I've hit a desperate state. I sat with my doctor this morning, told him that once again, Nasonex and Allegra could only do so much.
"So, you want an allergy shot, huh?" :insert smirk:
"Yes, please."
I explained that I've been blowing (literally) through boxes of Kleenex and frankly, I hadn't been sleeping other than the night previous, but that was the first in about 6 nights.
I've woken to my husband very quietly tip-toeing out of the bedroom with pillow in hand. I'm such a sinus wreck that it's sending my husband to seek sleep elsewhere. I should add that he needs complete silence when sleeping (or loud music) and I've not been completely silent nor have I been melodically snoring death metal to him. Poor guy.
So I got the wondrous shot. I swear that between the shot and a little shot of rain, I'm starting to feel like a new woman. I'm excited to sleep AGAIN tonight and to be able to get rid of crusty red nose. A few nights ago, I woke up with baby bubble booger nose. That was gross.
So knowing I was going to Dr. W, I had to get my Epi Pen refilled (the other was outdated) and to get a new prescription of Nasonex, which surprisingly ran out just this morning. I knew that I had a Nasonex coupon from online, but thought I'd give Epi Pen a try.
I found one. $0 copay! Hooray!
I went to the pharmacy with coupons in hand. The pharmacy tech never gets mad about the coupons even though she has to back the script back out of the system and refill it and rebill it. She came to me and said, "You know, I'm going home to find that Epi Pen coupon. I have to pay $80 for mine and I've got an old one because I just can't afford it right now."
So sad!
I told her that she was probably glad to see me! I told her that I've now learned that any brand name prescription I have, I will look to see if there is a savings card or coupon online. I also have the Lipitor card. I'm able to get brand name Lipitor for $4, when if I would get generic, it would cost me $25.
So go forth! See if you qualify! Look for coupons, people!
Showing posts with label Pharmaceutically Fantastic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pharmaceutically Fantastic. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2015
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Project Flu Shot
"Mom, can you please get me a flu shot?" Music to my ears, really. Remember that this is the same child who had to be held down by 5 very sturdy women at the county flu shot clinic when she was 5 1/2. We came quite a ways.
For a variety of reasons, we decided that after plans were canceled because of a fevering friend, it would be Project Flu Shot. I had some shopping to do at Target and was really rather happy that they offered them. You see, K's pediatrician's office just got the shots in, but haven't scheduled the flu shot clinics yet. So off to Target we went. We got to the pharmacy and they asked what they could help us with. I told K that I was going to have her tell them what she needed. (I'm encouraging her to speak for herself.) The pharmacist said, "I believe she looks too young." :insert puzzled look: "The State of Ohio requires nurse practitioners administer shots to those 13 and under. Because she is under 14, I can't give her one. I told her I wasn't mad, completely understood and had an idea of a place to go.
Walgreen's Take Care Clinic.
I went to the Walgreen's 20 minutes away, because they have a clinic there. I got K a flu shot there once before. We went, plunked her name into the system, filled out the paperwork, and in 15 minutes total, we were on our way out the door. The best parts? K didn't even flinch, they took our insurance and required me to pay nothing! Hooray!
Our whole family is now flu-shotted. Since Hubs and I had ours Sept 11/12, we're already covered. I've heard that it is supposed to be a bad flu season and kids at K's school are already dropping like flies from a bunch of stuff. Will this be a complete fix? No, but it certainly will help.
And yes, I have her get the shot. Why do I pass on the flu mist? We pass because I want to be absolutely certain that she gets the full protection from the flu vaccine. A nurse lives across the street and said that he's not convinced that flu mist is the best option. We've been working on building up K's suppressed immune system (a product of her prenatal housing) and she needs every molecule of protection she can get.
For a variety of reasons, we decided that after plans were canceled because of a fevering friend, it would be Project Flu Shot. I had some shopping to do at Target and was really rather happy that they offered them. You see, K's pediatrician's office just got the shots in, but haven't scheduled the flu shot clinics yet. So off to Target we went. We got to the pharmacy and they asked what they could help us with. I told K that I was going to have her tell them what she needed. (I'm encouraging her to speak for herself.) The pharmacist said, "I believe she looks too young." :insert puzzled look: "The State of Ohio requires nurse practitioners administer shots to those 13 and under. Because she is under 14, I can't give her one. I told her I wasn't mad, completely understood and had an idea of a place to go.
