Since I was the only one on the rollercoaster train, I plopped into the center of the front car, ready for the full experience as it pulled away from the loading station. I braced myself, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly as it started climbing.
I picked up the phone and dialed the number for the pharmacy. I had gotten another little app notification and this time it said, "there's a delay in filling your prescription due to an insurance issue."
Of course there was! Austin had a new and a renewed insurance as of October 1st for both primary and secondary. So obviously there would be an issue with at least one of them, if not both.
If I had requested a refill in a timely fashion, my stress and anxiety levels may not have skyrocketed like they did. But the problem was that 6 days before, the pharmacy didn't have the entire refill of his seizure medication in stock. And then I completely spaced that I only had a partial refill.
So by the time I realized we were almost out again (after I scoured the kitchen looking for "the refill" I was sure I had already ordered and picked up - duh, the partial!) it was Thursday evening, and I was going to use the last one Friday morning.
But no worries! It was covered 6 days before so surely they had new stock into the store by now. I just pulled out the app and put in for another refill.
I started getting the first of the delay messages on Friday morning. They were still out of stock.
Seriously?! Ok, no big. I'm out with Austin hiking for Fall break. I'll just cruise by the pharmacy on the way home. I'll take him in with me for a little visual persuasion to plead his case about needing the med TODAY (don't tell me you other medically complex moms don't do this, no?). Once they see him, I'm sure they will want to figure something out! Who can deny that cute little face that belongs to a wheelchair bound kiddo who's fussing quite loudly because he does not want to be at the store standing in the pharmacy line? Right?
Well it worked. Sort of. They urgently called around to several other pharmacies until they found one that had it in stock. Apparently is was back ordered everywhere! But it's all good. The new pharmacy had it, so I just needed to wait until I was notified to go pick it up.
So we went home and waited for that little text message that tells me the script is filled and it's $0 dollars.
Instead, I got the "delay due to insurance" message followed by "it's filled and it will cost $563" which means secondary insurance wasn't covering it for some reason. Which is weird because they always cover it.
So I made the requisite phone call to the pharmacy and they acted like they weren't sure what the problem was and that maybe I should call the insurance company.
Awesome. My favorite. The number on the back of the card to call has been going to an empty Cisco systems voice mailbox for months. I tried it anyway just in case. Empty voice mailbox.
Racking my brain for who I could call, I remembered I had the family care coordinator's direct line which I got last time I had a major issue.
When I remember to use it, it's usually quite magical because I can speak with someone right away who is directly responsible for his account!
Except for Friday afternoons apparently. I was redirected to the dreaded empty voice mailbox.
What the...?
We are taking forever trudging up that rollercoaster hill now. Anticipation and anxiety level is rising!
I looked through my old contact notes and found another number that was supposed to take me to the main family care center where they could help if his coordinator wasn't available.
Bingo! Got someone. They tried to pull up his account. "Sorry, I can't access that account. I'll have to call the supervisor. Hold please."
For the next two hours, I was either on hold or being transferred to someone who couldn't help and wanted to put me on hold to transfer me again. There was a point where I had both my cell phone and the house phone in my hands on hold with two different people (because I decided to also try the nurse triage phone number on the back of the card while I was on hold on the cell phone).
Remember, I once got a trophy for the Best Trying, Trier Who Tries! I don't give up easily.
Well finally, a lady in North Carolina tells me she can actually pull up his account and that the screen says that he needs a renewed doctor's Prior Authorization on file.
Poor lady. I wail to her that this would have been helpful to know, you know, BEFORE Friday night and the weekend! Hello! This is seizure medication! Then I break down into big boohoo tears while she listens. She tells me, "Don't cry...." And I'm like, "oh, ok" (instantly dried tears). Yeah, NOT!
This normally wouldn't be such a big deal. It would usually get sorted over the next couple days after a few phone calls and emails. However, I needed the med tonight! Or at least by tomorrow.
I'm usually ok if he misses a seizure med here and there. Not my favorite though, and yes, he will often have a seizure due to missing medication because they are not completely controlled, however, now I was looking at probably going a whole weekend without the med.
