When COVID 19 and Routine Medical Care Collide

My 92 year-old Mom extended her stay with us due to the COVID 19 invasion of our country. Prior to extending she had a suitable supply of her daily blood pressure medication. During her stay here, her Primary physician quit working for the large health care system that had taken over one of the local hospital systems in her community. More on THAT another day. Anyhow...I set about finding how I could get her prescription with 0 refills filled before we ran out of pills.

I called the office of my own Primary MD who my Mom has seen several times over the years for a variety of reasons. He works in a large academic health care system in my  community where I was employed for over 20 years. More on THAT another day.The extremely kind person I spoke to did her best to accommodate us. Obviously my 92 year-old Mom wasn't going to be visiting any type of health care facility. Goodness, we've handled her like fragile crystal since the competent leaders of my city and state issued stay- at -home policies several weeks ago. (It's nice to live in an enlightened area). So, I was informed that because my Mom hadn't seen aforementioned Primary in 3 years, she "fell out of" his practice which was now "full". (Isn't that amazing? No need to see an MD all that time she has spent here in the past few years!) Because I am aware that our health care system such as it is, is under great duress at this time, I chose not to beg, yell or try to use any connections to convince this awfully nice woman to get my, my husband's AND my son's Primary to fill a damn prescription my Mom's been on for forty plus damn years.😡

Anyhow...with a weak promise to try and get a doctor to agree to  call in the script before her med runs out, my pleasant connection to health care offered to set up a video visit ("there will be the same co-pay" she said). I agreed. We set one up. So next week several days after the med runs out, we'll see how it goes with the doc who has never seen my mother, talking to my mother through the computer screen. Yeah. We'll see how it goes. 😆 And, there'll be more on THAT another day.

Meanwhile...(apologies to Colbert) Meaghan offered to call my Mom's former MD's practice back east to see if another MD in the practice would be willing to prescribe the med and call the pharmacy based upon the knowledge my mother had seen the doctor in the fall and she's been on the SAME DAMN MED for over 40 years. I have to say Meaghan was pretty full of herself when she reported how quickly she had been able to resolve this situation that had frustrated ME so much. Later in the day prior to picking up our take-out dinner, Meaghan and I stopped at the pharmacy to get the medication she had managed to get ordered so easily. Not there. No call. No order. 😑

So, today, Meaghan hit the phones again, talked to someone she deemed to be capable---(she even looked my Mom's record up)---and she assured Meaghan she would get one of the doctors to call in the prescription. THIS time, THIS call worked. The med will be ready for pick-up down the street within hours-who knows-maybe minutes. 😁

This is just one little tale of how COVID 19 has changed things. It's not a big deal by a long shot. I am all too aware thousands of people are dying and my professional colleagues are literally putting their lives on the line.

Frankly, I needed to occupy myself writing today so I would not implode at the knowledge that smirky, snarky, wimpy, unqualified Kushner is making life and death decisions during this crisis. WTF!  Stay safe. Stay in. 

Before Isolation ... Celebration

CONGRATULATIONS MICHAEL 

We're so proud of your accomplishment and so happy we could celebrate with dear friends-many who helped you along the way. There will be a little delay now before you're onto the next step; but just as you achieved THIS goal we know that the next one is well within your reach.