Walgreen's Take Care Clinic.
I went to the Walgreen's 20 minutes away, because they have a clinic there. I got K a flu shot there once before. We went, plunked her name into the system, filled out the paperwork, and in 15 minutes total, we were on our way out the door. The best parts? K didn't even flinch, they took our insurance and required me to pay nothing! Hooray!
Our whole family is now flu-shotted. Since Hubs and I had ours Sept 11/12, we're already covered. I've heard that it is supposed to be a bad flu season and kids at K's school are already dropping like flies from a bunch of stuff. Will this be a complete fix? No, but it certainly will help.
And yes, I have her get the shot. Why do I pass on the flu mist? We pass because I want to be absolutely certain that she gets the full protection from the flu vaccine. A nurse lives across the street and said that he's not convinced that flu mist is the best option. We've been working on building up K's suppressed immune system (a product of her prenatal housing) and she needs every molecule of protection she can get.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
My list is still long, but things have been checked off.
First, I took K to the podiatrist. She has quite a number of plantar warts on her big toe and down to the ball of her foot. I thought it was just a callous from her skinny feet shifting in shoes! He was a wonderful man and the treatment of choice (for now) is an in-office acid treatment and a prescription of Tagament to be taken 3 times daily. It is an antiviral and in the dose he prescribed, it is effective for getting rid of plantar warts. Hooray! We had no idea what we were in for. He said that he could cut them out, but she had 5 more waiting in the wings and he'd end up having to do them in a few more weeks. This way, she can swim this summer and this is less invasive. (She got them from swimming at the local university.) Finding the prescription took 4 stores, but we've got it.
I've had it on my list to go to the Mom & Pop nursery down the street to see what they had for plants on sale. I'm a perennial girl and I had the new beds up front to fill. I found 5 that I wanted and asked the gentleman if his perennials were still $7. each. He said that they were and I admit that it was more than I wanted to pay. I told him to hang on and let me weed through them a second. He told me he'd give them to me for $5 each and I said, "Sold!" I didn't mean to get a deal, but I was happy to take it.
I came home and the boys across the street were most interested in my purchases. They gifted me some cast-offs to help fill. So far, my garden has the following planted in it:
Yellow Yarrow (from yard splits)
Pink Yarrow (from nursery & split in three)
Tickseed
White Coneflower
Purple Coneflower
Burgundy/Red Hibiscus (from nursery & with a baby as a bonus!)
Lavender (a driveway volunteer)
Miniature Hollyhocks (from the boys)
Orange Zinnias (from the boys)
Cosmos (free in the mail from some gardening club)
California Poppy (50% off seed at the local hardware)
I've noticed that I've accidentally gone a little heavy with the orange this year, but a lot is from seed and well, sometimes seeds don't always come up.
I didn't realize exactly what the hibiscus was. I thought it was purple and interesting. It's red and still interesting.
I made Hawaiian Chicken in the crock-pot tonight. It was a Pinterest recipe. I'll list it as good enough for once, but not again. K hated it. Hubs was fine and I was fine. It was kind of meh. The cooked cabbage was awesome, even if I was the only one to eat it. (Thank God for Beano! Cruciferous vegetable night will never been horrible again!)
I took the girls (K and the neighbor) to the African drumming program at the library. I signed E up for the summer library program and the girls enjoyed the show. K was all about volunteering. The gentleman who was drumming was very good. A little culture for the girls is never a bad thing. :)
I got gas for both cars at the bargain price of $3.32 because we know that tomorrow the price will probably be back up to $3.89 again. (It happens here in a big jump like that on a regular basis.)
We were going to work on a sewing project, but that can be for tomorrow.
I was going to clean the house, but that can be for tomorrow.
The big thing on the list for tomorrow is to hit the local thrift up for some shorts for Hubs for work. He ruins them on a pretty regular basis at work, so used are just fine. Hubs is in big need and I'm sure that a stroll around the thrift won't be met with much resistance from K.
For now, my pillow is calling me.
Have a great night!
