June 14, 2018, 12:15 p.m.
John called two hours early! My appointment was for 2:30 p.m. and he called at 12:15 p.m.! Good thing I was already sitting at my desk. I told him that I had not yet increased to the final dosage of 2 capsules 3 times a day, and he said that was okay because he wanted to check with me mid-transition.
I then asked him about a “vacation pack” (or whatever it’s called). I told him I had to have all medications by June 29 and I would not be back until after July 29. He assured me he would calculate the amounts I would need and would order the refills for pick up on specific dates. Below is what I wrote in my notes while he talked very rapidly. Throughout the entire conversation he acted as if he didn’t want me to talk and that he wanted to end this call as soon as possible. So I scribbled:
- Meloxicam – pick up on Monday
- Flexeril – pick up after the 21st
- Lyrica – 180 = 1-month supply
- Lyrica, regular – June 28
- Tramadol – Monday
- Tramadol, vacation – June 27
Now I will come back to this blog and document what actually happened.
June 15, 2018
I got a text from San Leandro Pharmacy that my prescription is ready for pick up. It was well after 6 o’clock when we got to the pharmacy because we were so late getting our van back from the Honda dealer. The young cashier was less than enthusiastic about her job. The usual expectation is that, before ringing up the products, the cashier will hand the medicine bottles to you and ask you to verify that this is the correct medication. She did not do that; and she seemed like she was in such a hurry to get done that I didn’t ask her to see the bottles. I did tell her I didn’t need a consult, though. When I got to the car, I looked at the bottles and found:
- Meloxicam, 7.5 mg, 60 tabs (a 1-month supply, which would last through July, but not enough to last to the end of June)
- Flexeril, 10 mg, 60 tabs (a 2-month supply, which will last to the middle of August)
June 23, 2018
Since I haven’t heard any more from the Kaiser San Leandro Pharmacy, I decided to log on to my online records. I placed on online order for:
- LYRICA 50 MG CAP PFIZ
- MELOXICAM 7.5 MG TAB UNIC
- TRAMADOL HCL 50 MG TAB AMNE
- TRAMADOL HCL 50 MG TAB AMNE
I put in the Notes that these prescriptions had been authorized by my pain pharmacist to be filled for an extra one-month “vacation pack” and that I would be totally out of Lyrica by Monday.
June 24, 2018
I will be totally out of Lyrica tomorrow, but I was surprised to get a text from the Kaiser San Leandro Pharmacy last night saying a prescription was ready for pick up. So I made a special trip today for Lyrica, which was 360 caps, a two-month supply, for a co-pay of $280. My prescription meds now exceed the cost of a one-month supply (2 oz.) of my medical cannabis tinctures.
June 25, 2018
I got an email from Dr. Kalra this morning to let me know that he had ordered the remaining of my requested vacation meds. So later in the day, I picked up from the Kaiser San Leandro Pharmacy the meloxicam (not to be refilled until after 8/13/2018) and tramadol (not to be refilled until after 8/9/2018). As soon as I replenish my supply of multi-vitamins and vitamin D3, I’ll be good to go!
As soon as I had all my medicines, I put together a Wellness Kit for the trip. Besides my 5 weeks’ worth of pills (in the blue and pink flowered case), I had my tinctures in the small Tommy Hilfiger cosmetic pouch, dark chocolate espresso beans in the Sucrets tin, my acupressure balls, a metal trigger point massage tool, a towel for the chair exercises, the inflatable neck traction unit, and my diabetes supplies in the large pouch that matches the tote bag.
