parents dad no time

Time Hack: Healthcare (#HealthyDad)

Time. A four-letter word that has never had more meaning in my life than now.

I knew that becoming a parent would significantly change the available time I had to myself in a given 24 hour period; I would have had to be an idiot to think differently. But I didn’t realize how it would change.


I wish all my workouts were this fast.

I used to go to the gym every morning, but I haven’t been in about a year because now mornings are different (and I’m usually just too tired to get up). I haven’t played soccer on weekends because I’d rather not (and shouldn’t) leave Isabel and Mrs. FWL alone at a time when we can be together, knowing our time is so limited without extracurriculars. And before, if I needed to get homework done on a Sunday, it was more a matter of me turning off football, rather than playing circus.

This is certainly not a plea for sympathy. It’s just reality.

Grad school has been kicking my ass, but the end is in sight (December). Between tons of reading, several papers, and a couple group projects, my time seems even more precious than it has ever been. I still find time to work out, but not in the same way as before (it’s the thought that counts, right?) I force myself to do as much homework before I start falling asleep, because I’m not the type of person that can consistently stay up late burning the midnight oil – I will get sick. And being sick makes you a worthless parent and partner.

To make it even more challenging, Mrs. FWL’s situation isn’t any better and we’ve both found ourselves walking through the door at 5pm more and more frequently. Then comes the evening dance of dinner, bath, and bed…for Isabel. And only then can we handle our own lives. School and work don’t care what else is going on. Professors could care less that I have two papers in another class, they only care about the three for theirs. And Mrs. FWL’s students still need to be taught  the next morning – even if we were up with a screaming baby the night before.

Well, this “up with a screaming baby” happened very recently when Isabel had a fever for three days in a row and we had no idea what was going on. Taking her to the doctor immediately would have been impossible because it was 2am, premature and a tremendous time-suck since it would have required battling the infamous 405 freeway, which is basically rush hour, every hour. Thankfully, we were able to call our doctor the next morning and speak to a nurse (who apparently is always available), who told us to hang tight unless things got worse, saving us hours of what would surely have been vehicular hell.

Time savers, a parent’s best friend.

Finding spare time has been a challenge. So when a company realizes this challenge and meets it head on, holy crap what a game changer. While I don’t have Anthem for my health insurance, I can certainly appreciate the LiveHealth Online portal they have developed, which provides families easy access to quality health care through video conversations with U.S.-based, board-­certified physicians, without the hefty cost that can come with office visits. It’s clinical facetime for when your doctor’s office is closed – all via their mobile app (where available).

It  turns out Isabel had roseola, and a rash eventually appeared. Had we not gone to the doctor (on a Sunday no less), this would have completely freaked us out. But being able to simply video chat with a doctor or nurse and have them tell you it was nothing to worry about, now that would have been a time saver.

The good folks at XY Media are sponsoring a contest to celebrate dads living a healthy lifestyle-all you have to do is submit a quick family-friendly video to this Facebook page that showcases your #HealthyDad choices and the reasons behind them.

Thanks to Anthem Blue Cross, who sponsored the campaign, for including dads in this important discussion about family health care. My views are based solely on my experience as a parent, and not as a medical professional.


Comments

One response to “Time Hack: Healthcare (#HealthyDad)”

  1. Mark Gomez Avatar
    Mark Gomez

    yo! it doesn’t get more real than that huh! folks just don’t know… or thy do and that’s why we don’t have time to talk about the fact that we do know! #thestruggleisreal but keep your head up!

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