I've had it on my list to go to the Mom & Pop nursery down the street to see what they had for plants on sale. I'm a perennial girl and I had the new beds up front to fill. I found 5 that I wanted and asked the gentleman if his perennials were still $7. each. He said that they were and I admit that it was more than I wanted to pay. I told him to hang on and let me weed through them a second. He told me he'd give them to me for $5 each and I said, "Sold!" I didn't mean to get a deal, but I was happy to take it.
I came home and the boys across the street were most interested in my purchases. They gifted me some cast-offs to help fill. So far, my garden has the following planted in it:
Yellow Yarrow (from yard splits)
Pink Yarrow (from nursery & split in three)
Tickseed
White Coneflower
Purple Coneflower
Burgundy/Red Hibiscus (from nursery & with a baby as a bonus!)
Lavender (a driveway volunteer)
Miniature Hollyhocks (from the boys)
Orange Zinnias (from the boys)
Cosmos (free in the mail from some gardening club)
California Poppy (50% off seed at the local hardware)
I've noticed that I've accidentally gone a little heavy with the orange this year, but a lot is from seed and well, sometimes seeds don't always come up.
I didn't realize exactly what the hibiscus was. I thought it was purple and interesting. It's red and still interesting.
I made Hawaiian Chicken in the crock-pot tonight. It was a Pinterest recipe. I'll list it as good enough for once, but not again. K hated it. Hubs was fine and I was fine. It was kind of meh. The cooked cabbage was awesome, even if I was the only one to eat it. (Thank God for Beano! Cruciferous vegetable night will never been horrible again!)
I took the girls (K and the neighbor) to the African drumming program at the library. I signed E up for the summer library program and the girls enjoyed the show. K was all about volunteering. The gentleman who was drumming was very good. A little culture for the girls is never a bad thing. :)
I got gas for both cars at the bargain price of $3.32 because we know that tomorrow the price will probably be back up to $3.89 again. (It happens here in a big jump like that on a regular basis.)
We were going to work on a sewing project, but that can be for tomorrow.
I was going to clean the house, but that can be for tomorrow.
The big thing on the list for tomorrow is to hit the local thrift up for some shorts for Hubs for work. He ruins them on a pretty regular basis at work, so used are just fine. Hubs is in big need and I'm sure that a stroll around the thrift won't be met with much resistance from K.
For now, my pillow is calling me.
Have a great night!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Hello 15 F and the allergy meds are a nice addition!
K has had an ear ache for a few days. I decided to be that mom and take her in since I don't personally own an Otoscope. You'd be glad to learn that she only has "a little fluid" on her ear, but that they both look fine.
"So, would Claritin dry that up?"
Dr. P (but now Dr. L and great with child) said that it would and that as silly as it sounds, I need to start her back on the Claritin and keep her on that run through June. "It is the coldest spring on record here and last year was the hottest. As cold as it is, there are still some things in bloom and the allergies are starting to kick in."
So there we have it. Allergy meds for outdoor allergies for my child. I am to the point where I have to stay on them all year long. Hubs has started taking mine (OTC Rx strength Allegra). He saw my doctor who prescribed it for him, he loves it and he's sticking with it. He started taking it a few weeks ago in prep for allergy season.
Allergy meds up! Away we go into the season of yellow pollen!
"So, would Claritin dry that up?"
Dr. P (but now Dr. L and great with child) said that it would and that as silly as it sounds, I need to start her back on the Claritin and keep her on that run through June. "It is the coldest spring on record here and last year was the hottest. As cold as it is, there are still some things in bloom and the allergies are starting to kick in."
So there we have it. Allergy meds for outdoor allergies for my child. I am to the point where I have to stay on them all year long. Hubs has started taking mine (OTC Rx strength Allegra). He saw my doctor who prescribed it for him, he loves it and he's sticking with it. He started taking it a few weeks ago in prep for allergy season.
Allergy meds up! Away we go into the season of yellow pollen!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Mucinex D, how I love thee.
I had a cold in the early part of May. Actually, a full month ago. When it started, I just attributed my issues to allergies.
It was a cold.
The cold has come and finally gone, but I still have this cough from a tickle in my throat. I kept feeling like I had a constant massive dangling mass of mucus in the back of my throat that made me gag from time to time. I finally had it when I realized that I had coughed so much that I had obviously pulled something in my neck, causing a tendon or something to snap occasionally when I swallowed. It was at that time that I went into hypochondria mode.
