Passenger Bill of Rights

Last week I went to Salt Lake City, UT for a work trip.  First of all if you have never been to Salt Lake City it really is an experience.  It is very similar to traveling to another country...seriously.

My first customer visit was on Tuesday morning as soon as I got off the plane.  When we meet with our agents (our customers) often they share with us what they wish we would do from an insurance perspective i.e. wish we would write this, be cheaper, cover this etc.  So this first customer tells me that she really wished we would cover hearing aids...seriously I am looking around thinking am I being filmed.  So I took a deep breath and willed myself not to burst into tears and said what a great idea and proceeded to tell this complete stranger about my son.  So began the healing process. 

All week I practiced telling people and each time it got a little easier and I began to accept it a little more.  On my way home we had an issue with a light not working on the plane and the captain got on to announce due to the "Passenger Bill of Rights" we had the right to get off the plane to use a "real" bathroom (his words not mine). 

Sitting in the waiting room today waiting for Colin's appointment I saw a brochure that outlined the "Patients Bill of Rights" and just that morning the news was talking about the "Bill of Rights."  It seemed like everywhere around me someone or something was talking about "rights."  It struck me funny today as I was sitting there in the waiting room that we have all of these rights but yet nothing is guaranteed. 

I have the right to get off the plane but the airline doesn't have to guarantee me that they will take-off, I have the right to refuse treatment but they can't guarantee me they will heal me and that I have the right to complain or feel bad but in the end aren't we all lucky.  I am lucky that I eventually got home in one piece from Utah and Kyle and I very lucky to have such a sweet and funny child in Colin.  I think for the first time today and after telling about 10 strangers last week that things are going to be ok, Colin was going to be ok and in the end we all were going to be ok. 

Our appointment went well today.  Colin got fitted for his hearing aids after some issues with wax in the ear (gross- Kyle is a saint).  They took a mold of his ear and we picked out a hearing aid.  He tried it on and was very proud of it.  I was totally amazed how small they actually are...they are definitely not the hearing aids our grandparents wore.  We finally got an appointment with the Children's Hearing Clinic in December, 3 days before my due date.  I must confess that I actually thought to myself well if I go into labor Kyle can take Colin to the appointment he was there for the last birth...ok really that was one of my not so smart thoughts.  The Hearing Clinic provides us with every resource from speech therapy to genetic testing (that ship has sailed I would say).  We still have a lot of questions around if his hearing will get worse, what caused it etc and still are working on these answers.  But things are off to a good start and I am reminded it is the little things that keep us going and we all have the right to take a time-out and be thankful.