Saturday, January 3, 2015

Take 2 aspirin and call me in the morning

01/03/2015

I am just about to lose my mind. As of January 1 my insurance, and I am sure everyone else in America is experiencing the same thing that I am, changed.  I had a call yesterday that my co pay for one of my medications is $285.00. After I picked myself off the floor I think I said, "no it's not." Seems that with the new insurance guidelines I am no longer able to go the drugstore that is on my block and have to go 10 blocks to a new drugstore to fill all my prescriptions. It's bad enough that I am getting old and too the point that I have to take all this crap but now I have to be inconvenienced to do it.

My Mother worked for Chase Morgan Bank most of her life. They took all but $20.00 of her pension check to pay her health insurance when she retired 22 years ago.  As of January 1, 2015 the bank dropped insurance on all retirees. Well, believe me what a mess that was. We had to look at all the available insurance for her and then we had to have a representative come and go over all the information. After weeks of research and many discussions we decided on a plan that I hope will be of benefit to her.

JW was released from the hospital on Tuesday. Mother and I had a huge argument because I felt that he needed to be there and she decided that he would be better at home. The only thing that was accomplished while he was there for 4 days was they hydrated him. It was a vacation break so there was minimal staff working and he only had PT for one morning. Well, even if someone has Alzheimer's they can still get their own way. JW had a cleaning person call Mother at home and he more or less told her that he wanted out. Again, I told her that he had no PT except for 1 morning and he was not ready to come home. When you are married to someone for a total of 64 years I think that you will tend to think with your heart. I in turn think with my mind and try to do what is best for him medically. I agreed to bring him home and he was in the door no longer than 5 minutes and he fell. Now I was having a fit because we cannot just call up the V.A. and say "I think we made a mistake, take him back."

The home nurse said that we may not get help for weeks and this is bigger than both of us. Just getting him up in the morning takes 30 to 45 minutes. I helped her this morning but once I go back to work she is on her own. James cannot lift him and at least when the home aids start they can give her some tips on how to move him. He is pretty much a dead weight and very difficult to move. He seems to be acting different than before he went in the hospital and the doctor's told me that he may have had a small stroke while he was there. MAY have. Please don't tell me that there is no way to test someone to see if they have had a stroke.

One thing that I want to share with you is a charge nurse at the V.A. gave me the name of someone who writes about living with a family member that has Alzheimer's. I haven't had the time yet to look it up but it may help you from getting higher blood pressure. Teepa Snow.  

I think I will go take 2 aspirin. I've been home for 12 days and the only thing that I have done on my vacation is stay at the hospital, Costco® one day, Thrifty Shopper for cook books, and one trip to Five Guys for a hamburger. Back to work on Monday. I can't wait!! Stay safe.

Phyllis

No comments:

Post a Comment