I panicked.
I didn't sleep.
I kept feeling my neck to see if there was a mass or some type of lump or something.
I would finally fall asleep, swallow hard, whatever was angry would snap, it would wake me up and I did the rinse and repeat of the above all night. Add to that the stress and sadness of losing a good friend and all that could come to my mind was, "I'm coming Home, Karen!"
After a night of no sleep, helping to take a class of 21 children on a 5 mile hike, taking care of 100 book challenge, helping to prepare/set-up and tear down the funeral luncheon, I was shot. Add to that, that the neighbor girl came over to hang out for about an hour and a half, I had walked to get K- from school (2 miles round trip) and that we've been going for a family walk each night after dinner that is probably about 2 miles.
I came up with a more reasonable plan than panic.
Take 2 Zantac. Perhaps acid reflux is aggravating my condition.
Take 1 Mucinex.
Sleep without a pillow. Maybe my neck is being bent weird and that's aggravating the already aggravated.
Go to bed early. That one wasn't hard. My body decided that 8:30 PM was the time it could no longer be doing the business of uprightness, so I curled up to watch TV. I woke up about an hour later to find that I did the most attractive thing of sleeping with my mouth probably wide open because my pillow was, well, rather moist. I flipped it over, went out on the hunt for Hubs and could not find him anywhere. I figured he had gone running, but I didn't know what time he had left, what if something had happened . . . Then, the door opened and shut. Hubs was home. He was well, he didn't tell me he was going because he didn't want to wake me and let's face it, he probably couldn't have anyhow. But you know something I did realize? I felt better. No thick feeling in the back of my throat. No snap. It was massive allergy drainage from all the tree pollen.
Mystery solved.
It was a cold.
The cold has come and finally gone, but I still have this cough from a tickle in my throat. I kept feeling like I had a constant massive dangling mass of mucus in the back of my throat that made me gag from time to time. I finally had it when I realized that I had coughed so much that I had obviously pulled something in my neck, causing a tendon or something to snap occasionally when I swallowed. It was at that time that I went into hypochondria mode.
I panicked.
I didn't sleep.
I kept feeling my neck to see if there was a mass or some type of lump or something.
I would finally fall asleep, swallow hard, whatever was angry would snap, it would wake me up and I did the rinse and repeat of the above all night. Add to that the stress and sadness of losing a good friend and all that could come to my mind was, "I'm coming Home, Karen!"
After a night of no sleep, helping to take a class of 21 children on a 5 mile hike, taking care of 100 book challenge, helping to prepare/set-up and tear down the funeral luncheon, I was shot. Add to that, that the neighbor girl came over to hang out for about an hour and a half, I had walked to get K- from school (2 miles round trip) and that we've been going for a family walk each night after dinner that is probably about 2 miles.
I came up with a more reasonable plan than panic.
Take 2 Zantac. Perhaps acid reflux is aggravating my condition.
Take 1 Mucinex.
Sleep without a pillow. Maybe my neck is being bent weird and that's aggravating the already aggravated.
Go to bed early. That one wasn't hard. My body decided that 8:30 PM was the time it could no longer be doing the business of uprightness, so I curled up to watch TV. I woke up about an hour later to find that I did the most attractive thing of sleeping with my mouth probably wide open because my pillow was, well, rather moist. I flipped it over, went out on the hunt for Hubs and could not find him anywhere. I figured he had gone running, but I didn't know what time he had left, what if something had happened . . . Then, the door opened and shut. Hubs was home. He was well, he didn't tell me he was going because he didn't want to wake me and let's face it, he probably couldn't have anyhow. But you know something I did realize? I felt better. No thick feeling in the back of my throat. No snap. It was massive allergy drainage from all the tree pollen.
Mystery solved.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tales from the Trenches: Antibiotic Aftermath
After Omnicef, K- is going to be needing a good liquoring up with probiotics. Girlfriend is experiencing the digestive effects of a really strong antibiotic.
On the bright side, she appears to be better and her cough is only intermittent now (though she just belted one out as I wrote this.)
Since Omnicef is an antibiotic that K- had never taken before, I decided that it would be a good idea to travel with the drug info sheet that comes from the pharmacy.
