Health "Care"

I spent 4 hours on monday calling, redialing, having my call dropped, getting transfered, the computer system at the home delivery pharmacy, etc ALL to order my next months supply of medication AND get a shot that is needed at the end of my current round of chemo. my insurance company will only let me get these medications through this service.

I finally get home and call again, get through and am able to place the order. I felt like I was trying to do something illegal as I was getting the 10th degree from each person I talked to, "do I need this medication still?" "can I repeat my birthday" "are you sure we have your address correct" "this is how much your at taking each day"

To make matters worst, and here is where it gets complicated... go back in time with me to Jan 2011, when i get a home delivery of 5 days worth of medication. ALL but one pill is not smashed as it covered by 3 ice packs. this medication is chemotherapy and is TOXIC to the touch. they resend it, this time TAPE TIGHTLY with bubblewrap, now 3 of the 5 pills are smashed. I tell them i am done with home delivery and they understand,but they try one more time to send me the 5 pills, and that fails as well. so they allow me to pick up this medication from now on at the local pharmacy down the road from my house.Oh did i mention the delivery arrived 2 days late?

THIS CRAZYNESS from Jan left me with a issue- the home pharmacy always gives me a full 5 pills, BUT that first round back in JAN, I had to use one of the 5 from the LOCAL pharmacy to finish my orginal chemo round, which means I have 4 left over and then have to order the next round a month

So here I am, i called in the prescription for this on SUNDAY. they said they needed doctor approval. so i waited, waited, waited, and then went in to go pick it up. They claim the doctor did not authorize it. i explain i only need ONE pill. they say they can't give me it with out the authorization. We call the office, get a nurse to authorize it and teh local place is like "awesome we will contact your insurance company...

the insurance company is claiming that as of last week this medication is no long eligible for me to use. I have to pay $65 dollars our of my own pocket tomorrow to pick up this one pill. if i wanted all 5 pills I would have to pay over for them. they are refusing to cover it, even though it is working.

AT least that is what they told the local pharmacy. the insurance company then called us back saying if we use their home delivery service it will be covered by them and that they dont know how it was ever allowed to go to the local pharmacy. I am freaking out- what if they brake all these pills, what if they dont delivery on time?

I thought your health care provide was supposed to CARE about your treatment and you as a person. I guess not

I realize this is neither a funny post nor snarky... this is just me totally pissed off and really upset because they are holding my medication hostage basically

THings I want to punch

in no particular order... except #1

1. cancer (duh)

2. pinktober (seriously, we get it, boobies can get cancer... no offense to people with breast cancer, just the color pink and the weird inappropriate status people want me to post to show awareness.)

3. Crunchy snow. OMG WORST SOUND EVER, also refer to scooping frozen lemon ice, trying to break up harden sugar.

4. Dr A-hole who misdiagnosed me (I read his deposition... he only lied about 15 times... under oath. jerk.) ... sid enote got to punch him for millions of dollar. thanks for the Audi ass)

5. that one toy in the preschool all the kids fight over

6. the weather (PICK A SEASON! geeze chicago!)

7. waiting rooms (magazines from a year ago need to go in the trash.)

8. 7:20 am (too early. even though preschool teaching is fun)

9. stupid txt messages ( if you are bored and want to talk, dont text me all day... CALL ME, lets chat.)

10. chemo (drip, drip, drip. OMG go faster!)

11. living with parents (free, but comes with constant contact)

12. halloween costumes (plus size should mean PLUS size. if i want to look like a cute slutty pirate i should be allowed to no matter what size i am)

13. blood labs (more waiting, and knowing for a fact they are all sitting and chit chatting)

14. laundry (why cant clothes just magically fold/ hang themselves up

15. cleaning ladies (where did you guys move all my stuff too???)

Really?

In December 2010, I did my first round of harsh Chemo (which made me lose my hair). I stayed in the hospital for 7 days. Here is the first of many posts about dumb things people say to those with cancer. I have been doing this treatment ever since and it goes 1 week of treatment- 3 weeks recovery... then back to treatment. but i am not here to talk medical- thats just background info.

