I haven't been writing as much because I've been having medication problems. It started on August 22nd. I'd stopped by my pharmacy to pick up some meds and took the bus home. I bought some new cosmetics, including a new lipstick, which I tried on the bus. When I arrived at my destination I got off the bus with my new colour and left my meds on the seat next to me. I took two steps away when I remembered where I left them and turned to find the bus pulling away with $1200 worth of my prescription drugs on board. My efforts to recover them proved fruitless. It looked like I would have to get by without them. The Celebrex I could live without. Joint inflammation isn't pleasant but it won't kill me either. Prevacid could be replaced with Prilosec OTC and I could make it till refill day without a GI bleed. The real problem was Xifaxan. It controls a condition called hepatic encephalopathy, which CAN kill me. There is an alternative therapy, but it doesn't work nearly as well and you have chronic diarrhea and dehydration to contend with as side effects. You could say it sucks!
I thought I could tough it out for the three weeks before I could get my scrip refilled. I was wrong. The first thing that happens is I can't process incoming information very well and I start to get confused. That leads to frustration and from there I get angry. I started lashing out at those around me and when alone, crying uncontrollably and feeling depressed. I stopped sleeping and became more and more tense and out of control. By 04 Sept., I'd had enough. I called the pharmacy and ordered a 10 day supply for $300, enough to get me through till refill day.
The effect was immediate. I started feeling better but it took till the last week of Sept. for me to return to normal and a couple weeks of Ambien to restore a normal sleep pattern. I've contacted Aetna to see about adding lost prescription coverage to my policy.
BTW I have End Stage Liver Disease due to chronic hepatitis c. Things were looking pretty grim 4 years ago but I surprised everyone and got better. Sort of. I need a liver transplant at some point in the future but I have this time of stability which will probably last for years. Hopefully enough time to accomplish everything important to me.
Originally published 10/06/2006. I had that liver transplant March 25, 2011
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