You suffer the blow, but you capitalize on the opportunity left in its wake.

Michael J. Fox

I try to stay upbeat about having Parkinson’s, but some days things just don’t go right.  Actually, it is some weeks.  As I wrote a few weeks ago, I kept losing things.  And then, I ran out of Requip.  I thought I had another bottle, but I couldn’t find it.  An email to the mail order pharmacy to renew the prescription followed.  But the prescription had no refills left and took a few precious days to get approval. The meds were shipped out, but then disappeared!  There was no tracking info, so I called them back to get approval for an emergency refill, which  was approved.

When I went to the pharmacy the next morning, I was told that no, the mail order pharmacy did NOT approve the emergency refill.  So I spent the next 45 minutes arguing with the bureaucracy that insisted that the medication would come that day, so they would not approve it.   Yes, the refill came in my mail, very late in the day.  By then I had been off of it for about 4 days and was feeling the effects of withdrawal from it.   To make a long story short, it took about 10 days from the time I ran out of Requip until I started feeling halfway normal.

This all happened because I lost track of my prescription.  It was my mistake that was exacerbated by the insurance company policies.  As Michael J Fox says, you have to capitalize on the opportunities that your mistakes have created.

I think I am done with mail order prescriptions.  My life is too stressful as it is, and I certainly don’t want to add to it.  My local little pharmacy takes care of me just fine and I would rather give them the business.  As someone who takes multiple medications, as I am sure most people with Parkinson’s do, it is important to have some control.  When the insurance companies take that away from you, there is little you can do.  I can’t imagine how people who don’t know how to advocate for themselves and work the system manage to get the care and meds they need in a timely manner.

Today we are leaving for a 3 week trip to Spain and Portugal and the most important thing on my checklist is “where are my meds?”  Everything is in my carry-on bag which will stay with me the entire time.  In the original bottles with the prescription number and name of the medication.   I can’t risk any more down days while on vacation.  Now I am in control.