Can I tell you how glad that I did that? Why? Because K-'s output went red. I think I gasped. I didn't want to freak her out, but having had a grandmother die of colon cancer and well, red just isn't supposed to come out of that hole, I got her all straightened around, ran to our suitcase and prayed that "red" matter could happen while taking the medicine. It can.
Another charming portion is the repeated need for dispensing such matter in the proper reciprocal. At American Girl, it happened 3 times in the hour we were at lunch. On our third trip, the line ended up long with just two stalls (AG people, what are you thinking? I know you don't make any money on the square footage of bathroom space available, but truly, you are making more than enough every where else.) K- was jumping up and down announcing, "Mommy, I don't think that I can make it." The ladies were looking at me like I had a third eye. Folks, I had to do it. I pulled the card. I said, "Ladies, I'm so sorry, but my daughter was a probable Swine Flu case about a week and a half ago, ended up with the resulting pneumonia and is on a very strong antibiotic. She's experiencing some antibiotic aftermath right now." Magically, the lady who was the next to go told me, "Oh, please let her go ahead of me." We thanked and thanked. And, K- wouldn't have made it through the line. I was so desperate that I was considering the mens room.
So, Monday morning, K- was just not herself. She wasn't really eating anything and she didn't want to take Sparkle, her galloping to school hobby horse, with us. I was worried. I thought she was getting sick again. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Girlfriend's eyes were turning from a lovely shade of green to red. My goodness, we were almost late to school. We had to abandon walking and opt to hop in the car and do a doorway drop off.
Hubs and I talked as K- was contemplating world peace and other pressing matters while in the bathroom and we decided that I should write a note to the teacher letting her know that K- was experiencing a need to use the restroom a bit more than usual. Thank goodness that I did. K- said that she went another three times while at school.
Folks, by the end of this antibiotic, she'll have no intestinal flora left! I'm going to remedy that, though. I plan on stopping by the health food store and buying some probiotic supplements. We used them with her as a baby (Nature's Way) and we're going to start rocking them with her now for a while.
Smiles in my day:
- Getting the first Christmas tree started at work. It took a little while to get myself rolling. I'll be taking pictures of the trees as I go along and I'll be using those with my "Home Tour" pictures this year.
On the bright side, she appears to be better and her cough is only intermittent now (though she just belted one out as I wrote this.)
Since Omnicef is an antibiotic that K- had never taken before, I decided that it would be a good idea to travel with the drug info sheet that comes from the pharmacy.
Can I tell you how glad that I did that? Why? Because K-'s output went red. I think I gasped. I didn't want to freak her out, but having had a grandmother die of colon cancer and well, red just isn't supposed to come out of that hole, I got her all straightened around, ran to our suitcase and prayed that "red" matter could happen while taking the medicine. It can.
Another charming portion is the repeated need for dispensing such matter in the proper reciprocal. At American Girl, it happened 3 times in the hour we were at lunch. On our third trip, the line ended up long with just two stalls (AG people, what are you thinking? I know you don't make any money on the square footage of bathroom space available, but truly, you are making more than enough every where else.) K- was jumping up and down announcing, "Mommy, I don't think that I can make it." The ladies were looking at me like I had a third eye. Folks, I had to do it. I pulled the card. I said, "Ladies, I'm so sorry, but my daughter was a probable Swine Flu case about a week and a half ago, ended up with the resulting pneumonia and is on a very strong antibiotic. She's experiencing some antibiotic aftermath right now." Magically, the lady who was the next to go told me, "Oh, please let her go ahead of me." We thanked and thanked. And, K- wouldn't have made it through the line. I was so desperate that I was considering the mens room.
So, Monday morning, K- was just not herself. She wasn't really eating anything and she didn't want to take Sparkle, her galloping to school hobby horse, with us. I was worried. I thought she was getting sick again. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Girlfriend's eyes were turning from a lovely shade of green to red. My goodness, we were almost late to school. We had to abandon walking and opt to hop in the car and do a doorway drop off.
Hubs and I talked as K- was contemplating world peace and other pressing matters while in the bathroom and we decided that I should write a note to the teacher letting her know that K- was experiencing a need to use the restroom a bit more than usual. Thank goodness that I did. K- said that she went another three times while at school.
