Flippy - I Rant, You Read
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
If it’s not one thing, it’s another
My cold has finally almost completely gone away. Now, I have gigantic water retention foot paws (what I imagine chubby bear cub paws would look like without hair), my fingertips are dried out, sore, cracked and bleeding, and hurt like hell (I’d never even contemplated such a thing, and then my mom mentions a couple of weeks ago that she has one fingertip that’s cracked...and now both thumbs have really sore cracks - ugh, the power of suggestion. When I met Leigh-Ann, I’d never heard of reflux, and now I need a prescription strength drug for it - I’d also never heard of Fibromyalgia, and we know how that turned out too) and one of my big toes is starting to crack too. Tonight, I’m slathering some pet groomer’s hand lotion (Leigh-Ann got it for me for Chrismukkah because I’d loved a sample of it that we got a SuperZoo) on and wearing gloves to bed. My toe will get some Neosporin and a bandage.
I’m not even sure if the cracked & painful fingertips are the worst thing. While I enjoy a good whine-fest, it’s now getting to be a bit much, even for me. However, stuff keeps happening. I’ll start with one more physical thing, then move on to a financial thing. I’ve suddenly turn into a narcoleptic. I’ve been taking Lyrica again for the past five weeks, and I’m now up to the dosage recommended for Fibromyalgia treatment. I’ve fallen asleep on the couch, while watching tv, which isn’t overly unusual. I’ve fallen asleep sitting at my desk, which is more unusual. Today, I fell asleep on the toilet...for THREE HOURS. Just now, I remembered that I didn’t even do anything, which I guess if you’re going to fall asleep in there, is for the best. I’ve already had some water retention problems from the Lyrica, but falling asleep at my desk and ON THE TOILET, have given me club feet. I no longer have any ankle bones. But hey, looking on the bright side, it’s much easier to shave around my ankles and not miss any spots around the bones, because now everything is all smooth and my foot goes directly from foot to leg, without any sort of indentation.
Now, for the financial thing - last year I exceeded my pharmacy benefits at the end of March. This year, at the end of January. Yes, that’s right, I had one month of pharmacy benefits. I’d wanted to try Fentanyl patches for pain medication that won’t have me on that up & down rollercoaster of pain/pain relief/pain/pain relief. They’re more expensive than the Oxycodone pain meds I’ve been taking, which is why I waited until January to try them, so I wouldn’t have to pay for them. For breakthrough pain (when you’re taking a long-term pain med, you usually get a prescription for short acting pain med for those times when you get sudden acute pain that the patch can’t handle), I was given liquid Oxycodone (OxyFast), so it would work faster. I was able to get the generic, so it only cost me $10. If I had paid cash, it would’ve cost $425. I didn’t find that it worked that much better than the pills, so I went back to pills this month. Good thing, because my pharmacy benefits are G-O-N-E. That’s right, everything from now on, will not be covered. I had to pay $125 for the Oxycodone, which I suppose is better than $425 for the OxyFast. Heh. Also, I thought the Fentanyl patches worked pretty well, except for the slight skin rashes, but I thought that a slightly higher dose would work better. I figured the higher dose would help me cut down on Oxycodone, so I went up 25 micrograms. They had to special order the better generic (yes, it’s true, all generics are not created equally - ask any person who is in chronic pain...or any drug addict, hahaha), which will be delivered tomorrow. Last month, I had to pay $10 for what was about $225 for the generic. For the higher dose, it’s $285. Um, I don’t have $285 to spend on a patch right now. Ugh, if I want to take what I’ve been taking for the past month (We’re seeing a new doctor in the same practice because our doctor thought we’d be a better match with this doctor, as he’s willing to try newer meds and off-label uses - this doctor isn’t accepting any new patients because he’s full...he’s the head specialist guy, the owner of the practice, who we originally wanted to see, but couldn’t get an appointment for, and we like him very very much), what was $55 out of pocket, will now be $560. If I got exactly what I had last month, it would be $915, which doesn’t even include the reflux med that works best for me. I’ve been either using Zantac, Prilosec, or Pepcid - Protonix is the only med that really works well, and it’s another $115 a month.
I’m going to call my insurance company and see if I could get on another plan. I just got an increase in my old rate (of only about $15 to $185), what’s a few hundred dollars more. Actually, if I paid $300 more for my plan, I’d probably end up being way ahead, especially if I could get more co-pays. I only get two a year, and we have to see our doctor once a month, at $95/each, because they supposedly need to keep an eye on us, and because of the meds we’re taking, we have to see him once a month to get the written prescriptions. They don’t allow refillls for Schedule II meds.
So, if someone robs a bank on Thursday morning, and I come home with my meds on Thursday night, mum’s the word, okay? I’d do the same for you. Well, unless there was a big reward, then I’d turn you in, so I could buy my meds. I’d spend the money getting you a good lawyer too. Really, I swear.
I apologize for the rambly nature of this entry. It’s 4:54am, and we’re just lucky that I haven’t fallen asleep while writing this, I think. I’m going to go slather my fingers & toes with lotion now. I hope you all are doing well. I’m a little behind on reading blogs too, but I try to keep up with you as much as I can. I miss visiting you regularly, every single day. Wait, I’ll leave you with one good thing happening in my life. The length of three football fields away, a CUPCAKE bakery is opening - Retro Bakery. That’s right, a CUPCAKE bakery. Not only does it have cupcakes, it has a cool retro theme and a cool owner who blogs. So, if you’re in Las Vegas and you’re craving some cupcakes, check out Retro Bakery in Centennial Hills. Look out for the vicious dogs three football fields away - their owners don’t like visitors, and one of them is especially cranky because her fingertips hurt. Make sure you go directly to the bakery.
Next entry: Happy Valentine's Day! Previous entry: Banned Candy is Delicious!
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Just checking in with a big virtual hug. And a tip: I discovered Nexcare Skin Crack Care a couple of years ago (it’s clear and it goes on like nail polish) and it really works!! I have a big crack on my thumb right now that’s not bothering me because of the stuff.
And a question. I recognize Eli but who’s the dog on the left?laurie on 02/07 at 08:33 AM -
Thanks for both - they’re much needed & appreciated. I’ll pick up the Nexcare at Walgreen’s, and I’ll pick some Corn Huskers Lotion that Helly recommended too. Leigh-Ann mentioned that when we were shopping and I’m not sure why I didn’t buy it.
The dog with Eli is Dante, Eli’s best pal. We have four dogs - Eli, Dante, Phoenix, & Cricket. We got Dante & Cricket at the same time, from a puppy store, where neither of them should’ve been. Dante, because he’s the grandson of a champion Anatolian Shepherd. It’s some weird mystery in the Anatolian world as to how he got there. Nobody will tell us why he was sold to a store that gets deliveries from puppy mills. Cricket was there because another pet store on the delivery guy’s route wouldn’t take her because she’s a mix, so the puppy store that we went to saved her, because even though he ran a puppy store, he took really good care of the dogs. Anyway, we wanted Dante, and he said he’d throw in Cricket for free. Oh boy, what a deal...she had kennel cough and looked like this - http://flickr.com/photos/flippyo/16046222/in/set-337767/, she was pathetic. Although teeny tiny...and cute in her own pathetic way. When she started to feel better and her ears started perk up, she became a fabulously photogenic pooch and looked like this at 5 mos - http://flickr.com/photos/flippyo/28054845/in/set-337767/
on 02/09 at 07:27 AM
