I have been so bad with getting a post onto the site. My body has been giving up on me lately with the flu/colds going around the area and I finally got sick. After our return from the cruise at the beginning of February, I was sick for a week, got better for a week and then have been sick again with another strain since. I did end up going to the doctor this second round and got a really high yield antibiotic because of the secondary infection that crouped up into my lungs. It was NOT fun. I did get a good cough syrup with hydrocodone that actually suppressed the cough and a 12-hour antihistamine to dry up my head. It really made life bearable the past two weeks.

I’ve also taken my Aunt’s advice and I started taking Airborne to help with the cold. I’m not sure if it’s helped or not but I do know the nighttime formula has Valerian root in it and I sleep very soundly with it. The vitamin C can’t be bad and all the other goodies too. The best part? My FSA (flexible spending account) covers it so I can get reimbursed on it. “Vitamins” aren’t normally covered so this is a bonus in my mind.

To help with my migraines I am on an anti-seizure medication called Zonisamide (formally Zonegran). I have found that I do have some of the Topamax “Dopamax” effect with this drug and it affect my word usage when talking to people and concentration levels when I’m at school. I think I am going to be stopping the medication soon because I want to come back to normal.

I read a blog called Violent Acres and it’s a journey of a mysterious woman through her life of cynicism and blunt kiss my ass love. So, basically, I love it (and she swears a lot). She just had a post about her returning from the dead oddly enough (interesting how we both chose similar titles…) and she made an enlightening comment:

“Iâ??ve said this before, but humans need pain to appreciate life. People need contrast.”

I’ve kind of had this philosophy before but she plainly states it and it kind of explains why most people I know with chronic illness seem to appreciate life differently. I know that when I get a migraine, that first minute when I feel the pain breaking away is like a new life. It’s a breath of fresh air. Weird, huh?

We’re back from the cruise and we had SO MUCH FUN.  The entire trip went without a hitch except we didn’t get to go to the Grand Cayman Islands because a 43 year old man had a heart attack and we had to turn the ship around.  The Coast Guard ended up air lifting him off the ship and we lost about 10 hours, making it impossible to meet the time requirements for docking there.  We found out later on he made it safe and sound and was recovering.  We’re also recovering and I’m getting back into the groove.

This trip also brought up something I hadn’t really expected.  I knew that I would be somewhat disconnected from the world since the Internet connection was really expensive on the ship.  We ended up paying for 100 minutes ($55!!) of time to send quick e-mails, etc but it was still not like “being online.”  What we didn’t expect is the actual feeling of being disconnected from the rest of the world.  We didn’t know what the weather was like back home, what the stocks were doing, any of that.  While we had CNN in the room, we rarely paid any attention to it.  I usually would pull out the iPhone and check the weather – something I couldn’t do without it costing a LOT on the ship.  We got ashore in Florida and it was like I took a hit of smack when my phone turned back on.  Talk about being an addict.

And, as if to add to my habit…  Apple is replacing my squealing laptop with a brand new one.  The part that has been making the high pitched squeal the past 19 months has been very hard to locate and the one they did get after a long backorder was broken.  Apple rocks.

Guess I should also mention the headaches were so-so throughout the trip.  I tried to limit the alcohol consumption after the first night which seemed to limit the amount of Ibuprofen, etc I needed to take.

Tis the time for holiday music, watching neighbors fall off their roofs putting up lights, making cookies, and spending your nights shopping online.  Well, at least, that’s my indication it’s almost December!  I’m looking forward to the holiday season this year because it’s been particularly stressful with school and work.  Listen to me complain; I brought it on myself!!

I’ve been spending my past month going back and forth with my insurance company to get my prescription for Prilosec filled.  It has been an utter nightmare.  I need a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for my stomach acid problems.  I’ve been on them all; Prevacid, Protonix, Nexium, Prilosec, etc.  Well, Anthem, my newest insurance provider, allowed me to get Omeprazole, the generic for Prilosec.  Overjoyed, I got my doctor to submit a prescription for 2 pills a day because my problem is particularly fun.  Anthem, being the best insurance company around [sarcasm], asked for a Prior Authorization to be completed by the doctor.  This is their way of making sure the doctor really meant to fill out the prescription the way he did.  Insurance companies know better than doctors, remember this fact.

So anyway, I ended up getting the first prescription approved and got my 180 pills for three months.  I went to go refill the prescription and low and behold now the insurance company doesn’t want to fill it.  Long and short, I’ve been told I have to use Protonix which is a brand name medication and much more expensive.  I’m fighting out with them right now for a prior authorization on that too because of the quantity limitations on Protonix.

My good friend Kelli at my doctor’s office has been helping me from their end on this.  She called me today and hooked me up with two months of free samples of Protonix.  Hopefully by then the stupid insurance company grows a brain.  What a mess.

How is someone with mental problems/slowness/etc supposed to manage themselves when dealing with things like this?  I’ve been bounced between my doctor’s office, the mail order pharmacy, and the insurance company a lot with no single point of contact.  It’s frustrating and stupid.  I’m reading more and more about stomach medications like Protonix coming off of covered medication lists on insurance plans which scares me.  Until affordable generics over the counter become available, this is going to suck.  Prilosec OTC would cost me $40/month or more even by going to a discount chain and buying in bulk.  I was getting Prilosec generic for $10/month.  Which one makes more sense to you??