Thanks again Mr. Bush...

WP: Md. boy dies from toothache
Maryland boy, 12, dies after bacteria from tooth spread to his brain
By Mary Otto
The Washington Post

WASHINGTON - Twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of a toothache Sunday.

A routine, $80 tooth extraction might have saved him.
If his mother had been insured.
If his family had not lost its Medicaid.
If Medicaid dentists weren't so hard to find.
If his mother hadn't been focused on getting a dentist for his brother, who had six rotted teeth.

By the time Deamonte's own aching tooth got any attention, the bacteria from the abscess had spread to his brain, doctors said. After two operations and more than six weeks of hospital care, the Prince George's County boy died.

Deamonte's death and the ultimate cost of his care, which could total more than $250,000, underscore an often-overlooked concern in the debate over universal health coverage: dental care.

Some poor children have no dental coverage at all. Others travel three hours to find a dentist willing to take Medicaid patients and accept the incumbent paperwork. And some, including Deamonte's brother, get in for a tooth cleaning but have trouble securing an oral surgeon to fix deeper problems.

In spite of efforts to change the system, fewer than one in three children in Maryland's Medicaid program received any dental service at all in 2005, the latest year for which figures are available from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Oscars...

I watched the hoopla that is the Academy Awards... I thought it was quite long, but I really watched to see Jennifer Hudson win... I was too happy to see her accept her award. A lot of movies and people who were not on the top of anyine eles lists won. Which goes to show it really is about the work, the actual work not ticket sales, not the fame of the actors, just the interpretations of the scripts... which in essence means I still have a chance to put good material that will get recognition. Maybe not the first time around, but it will happen. gotta stay motivated.

Channel Surfing... again...

I saw two interesting programs on TV this week...

I flipped through and landed on PBS the other night and saw a documentary called:

Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes,” by director Byron Hurt, examines musical portraits of sexism, masculinity and homophobia in hip-hop songs. The film includes interviews with hip-hop artists Mos Def and Busta Rhymes.

There were some real issues dealt with, some were skimmed over, some were just never discussed. I would have loved to see the documentary go deeeper... but if it's on in your town, check it out...


Last night while flipping through I landed on TLC, it was a show called "That's Gotta Hurt" There were a few medical mysteries discussed. The one that struck me was about a young pregnant woman. Basically what happened is: she had been having severe pain wit her pregnancy, and had been going to the doctors and they could give no help. late into the pregnancy it was discovered that the baby she had been carrying was growing on the outside of her uterus. It it a rare type of ectopic pregnancy. it is so rare that there are only 5 babies in the world that have survived the pregnancy, including hers. But with the baby growing the abdominal cavity it causes damage to all of the mothers organs and irreversable damage to the uterus. The baby was born with clubbed feet and damaged hip bones, but no other health complications. it was fascinating to say the least.

My birthday was Sunday... this was the first time I think in my whole life were more people forgot my b'day than normal. A lot of people get my day wrong, they'll call the day before or the day after. This year people just flat out forgot. People I grew up with that usually remember, people that are closest to me forgot. Which was weird. A few of them called and we had regular convo, but they didn't remember to say it, or didn't recall the date I guess. And I didn't remind them either. if they didn't remember on their own, I wasn't going to coax birthday wishes out of them.

I'm not bitter, it was just weird. My day didn't really belong to me like it usually does. I spent the majority of it cleaning and shopping for my child's coming.

My b-day means more to me than Christmas, and this year it didn't feel that special. Almost felt like another day in passing. I sung happy birthday to myself all day. My husband gave me a card when it turned 12am. It was a really nice card.

But I guess I have to get used to not being the center of attention on February 18.

Well well well... the count down to Baby Drop begins... technically I have four weeks... probably wont make it to four weeks... my office bet is Sunday she'll decide to come, only because its a full moon and it's my b-day... I spoke with my child last night, my birthday is to remain my birthday only. She can have all the other 364 days, I just need this one to myself. Selfish I know, but I gotta be me... Birthdays are special to me. It was my day. I could do what I wanted (within reason), I got to eat what I wanted, sleep as late as I wanted... just do me basically. And I've had my b-day that way as far back as I can remember...

So I just want that one day, or at least the majority of that day to enjoy all to myself... Please? can I have it?

Hail the Queen

Did you hear Mary J Blige kill it last night? I was awe struck, she was immaculate!!!! No one could even come close last night...

Gnarls Barkley was dope, the performance by John Mayer/John Legend/Corrine Bailey Rae was dope, Dixie Chicks were great, Ludacris and Mary were dope as well....um that's about it...