EVS sends this link: State care, minus the institution

It's a lengthy article about treating mentally ill kids at home instead of in hospitals. I think that's a good idea. When I was 5, I got severe third-degree burns on my stomach, pelvic area and upper thighs. The hospital wanted me to stay in a burn unit for a long time so that they could attend to the burns. My mother fought them. She knew if I had that experience I'd be traumatized, so she had them teach her how to care for me and change the dressings, etc. It was a great decision. My parents and older sister tried to make everything a game for me during that time. My sister and I played "Ambulance," which helped me work through the fear of being rushed to the hospital. I took a marker and drew "burns" on my stuffed animals, which helped me feel less alone. My mother made sure to take me out of the house sometimes, even if she had to wrap me in plastic to do so. And when she changed my dressings, my dad told me funny stories to distract me. It was still horribly painful, but I believe the psychic pain would have been worse if they'd done it any other way.

The only thing I wonder about is the scars I have. I knew someone at college who had similar injuries, and she did stay in a burn unit. Because she had continual access to sophisticated medical care, she was treated with an experimental medicine that kept her from scarring. I, on the other hand, have a lot of scars, which are still painful, and which I don't much like the look of when I'm in a bathing suit, particularly a bikini. Somehow, though, I think these scars are less traumatic than the psychological ones I'd have suffered from months in a burn unit. At least that's what I tell myself.