So... My wifes 6th back surgery was a fusion.

[loveable liberal]

First a bit of history on my terrible summer thus far.

After school let out in June my son had his tonsils out and foot surgery at the same time. My wife then had lower back surgery four days later. I figure, I'm fine, take a bit of FMLA and three weeks later we'll be able to begin our summer. Not so. The wife gets a huge blood clot in her leg.

My younger son develops pneumonia. In three weeks time after his initial surgery my older son develops pneumonia and so do I. After burning my sick and vacation time on FMLA I have to burn the balance of my sick and vacation time trying to get better. I'm not completely healthy, but I have to go back to work tonight (I'm a 911 dispatcher).

So the wife sneaks up on me and tells me that her "bone stimulator" costs $5800.00 of which we are responsible for $990.00. She asked the rep who was pushing the thing how much it costs when he gave it to us and 'he didnt know, his wife handles that'. The doctor recommends the device because it 'promotes bone growth'.

In the last 30 days we have been to the hospital or clinic at least 20 times, each time a $15.00 copay with additional costs for both prescriptions that work and those that don't, a trip to the ER and three CT scans.

The bone stimulator is a little bit bigger than a cell phone. $5800.00???????? For that thing?????
When the rep comes over he brings a device that 'measures' bone growth. We dont know what it is or how to read it but he says it works.

WTF?? I know there are people in much worse condition than we are, however; we are not rich. To pay for the bone stimulator I'm going to have to use part of our home equity loan. Anybody out there have experience with these things? Are they BS? Does anyone have a money tree in their backyard I can pick from?