Prescription For Christmas

No, this is not an advice piece for how to Have a Merry. It's a tale of what goes wrong when you need your pharmacy to refill some over a huge holiday... because why wouldn't I rant about that?

I take the things prescribed for me because I need them. I do plan to live another dozen years or so, if it's my decision to make. (Yeah, I know....)  Several of my last refills were made on the 25th of September. Ninety days worth. Count off on your calendar and you'll see when they all run out. Got it?

Now add the complication that one is somehow still listed as being from my doctor back in Arizona. My last visit with him was a year ago October. It's completely expected that he is a responsible physician who doesn't do refills without seeing the patient with their current lab results. So far all but one of my meds has been transferred up north to my new clinic and doctor. The potassium hasn't, and somehow nobody noticed and made the correction. OK, correction: it was noticed, and a correction was attempted back in September at the previous refill.  My new doc authorized it, my old doc cancelled it, and the pharmacy somehow managed to cancel the wrong one!

So I need them tomorrow. Christmas Eve, half a store-open-hours day, with all the cooking scheduled and company to entertain.

All the others which run out at the same time have been filled, but I called to check before running over to pick them up. Who needs the extra miles on the car from two trips in the snow and while trying to host a pair of holiday dinners? Were they ready? Well.... the other ones were. But they had no orders for my potassium. Luckily the pharmacist on the phone was very helpful despite how busy she must be right now, dug deep into my records, and found the problem, instantly correcting it. I'll get a call in an hour or so telling me everything is ready to be picked up.

That's a good thing, because otherwise I'd be guessing at just how many banana chips I'd need to chow down in in order to get the proper amount in potassium in my diet. fortunately I have been ordering them by the number ten can full these last few months. Climate change is doing a number on the banana crops and will only get worse. The chips don't spoil. But who in the world could tell me how many MEQ of potassium is in how many chips? Pharmacists count that way, nutritionists don't. I'm not convinced they compare notes. So I'm waiting for that phone call.

If I'm going to make a silly mistake and OD on something over the holidays, I'd much rather it be chocolate!!!

And there's the call... and it's almost twice the price! Yikes! But I'm gone for now.....