Folks, by the end of this antibiotic, she'll have no intestinal flora left! I'm going to remedy that, though. I plan on stopping by the health food store and buying some probiotic supplements. We used them with her as a baby (Nature's Way) and we're going to start rocking them with her now for a while.
Smiles in my day:
- Getting the first Christmas tree started at work. It took a little while to get myself rolling. I'll be taking pictures of the trees as I go along and I'll be using those with my "Home Tour" pictures this year.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Dear Lipitor,
It appears that I shouldn't have doubted you. I worried about my liver. I worried about the state of my muscles. I worried that you wouldn't work. I worried for nothing. My total cholesterol before you came into my life? 249. My total cholesterol now that we've been together for 6 months? 140.
Amazing. I couldn't do that no matter how hard I tried. My body requires your medical intervention. Believe me, I tried it on my own for three years. Then at 35, I had a medical flash of sorts, making me realize that I could be one of those young, healthy people that drops over dead of a heart attack. Oh, they did the test on me that gives the likelihood that you'll have some type of cardiac event without intervention. The cardiologist's message 3 years ago? You need to take a statin. Thankfully, my good cholesterol has been so good that it has prevented the bad stuff from sticking. I knew that I couldn't rest on that forever, though.
Thank you for taking care of me. Oh, and I don't know if it was you or not, but even though I was nervous about other reasons I was there, my blood pressure was 110/70. It is usually 120/80 and that is relaxed.
Good for you, Lipitor. Go! Go! Lipitor!
With liver intact,
Amy
Smiles in my day:
- The load of patio gravel that my dad left behind. Mom called and said "You've been stoned! Happy Birthday." (My birthday isn't for a few weeks yet.) Still, it was something that we needed and my dad could purchase it from work and deliver it here free. Hooray!
- K- is excited for our "Happy Mommy Day." We'll be going to the Wegman exhibit that we missed last week (because of bad behavior) and to Panera to share a bowl of soup. We'll probably scoot onto Target to get a few school supplies on the list (believe it or not, I don't have washable markers) and maybe hit the dollar section just for just. My sister would tell me that is living off the edge.
- The customers today weren't nearly as annoying as yesterday. I do admit that there was a 70 + year old granny that was sporting Daisy Dukes. Bless her heart for being so self confident! At nearly 36, my thighs will remain covered thankyouverymuch.
- The cherry tomatoes are FINALLY beginning to turn. Sweet Pete. I thought it would never happen.
Amazing. I couldn't do that no matter how hard I tried. My body requires your medical intervention. Believe me, I tried it on my own for three years. Then at 35, I had a medical flash of sorts, making me realize that I could be one of those young, healthy people that drops over dead of a heart attack. Oh, they did the test on me that gives the likelihood that you'll have some type of cardiac event without intervention. The cardiologist's message 3 years ago? You need to take a statin. Thankfully, my good cholesterol has been so good that it has prevented the bad stuff from sticking. I knew that I couldn't rest on that forever, though.
Thank you for taking care of me. Oh, and I don't know if it was you or not, but even though I was nervous about other reasons I was there, my blood pressure was 110/70. It is usually 120/80 and that is relaxed.
Good for you, Lipitor. Go! Go! Lipitor!
With liver intact,
Amy
Smiles in my day:
- The load of patio gravel that my dad left behind. Mom called and said "You've been stoned! Happy Birthday." (My birthday isn't for a few weeks yet.) Still, it was something that we needed and my dad could purchase it from work and deliver it here free. Hooray!
- K- is excited for our "Happy Mommy Day." We'll be going to the Wegman exhibit that we missed last week (because of bad behavior) and to Panera to share a bowl of soup. We'll probably scoot onto Target to get a few school supplies on the list (believe it or not, I don't have washable markers) and maybe hit the dollar section just for just. My sister would tell me that is living off the edge.
- The customers today weren't nearly as annoying as yesterday. I do admit that there was a 70 + year old granny that was sporting Daisy Dukes. Bless her heart for being so self confident! At nearly 36, my thighs will remain covered thankyouverymuch.
- The cherry tomatoes are FINALLY beginning to turn. Sweet Pete. I thought it would never happen.
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