Charge it!

Just over two years ago, my little cat Jezebel was much too curious of a cat one day and, unbeknownst to her mum, she ate a big, blue rubber band. It got stuck somewhere down in there and she started puking all over the place and I took her to the vet who took x-rays and said she needed surgery or she "wouldn't make it". This sent miss Jezzy and her blubbering mum racing over to the animal hospital where the doctors told me her surgery would cost over $2000. Since I had just spent my last dollar on her x-rays and didn't have two grand, I was about to really lose it, when the doctor said there was a special credit card for vet bills, called Care Credit, that I could apply for right there. So I did and paid for the surgery and had to go home without my kitty for the night. Fortunately she passed the rubber band all by herself, though the animal hospital still charged me $750 for an overnight and an enema. Appalling, yes, but I was very glad to have my new credit card just for veterinary emergencies, and took Jezebel on our merry way home. I am telling you this story for a reason, I swear.

So, because it is largely what I do with my spare time, I was looking up conception and baby information online last week, and came across the Fairfax cryobank website. While reading all about how great their sperm is, the regular prices and the high prices (for the highly educated guys donating especially smart sperm), and the jaw-dropping deposit just to borrow a cold tank for a few days, I stumbled across some info about payment options. And there was a picture of my Care Credit veterinary credit card! For a moment I was thinking- Wow, I can buy sperm on the vet card! Though I realize now that the animal hospital just didn't tell me the card could be used for any medical expenses, I still find this hilarious. Somehow it seems that two things of such different purpose and stature should not be on the same payment plan.

In other news, today was my second day on the new job, and I think it's going to be good! In outreach, I'll be working with people who have mental health needs and who use Medicaid to connect to community services and resources so as to help them stay out of more expensive treatment and services (namely the hospital and jail). Not always fun, but definitely challenging and fascinating. Yesterday, sitting alone on my lunch break, I had a thought- I'm finally a social worker. No MSW and no license and I don't practice therapy, but this is just the kind of social work I said I wanted to do years ago. It was a bit of a winding road to get here, but somehow I'm here, and I think it's going to be a great experience. Yay!