Scan day

This is a factual summary of days now 😊  It will become worse as the weather gets colder, so be warned!  I have plans for tomorrow evening, and I’m half tempted to just cancel everything and roll myself in my blanket!  I won’t, as it’s a chance to spend some quality time with a close friend, and that’s worth putting on trousers and leaving the house!  Jerry had a fun time driving to a hospital today (a different campus) and he was eager to get out and examine a new lawn… he then curled up on my lap and had to be restrained from licking my (sanitized) hands as I didn’t want him to get ill.  Don didn’t sleep too well last night, partly from shoulder pain, partly from not wanting to miss the alarm, but we left on time, and he’s spent the afternoon watching hockey.  There will be more tonight, I know, so I’ll just amuse myself with other things.

The scan went quickly — it took longer for the nurse to find and insert the IV needle (my veins are damaged from chemo) than to actually do the scan, so we were in and out in under an hour.  We came home and just collapsed.  I was tired when we left, and that’s  not helpful for navigating the labyrinth of the hospital.  I refused to ask for a wheelchair and it took me a couple minutes to feel ‘normal’ again.  I’m eager to curl up and sleep after dinner.  It took 4 attempts to find a working vein, (ouch) and when we were done, as I got up off the slab, something in my back went “pop” and I’ve got a bit of an ache on my right side now… 

I’m annoyed by the insurance company today.  In July, our provider was changed to a new company.  My employer assured everyone that the transition would be “seamless” HAH! Since the handover, you can be assured that you’ll spend 2 HOURS on hold waiting for an agent, and then it disconnects.  You’re encouraged to send email which will go unanswered for months (July to November and counting, for a request for approval for something needed in August)  Anyway, it’s time to renew my chemo drug this month.  The pharmacy called and apologized because they’ve been trying to bill the insurance company for 2 days, and they can’t.  (The company has been covering this since May)  Apparently, a generic version of my drug was approved about a week ago, and now the insurance company won’t cover my drug.  There’s nobody to speak with, and therefore either I pay $3,000/month or accept the generic.  There is a multi-page form which I can complete, send to my doctor to complete and submit for the insurance company to consider approving before they’ll pay for anything.  According to the pharmacist, the approval process takes 4-6 months.  The company sends out regular mail saying that they’re working to improve their service, but I think they’re hiring people who had appeared in the obituaries, as their lines remain unanswered.  It’s dreadfully frustrating, but I think I’ll have lots of forms to complete.  (As will my poor doctor)

I ate dinner not too long ago, and I think that I probably hadn’t eaten enough the last couple of days.  I felt very empty before I ate, and now I feel nauseous.  I’m going to sit quietly and wait for the wave to pass… meanwhile I have a dog on my toes who is sulking at being replaced by an iPad… Good night!