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Lizzie2
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"L'Chaim"~Hebre w Toast~"To Life"
 
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Frustrations
« on: Mar 26th, 2004, 6:48pm » |
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Hi y'all...
I'm going through some rediculous frustrations right now, and I really just need to vent. Both of my headache types have been pretty out of control for awhile now. I've been trying to deal with it the best I can, and just trying to stay positive or at least convince myself that it's all gonna be ok.
On March 18th, my doctor prescribed Amerge for me to take twice a day for 9 days to try to break the cluster cycle and maybe get some relief from the NDPH while I'm at it. NDPH is treatment resistant for me, but I had a breakthrough with that Amerge!! It helped me with both headache types....pretty much the first drug to do this out of 40 that I've tried. It was after the 2nd Amerge tablet in the day that it would prevent clusters for the rest of the night, and drop my NDPH down to a more tolerable level. So, still not pain free, but I could handle it.
At any rate....my doc had prescribed 18 pills, and the insurance company allowed for a whopping 9. So I only got to try it out for 4 days. Last Friday I called the headache center, and they said they would send in an authorization letter to the insurance company. So today I call the insurance company, and the first response I got was that if my doctor wrote the prescription for "1 tablet, twice a day for 9 days," then I should have gotten all 18 tabs. They said it was a pharmacy error. So I said thanks and called the pharmacy. The guy I spoke to was incredibly rude. He told me that the prescription number I was giving him was invalid, and he was basically treating me like a moron. Finally he looked up the info, and he said that I've gone beyond the insurance company's allotted amount, and I need a letter of authorization.... Yeah..that letter was sent on Friday... grr
So then I called the insurance company back. Spoke with a different woman who told me that yes I do need a letter of authorization, and no they do not have any record of receiving one from my doctor. She asked if they could help with anything else, and I said, "No I guess not. If I can't get my medication, I'm just gonna have to go to the ER tonight." Well THAT caught her attention. Wouldn't want to be paying 1-2grand for an ER visit when we could fork over a much smaller amount for 9 freaking pills. So she asked what they were for, and I told her. She then spent more time looking it up, but she still came back with I need a letter from my doctor.
So I called the doctor's office. I got their answering service, and I started to explain my problems, and the lady said, "They're closed now." No shit.... hence answering service. So I said that what it basically comes down to is that I can't get my meds, and I'm gonna have to go to the ER unless they can come up with something else for me to try.
The doc called me back shortly after that, and he had no clue who I was or what was going on. He thought I got menstrual migraines...uhhh ... no. So I had to tell him my headache types and what current meds I'm on. He called in a prescription for Stadol NS. Doesn't make me overly thrilled, but I guess I'll try it. I have to go pick it up at the pharmacy later.
We'd talked about starting a long prednisone taper, but I'm stuck on coumadin (aka rat poison...literally!) until April 2nd, and so I can't do a taper, and the coumadin also restricts a lot of the meds I can take.
The other joy of my day was that I had the weekly bloodwork for the coumadin done this morning, and I had it faxed right over to the doctor's office because they said they wanted it right away. Last week I had some major bleeding problems on the coumadin and wound up anemic and dehydrated. Well wouldn't you know they didn't call me with the adjusted dose, and when I called them, they had closed.
<sigh> I'm really sorry to vent all this. I'm just very tired and very very very frustrated right now. Just want one damn thing to go right...I guess that's too much to ask!
Thanks for being such a great family.
Hugz,
Lizzie
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Opus
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Re: Frustrations
« Reply #1 on: Mar 26th, 2004, 10:13pm » |
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Lizzie,
Great vent, you tell it like it is, and good job with dealing with the jerks, I mean you didn't threaten to kill anyone. Well hopefully the new meds will help with the pain.
As Zaira says, stay hard,
Opus/Paul
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Zed-Zed-nine plural-Zed alpha,
There is no place like home.
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Charlie
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Re: Frustrations
« Reply #2 on: Mar 26th, 2004, 10:47pm » |
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Nicely done. You're right up with the best.
Welcome to 21st century medicine. No one is at fault and we can't (our job is to get you to go away) help. 
Charlie
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There is nothing more satisfying than being shot at without result---Winston Churchill
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Kevin_M
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withered branches grow green again.
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Re: Frustrations
« Reply #3 on: Mar 26th, 2004, 11:02pm » |
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Lizzie,
Doncha like professional treatment like that
Hope you are somehow going to be able to be PF.
I've similar situation. Six weeks now and still no oxygen. Maybe by next Friday. I'm too optimistic.
Skills we learn with CH. Walk in with a obvious visual physical boo boo like bloody nose and everyone wants to help. Something they can't see or are unfamiliar with that has pain that's exponentially cubed and you can simply wait, it's no big deal to anybody.
Professional service.
Rant here baby,
Customer service ear, not putting you on hold. 
Kevin M
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Lizzie2
CH.com Alumnus
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"L'Chaim"~Hebre w Toast~"To Life"
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Re: Frustrations
« Reply #4 on: Mar 26th, 2004, 11:34pm » |
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Thanks you guys. I was just so irritated and upset earlier, I really needed to let it out. I don't really have an outlet for my feelings in my life other than here, chat, etc. I live with other college students, most of whom have the sole goal of how drunk they can get every night of the week. They really have no freaking clue of what I'm doing up half the night...oxygen tanks all around the apartment...looking half dead a lot of the time from lack of sleep. So that's why I really love the ability to talk and post here. People who understand what this insanity is like.
And I thank every one of you for that. It's helped to get me through.... big time.
Luv and hugz,
Lizzie 
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