(Written January 5, 2010)
I decided to just let the puking ride through the new year. I didn't want to bother anyone it being the holidays and figured I'd just endure until the Monday after the holidays.
I decided to just let the puking ride through the new year. I didn't want to bother anyone it being the holidays and figured I'd just endure until the Monday after the holidays.
Mistake.
I picked Kyle up from the airport Sunday morning, for which, he really should get at least a nomination for Husband of the Year. He was in Arizona for a friend's wedding. It was going to be a family affair and we were all going to drive down together stopping along the way to visit family, but due to my current unpleasant condition, I told Kyle to fly there and I'd stay home with the kids. As luck would have it, the Fiesta Bowl -- Boise State vs. TCU -- was held in Arizona the Monday after the wedding. How convenient! I told Kyle he should stay another few days and I looked up tickets on e-bay which seemed really reasonable. He was verrrry interested in my suggestion.
In the end, he decided to come home early. He knew I was sick, and he came home to take care of things. And oh, there were so many things to take care of...
Sunday night was quite possibly the worst night of my life. I could not stop puking. My throat was so sore and swollen from the numerous times gagging over the toilet and my body was weak, in pain, and miserable. I've really only wanted to die one other time in my life, and this time trumped it. Kyle kept telling me I should go to the ER. The thought of relief was appealing, but I was so tired. It was the middle of the night. I preferred my dark cozy bedroom over flourescent lights and being poked and having to stay coherent to answer questions. Besides, if I just held on a few more hours, I could have my doctor's office call in a prescription of white gold for me, saving someone the hassle of coming to stay with the kids while I was admitted. All I needed was some white gold, and I could stop puking.
After a long night and a very slow-moving morning I walked into my OB's office and pleaded with the front desk receptionist to have the nurse call in a prescription. I wish it was all that it took, but it turns out, getting the right kind of medication (even though I knew what it was) was a very complicated process. About 11 phone calls and two trips to the pharmacy later, I came home with a meager two pills to get me through the night.
Thank you Mr. Pharmacy guy at Target who took pity on me and gave me 2 pills while I waited for my doctor to convince my insurance company to cover the only medicine I am able to keep down.
As it turned out, if I just paid for the medicine out of pocket, used the pharmacy's discount card and left my insurance company out of it, it was considerably more affordable. Go figure. Last time I was pregnant, I paid 28 dollars PER pill. Out of pocket. This time, I was able to purchase 40 pills for 55 dollars. (And if I chose to bring my insurance into it, I could get 12 pills for 33 dollars) That's the beauty of competition my friends. When I was pregnant with Savannah, Zofran ODT, what I affectionately refer to as white gold, still had it's patent on the market for anti-nausea medications. I felt robbed each time I went to the pharmacy to refill a prescription. 400 bucks every time. But I still did it, because I needed it to survive. Now the patent has long since worn off and there are generics out there charging a nominal fee for puke-free living.
Mr. Obama, I know you say you want health care for everyone. The problem with you socializing it is it will take the free market system away, and there won't be competing companies out there willing to make a better drug, cheaper. There goes the quality, and there goes affordability. And there goes my chance for SOME drug to work for me.
I guarantee it.
On a lighter note, Kyle did manage to salvage his Monday night by hosting a little Fiesta Bowl Party. That evening also celebrated the first meal I was able to keep in my stomach in 4 days. It didn't last, as the next day the drug stopped being affective (What?!! Seriously this is a HUGE tragedy).
And finally, we got a surprise visit from the Schmutz family, who was in town from Virginia. It turned out to be a good day.
5 comments:
if your white gold isn't working like you remember, and you got the "generic equivalent", that could be why. They're supposed to be exactly the same, but sometimes, it seems they work exactly the same for some people, and for others, not so much. I never could use the generics for my ADD pills, but even some of my siblings felt no difference. Just saying.
If you got the real stuff, and it still isn't working like it used to, well, that is just sad.
Hey laurel! Yes, it is sad. I went ahead and got the real stuff, just in case there was a difference. So frustrating that this time around it's not even taking the edge off. alas.
aargh! isn't it bad enough that the pharma people change stuff, do our bodies have to adapt/filter/become immune, too? what do they expect a girl like you to do?
I'm sending positive energy your way, 'cause maybe that will work?
Thanks for sacrificing your husband for a bit for my wedding. If I still don't have a job next month we will be up there over spring break for some snowboarding. It would be great to come see you.
Tony didn't say that right, Michelle. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for letting Kyle come down for our wedding. I was disappointed to find out you and the kids weren't coming but now I feel bad I even thought such a thing. I hope, despite the yucky feelings, that all will go well. We're so excited for you! If you're up to a visit next month and we're in town I'd love to meet you and the kids.
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