-be and dog can have my cat, and then they can all get jobs and live together in a cabin in the woods. Problem solved.

[NWBasser]

Well, she is still your fiance (how many years now?) and not a full-blown wife yet. Run while you can!:poke

Dawson will need orthodontic work too, but I think our insurance will cover a lot of it.

I'd talk to the Dr.'s office about setting up some sort of payment plan. You can always ask, right?

If all else fails, I'd buy one of your Agiles.

[stingx]

Teeth are over-rated...

[FrankenFretter]

The doctor does have financing. I'll have to work it out to see which would be cheaper, paying for however many years of insurance that it would take plus the deductible, or just making payments.

Swiffer goes under the knife on Wednesday. She's a little dog, so any time she has to go under, it's a risk. Your prayers and/or positive mojo is appreciated. I kind of like that stupid dog.

[FrankenFretter]

What flavor are they? Winter's coming and I gotta stock up. :hungry

Sorry to hear the news. That's a lot of dough for sure. If you added her to your insurance can mom contribute funds?

She makes a little money doing some property management, so yeah she could help.

[FrankenFretter]

I have a cat I'm trying to get rid of, so maybe we could work out some sort of trade. Your step-daughter-to-be and dog can have my cat, and then they can all get jobs and live together in a cabin in the woods. Problem solved.

Or... a van down by the river?

[Algonquin]

Kids are expensive... I hear you on that one Sean!

My daughter req'd braces at the age of 14. She's a very pretty girl, but the teeth suffered from overcrowding and required corrective measures. The Dr. originally thought she might need to have 4 teeth removed to make room to compensate for the crowding, but wasn't req'd when all was said and done.

My point is, that investing in your kids is never ever a waste of time or money... you won't regret it.
A young girl will benefit greatly from this with type of cosmetic adjustment.

Times are tight, but where there's a will... there's a way!

[deeaa]

Kids ARE kinda expensive, even if we have free dental & such here thanks to high taxes.
However, it is not always so efficient then, I mean, yea straightening teeth etc. is free BUT they make the call whether it is necessary. If it doesn't affect functionality and especially if you're male they may just say it is unnecessary. So many do also add some paid services for such services - the government pays 60% of those fees too when you go to a commercial clinic and there are no waiting lines either.

Nevertheless, it was a surprise for me that while schools are all free here all the way to universities, kindergarten isn't. That was a big suprise for me. Kindergarten costs like $300 a month per child. Never realized that. If you make less than $3000 a month, they give you reductions, and if your income is very low, it becomes free - and of course if the wife stays home, that payment goes away...BUT if the wife stays home she'll only get like $800 or so in benefits, plus who would throw away their careers staying home for years...both our kids have went to kindergarten at 18 months.

Still it becomes kinda a close call for many, if the government pays you 800 a month for staying home w/kids plus child benefits which is roughly like 250 more, and you likely are eligible for some other benefits as well staying home...anyway, considering taxes means you need to make at least 500 a week for even breaking even with benefits and NOT counting in the kindergarten costs. Add those, and to make the same income while working as staying home, the pay must be (with two children) already something like close to 750 a week.

No wonder many stay home, if they are in a low-paying job anyway. You may be better off financially. In our case it would be a very close call too, but of course the wife works because I want her to pursue her career further. I'm expecting her to take the role of the main breadwinner asap, so I can retire and we can live on her salary :-) She's already a doctor in biochemistry, but I'm trying to get her to become a general medical doctor, or maybe a dentist, because it would only take her a few years more of studying, and then I could retire soon meself :-)

[FrankenFretter]

Kids are worth it, I know. I jest, but we'll take care of her. My brother and I both had braces growing up (I had four molars removed for those damn things). Matilda will likely just need two pulled, but they're her eye teeth (canines), not molars. She's a bit stressed out about that, poor kid.

[piebaldpython]

My reply is partially in jest..........mostly factual. Breezy, my wife's beloved toy poodle, required $2 grand worth of surgery when he was a year old. He passed on at age 15.

My daughter, Baby Cobra, needed ortho work too in her early teens (1999-2001). After my wife's insurance kicked in, I paid about $1 grand. Fast forward 7 years to 2008.......BC was suffering from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy for 5 years; for her a total body disease where any stimuli is interpreted by the neurons as PAIN. Long story way short....her only hope was to go to Germany for a ketamine coma to hopefully reboot her brain to properly interpret stimuli.

Six weeks in Germany......cash only as insurance covered nothing due to out-of-country procedure and an experimental one at that. Roughly $75K..........but BC was no longer bed-ridden.....she was/is pain free......and she/we have a life. God Bless the Germans!!!!

[deeaa]

Wow that was money well spent python. Can't imagine, but must have been really hard 4 her.

[mapka]

You may be able to sell the girl to Jake and Elwood Blues. I hear they like to buy woman :D


http://youtu.be/mvZgwtpPmLY

[FrankenFretter]

You may be able to sell the girl to Jake and Elwood Blues. I hear they like to buy woman :D



Thanks, Mark! I love that scene. ;)

[poodlesrule]

Bump for update

[FrankenFretter]

Swiff[er] goes in tomorrow morning for her surgery. She's a punk, and she steals coffee, but we love her. Crossing our fingers...

[NWBasser]

My reply is partially in jest..........mostly factual. Breezy, my wife's beloved toy poodle, required $2 grand worth of surgery when he was a year old. He passed on at age 15.

My daughter, Baby Cobra, needed ortho work too in her early teens (1999-2001). After my wife's insurance kicked in, I paid about $1 grand. Fast forward 7 years to 2008.......BC was suffering from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy for 5 years; for her a total body disease where any stimuli is interpreted by the neurons as PAIN. Long story way short....her only hope was to go to Germany for a ketamine coma to hopefully reboot her brain to properly interpret stimuli.

Six weeks in Germany......cash only as insurance covered nothing due to out-of-country procedure and an experimental one at that. Roughly $75K..........but BC was no longer bed-ridden.....she was/is pain free......and she/we have a life. God Bless the Germans!!!!

That is an completely awesome story in every way possible!

[FrankenFretter]

Swiffer is back safe and sound from her successful surgery. It turns out that it was a hernia (which is what I thought it was) instead of a tumor. That saved me over $100. Whoo hoo!

Here's the girl resting at home:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uFEepaVYtgw/TrHT2fSbX1I/AAAAAAAABQU/fExohvkSvhE/s800/100_2484.JPG

And a close up of her stitches:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HPRxSPn9Nio/TrHT3ttQM2I/AAAAAAAABQg/sUOgS8Y3en8/s640/100_2486.JPG

She's doing well. Thanks for all your kind thoughts, folks!

[poodlesrule]

Good job, Swiffer!

[mapka]

Sean good to hear your pup is doing good! Mine is what kept me warm at night when I had no electric that past few days

[FrankenFretter]

Sean good to hear your pup is doing good! Mine is what kept me warm at night when I had no electric that past few days

Thanks, Mark. Sorry about your power situation, but it's good you have your buddy to keep you warm.

Swiffer is still a little out of it, but she's slowly coming back. She'll probably be to sore to be her usual playful self for a little while longer.