A Big thank you to you all. We are here and love it so far. (Atlanta: health insurance, new home)

[mxd.Brit]

Yes we have finally made it to Mcdonough and our first house ever. Everything has gone to plan so far and i love the city proper as well as Mcdonough. People are friendly just like the tiny village I am from in England.

The only downers are ;

The storms - I hope no more damage happens. Rain we need but storms no.

Snakes - second day in our house and there was what we thought could be a rattle snake on our porch. I had not encountered one ever in England but I did ok, no heart attack or anything. Needles to say I am the most paranoid person in GA now.

I am now looking for local things for our soon to be 3 years old boy. who has left all his friends behind and i wont let him play outside until we have a FENCE and snake repellent around the house. Can anybody advise on this.

Many thanks to you all and I will be back with more questions - stay tuned and have a great Memorial weekend.

[atlantagreg30127]

Well, regarding snakes, Rattle snakes are VERY rare to see in metro Atlanta. They were thought to be extinct in the metro area at one time, but over the last couple of decades a few sightings pop up here and there, but still very rarely. You usually have to go up to the North GA. Mountains to spot any at all or other southern areas.* Most snakes here are nonpoisonous, though there are a couple that are. In the U.S., poisonous snakes can be identified by their "viper" appearance - flattened triangular shaped head, ridges above the eyes, slits for eyeballs (the ONLY exception being the Coral Snake).

Here is a web site that may help you: Snakes of South Carolina and Georgia, SC and GA If you move your mouse over the names photos will pop up showing you what the snake looks like. Maybe you got close enough (but not TOO close) to get a decent look at the snake.An extermination company that deals with snakes can look over your property if it does turn out to be a poisonous variety and maybe take steps to rid you of the problem.* Over the counter stuff like "Snake Away" work limitedly and only on a few varieties.

Regarding storms, this is a very bad year so far in terms of tornadoes. We usually have a bad year every 5 or so years, and those in-between are much more quiet.

[netdragon]

Next time, get back at a safe distance behind something, and make a mental note very specifically of what it looks like. It's probably a common snake of some sort. Some non-poisonous snakes get very large.

[mxd.Brit]

..... sorry for late reply, we have been busy putting up blinds and all those new home things.

Thanks for the link and advice. When we saw the snake we did try and research on the computer so I think I will print the info just in case, hopefully no more sightings. Since then we have also encountered a large tortoise crossing our street - we have a creek and lots of trees around here. No sightings of deer yet just give me another week or so
Any other wildlife I should look out for?? No need for the zoo!


Thanks again

[mxd.Brit]

almost forgot...

We are also looking for a ' mothers morning out' program and immunization center in Henry county preferably Mcdonough if anyone has any info please help.


Thanks.

[RainyRainyDay]

Re immunization center - when we first moved to Metro Atlanta, from Canada, our daughter needed a couple of shots to be enrolled in school. She'd had all the Canadian immunizations for her age bracket, but the Georgia protocol at the time was slightly different. (Immunization protocols actually seem to change quite frequently, and different states/countries tend to have similar rules but they are not perfectly the same).

Anyway, the handout we received from the school sent us to the East Cobb Health Center, where our daughter received the needed immunizations. However, only later did we figure out that we could have received the same immunizations from her pediatrician, cheaper. We have health insurance through my employer, and it covers doctor visits but not the East Cobb Health Center. So, from my experience, I suggest you check your insurance. You may need to be finding a pediatrician rather than finding an immunization center.

About pediatricians - in Canada, kids usually see the family doctor. I suspect UK is likely to be the same. Here in the US, they normally see a pediatrician for routine care.

[plessthanpointohfive]

But, there are plenty of general practitioners who will see the whole family, the quintessential family doctor. Look for General Practitioner or Family Medicine.

They still do exist. My family goes to one in the city.

[RainyRainyDay]

Huh, that's interesting. People at my office (Sandy Springs) gave me the impression that Americans considered it absolutely bizarre to consider taking your child to anything other than a pediatrician.

In Canada, you see a GP or family medicine specialist for primary care. If they think you need to see a specialist, they'll refer you to one. Pediatricians are specialists. Most people have never met one (in a professional setting. I mean) unless their kid has suffered some out-of-the-ordinary health problem.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Now adays in the US, under most healthcare plans, a pediatrician, GP, or Internal Med doctor can be your PCP.

It's only been in my lifetime that people have considered pediatricians as the PCP for their kids. I believe it got started via Medicaid, but I am not sure.

But yes, check out your provider directory, there might be restrictiosn. But if you have BCBS HMO you can have a GP as your PCP.....

[RainyRainyDay]

In my case, we've been using East Cobb Pediatrics for almost 6 years now, and they seem good, so I'm not really inclined to switch. However, the info that family doctors are available may be very helpful to the OP, mxd.Brit. And regardless of her choice of PCP (mxd.Brit - that's Primary Care Physician) for her kid(s), the advice that she should check her insurance coverage re the most cost-effective way to get her kid(s) vaccinated is good, right?