Here is a look back at "Really?: the new years eve addition"

"You dont act like a cancer patient when you are getting chemo..."~ Nurse (I was laughing at my friends jokes)

"You dress different then the other cancer patients"~ Jr Resident (I have been wearing PJ pants and v-neck shirts

"I cant make it to see you anymore because MY life is so hard right now..blah blah blah....(insert two more excuses_.."~ 'a friend' (DOESNT matter, my best friend (who I work with) slept over at the hospital last night, my high school best friend is visiting me today at home, and friday two people I have known since kindergarden are taking me out to eat so we can do our annual catching up, Last thing I need is this chick coming and giving me that puppy dog sad faced look. Just say I wish i could come- but we will have to chill another time

"Are you allowed visitors?"~ a sorority sister. clearly she's an idiot, because I had 4 friends over last night alone, we played bananagrams till 10:00 pm, and then the boys left and my mom went home, and my best friend is still here, sleeping. My Grandparents were all here till 9:00 pm the first night, and tuesday really good family friends of ours where over here playing board games with us. My Rabbi came, my dad's childhood friend & wife..... but no i cant have visitors. LOL

"Your at the hopsital?.... omg i didnt know you had a caringbridge about your cancer!"~ sorority sister in my pledge class. (all I have to say is really? all ym FB status' have been "party on the 8th floor at the hospital" SINCE SATURDAY!!!)

"Heather I want you walking 16 laps tomorrow"~ my bff nurse katie, 8 laps around the wing is a mile. I did 8 tuesday and wednesday.)

Besides these comments and my lack of caring about idiots, I got my nurse to color with me, I gotten all the hospital gossip from another nurse, I have not felt sick yet, and I can honestly say that if I have to be hospitalized again, this is the best place to be stuck in the hospital. no floor curfew for one, and i requested not to get bugged after 10 pm... so i dont. :)

My one wish...

Those that have cancer don't just have one wish, they have some of the same wishes as you, how do I know? I have cancer.

I wish I had a pony.

I wish that hot guy at the bar comes to talk to me.

I wish I could find that one missing sock.

I wish I could have a mansion.

I wish I could have kids.

I wish people would do their jobs.

I wish there was no traffic on 90 between the hours of 3-6 pm.

I wish I could parallel park.

I wish my cat would stop turning off my alarm.

I wish I had some chocolate.

I wish I could get to sleep.

I wish no one saw that embarrassing picture.

I wish Facebook would stop changing.

I wish I never have to do laundry again.

I wish I could find that cool crayon maker by crayola.

I wish I had superpowers.

and most of all I wish people would stop posting pointless statuses about wishes.

this could happen

Stupid Relative Syndrome, also known as SRS, is very dangerous You may be suffering if you have constantly rolling eyes, fake smiles, a horrible headache, and the need to say "YOUR ALL IDIOTS" but no voice to say that with.

In more dangerous cases, you may find yourself running to the washroom just to cry because you cant get your emotions out in public, screaming to trees in the backyard, and mocking everything that happened on your way home in the car, causing roars of laughter.

Leading Doctors suspect that SRS is caused by visiting relatives that have no social skills. Other possiblities are they dont know how to host, are too pre-occupied with the "busy" life they lead. They have "no money" but spend on everything. They don't eat anything "unhealthily" and criticize your families eating choices. Also the slightest cold or idea of broken bones causes fear in these family members.

SRS is also caused mainly by relatives who are uncomfortable about the idea of a pre-existing condition, such as cancer and dont comprehend how you can still "Feel good" if you are so ill.

SRS has not killed anyone yet, but if not taken seriously, families may fall apart.

If you or a loved one has SRS please contact the SRS hotline 1-800-IC-STUPID-PPL***

*** this post was from my original blog on the site PlanetCancer.org. It is a great community, but it has changed****

5 main points

I wrote this a while back. I think it will be a launching point.

1. Cancer doesn’t know what age you are. Also its easy to feel like you don’t belong when walking into the chemo clinic surrounded by people who are almost 30 years older then you, (or in some cases- 20 years younger then you.)

2. I want your support, but I need your patience too. I know I personally love going to the mall, I love movies, I love going on bike rides and I just love being distracted from cancer, but while I am on treatment or post treatment- I might have to reschedule for another day. In the middle of us walking around the mall I might need to take a 5 minute break.

3. Its ok not to know what to say. I am still me. Just because I got cancer doesn’t mean we cant relate or be friends anymore- getting phone calls, txt messages, even an e-mail can make a bad day turn good again.

4. Every cancer and every person is different. Yes surgery may have worked for someone else you have known and a special diet may have helped that other person- but everyone reacts differently to everything. Just know that I am getting the best advise and treatment out there for me, and the hot fudge sundae is not why I have cancer.

5. Cancer is scary and very real. I may act like everything is fine, but some days are just scary days. I am not always sad and do not need constant reminders of why I should be fearful. The best thing to do is not to assume how I am feeling and just listen.

~W/o a Ribbon