Which means my brain conjured up the worst of all the possibilities: he could have multiple seizures, we'd have to use rescue meds, they wouldn't work, he'd lose consciousness, we'd call 911, we'd spend the weekend or more in the ER/inpatient.
(Which then I thought, well that would serve the insurance company right because they would have to pay for it, and it could have been solved by just paying for his meds this weekend. Ha.) Oh yes, I have a LOVELY imagination.
At this point I'm in full on freaking out mode (obviously). On top of still needing to get this sorted tonight, it was time to shower real quick (I had to, my sweating game when stressed is on point), and throw on my football mom shirt and get to Jonathan's game.
However, while in the shower (where I do all my best thinking and have all the best ideas) I have an epiphany! I'll just buy 8 pills out of pocket which would get me through to Tuesday morning and would buy me time to get things fixed on Monday. Sometimes I amaze myself by being so brilliant.
The rollercoaster car finally crested the hill and slowly started to roll down the track, picking up speed as it went. Oh the relief! Yay! This is fun!
In the truck on the way to Jonathan's game I figured I'd call the pharmacy to tell them my plan and see if they could get it ready super quick so we could pick it up ASAP on our way to Jonathan's game. We were already running late for the away game and were going to have to detour to the pharmacy all at around 5:30 pm.
I placed the call. I ended up on hold for approximately 25 minutes. The pharmacy is actually within view when they finally pick up. They have been slammed, they say. Yes they can try, they say. I hang up as I'm literally dropped off at the front door.
Fun! A twist. A curve!
I run in prepared to text the husband to drive to the window if the line was too long. However, the store is empty! There is no one in line. I walk to the counter. I briefly say who I am to the guy who I'd just gotten off the phone with, he hurries to count out 8 pills and $75 later I'm on my way!
Ah. Another descent. A chance to breathe at the bottom. And while I can see the next incline up ahead, I have time to prepare myself now.... Whew!
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Epilogue
The weekend was full of tension and anxiety as I carried the weight of unfinished business. But I still had several commitments that had to be seen to and that I had to be present for even though I prefer to finish one task before starting another.
All the commitments ended up being nice distractions though. I sat with an old FB/new face-to-face friend at the game and got to know her better. I didn't think once about the medication issue while she entertained me with her bubbly, positive personality.
I managed to make it through worship team practice Saturday morning after confessing my feeling of heaviness and having a good cry in the bathroom after the prayer circle. And I didn't think about it once during the rest of practice as I concentrated hard on hopefully hiding the fact that I really can't sing. (I have a willing spirit though, so at least there's that. And supposedly God likes to use the most unlikely characters so I figure I'd give him a really good challenge. Don't want him getting bored or anything.)
When my husband asked that morning, oh, are we going to that dinner tonight, and I texted my dad to watch Austin, and he said yes. That was cool. And then when we got dressed later, and I asked my dad to document us being all dressed up, and then I posted it on Facebook and people showed up to boost my self esteem by liking and complimenting it, that was a REALLY decent distraction.
And then Sunday with it's busyness of worship team, making pies for the teen's birthday, and hosting family dinner that night totally filled the day so I had zero time to fret about the med until bed that night.
And then of course, Monday (and Tuesday). The beauty of those two days is that while I still had to make phone calls and emails, it I felt like I had everyone at the pharmacy, doctor's office, and insurance company all finally working together to get this done. By Tuesday afternoon, I got the a text AND a call that I was originally expecting that the med was filled and was zero dollars.
But when I went to pick it up, the gal at the pharmacy window said, "I"m sorry, but our system is down, and I can't sell you any meds." Uhh....
But no worries! The pharmacist came running over when she heard Austin's name, they had a quick pow wow, she opened the drawer and tossed his med into it while calling "Your the exception!"
Oh to be the *exception*! My heart soared as I pulled out of the parking lot. I'm the exception! I couldn't stop grinning (and wanting to cry a little).
The rollercoaster car zoomed into the loading station and screeched to a halt. What a high that ride was!
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