Re: OT- Semi-good news UPDATE

[Guest guest]

Humana RightSourceRx told my PCP that they were going to ship the Actiq that day

(would have arrived Friday around 10-11am. I called after their UPS pickup time

(since the order was still pending) and found out that not only was the order

not ready, but they didn't have any Actiq in stock, their distributor has none

in stock, they can't get any. The drug is back-ordered until further notice. It

could easily be another month. After a month, I'll have had Part D for just over

sixty days, and then they could require prior authorization. (If I could have

lived that long)

I'm going to try to get a new Rx from my PCP tomorrow (well, today, Friday). The

pharmacy will order it, but it will not be in until Tuesday (if I'm lucky).

I am so fucking sick of them delaying my prescription. They save $200 for every

day they delay. They've saved $2200 SO FAR.

Yes, they'll pay for the prescription eventually, but they'll also stop paying

for it when I die. If they get out of filling a single 90 day supply, they'll

save over $19,000 ($10,8xx.xx on Actiq and $8,28x.xx on Duragesic).

They also get to gouge me on copays (it's complicated).

On a positive note:

My pain management doctor said he's been trying to get into a Medtronic course

so that he can manage the pump. He's a really good doctor and person. His staff

is comprised of two absolute bitches and one nice, competent part-time women.

There was a training seminar just after I talked to him about my inability to

find a doctor to manage a pump. The seminar was in Minneapolis, MN (1100 miles

from his office) and he would have went for me, but he didn't have anyone to

cover for his patients (only MD in the practice). No, I an not naive, I know

that he could (and eventually would) use this training for other patients. He

didn't care about the cost of a last minute flight and hotel room, he wanted to

help (or at least didn't want a dead patient on his conscience). He just

couldn't abandon his patients.

Don't get me wrong, he can be a complete asshole and a bit of a narcissist, but

he's a good doctor and a good person (my saying that means a lot when you factor

in how much I'd love to blame him for the pump problems)

I guilted him into recommending that my PCP prescribe methadone. No luck with

ketamine.

Please wish me luck with the " LDM " (low dose methadone). I chose to add a low

dose of methadone and not decrease anything over replacing a current medication

with a higher dose of methadone.

Anyone know any ways to make oxycodone more effective and/or faster acting.

Thanks for everyone's continuing kind words. I'm not sure if I'd be alive today

without you guys and your words.

Steve M in PA

" The aim if the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain "

-Aristotle (least morbid quote I could find)

[Guest guest]

I would just like to take a moment to apologize to anyone I may have

offended with my previous post. It has been brought to my attention that I

let a few words slip into my writing that could be viewed as offensive. For

that I apologize.

I can't promise you with 100% certainty that it will never happen again

(we're all human and I don't want to lie to you). What I can promise you is

that I did not intentionally include those words while writing and that I

will do my absolute best to prevent it from happening again.

I hope everyone that I offended can forgive me.

Steve M

[Guest guest]

>ellensmith912@... wrote:

>

>

> My pain management doc has physicians assistants who help us. They

>

> None of your doctors have samples of Actiq? What is that med for?

>

> I did some laundry today and popped my pain to a 9. I have exhausted all

possibilities for any procedures to be able to go back to work. I have no

safety net. I'm scared. My final hearing to a judge is in mid-Dec. Then it

could be 90 days before I get any payments.

>

> I have to rent a room in a strangers house.

>

> I didn't pay attention to how much pain med I took. I took a second dose too

close to the first dose. I'm all loopy. And I still hurt bad. I don't want to

take my breakthru meds.

Ellen,

I hope you get some relief soon and your payments are approved. I am thinking of

you and praying for you. I have BAK cages and I am so careful about falling but

I have tripped over my dogs twice and caused bouts of increased pain. My rods

hold them straight so I hate that happened to your friend.

Actiq are the lollipops and they cannot give samples of opoids as they are

monitored. It is amazing what chronic pain patients have endured. I hope the

best for both of you, Ellen and Steve.

Bennie