Monday, Season 2, Episode 3--Redjeb Back Home

Redjeb came home (again) today.  Yeah!
They got the infection under control (fingers crossed) but not yet "cured."  He still has to take anti-botics.  That still poses some questions, as one has to see if the particular antibiotic and dosage will work--even though they did cultures etc.

So we have added on more doctor visits and visiting nurses...and just when we thought we were through with the later.  This time if possible I will try to learn how to do the wound care (even though will be harder, as have to learn to dress the wound).  But it will free us.  But till I learn--just hope the nurses do show up cause don't know what we'll do if they don't.

Although I am very tired, will try to briefly explain a problem we had during the discharge.  We were given a prescription for a drug and told to fill it at the hospital pharmacy.  So we tried, except after some time the pharmacist said he had to talk to us...seems Redjeb's co-pay for this drug was over $1000 !   No that is not a typo.  Naturally we freaked out.  After an hour of phone calls etc we got a prescription for a different drug, and the co-pay was only $6.  We only hope this later drug is effective enough.

Now you may wonder, as we did, what is going on here.   For one thing older drugs are cheaper, and those that are now used much are more expensive.  But at the bottom of it is of course all the horse trading in Congress when they passed Medicare Part D, which is the drug coverage:  A little gift to the insurance companies called a "donut hole."  Apparently when you reach some magic limit in terms of the medication that you have used during the year and that they have paid for, you fall into a donut hole.  The hole is over $4000.  Once you have paid that sum for your meds, then apparently the insurance picks up again.  This is what we have been lead to believe, and will have to double check it tomorrow when we are more awake.

Redjeb barely takes any medications so we never had to consider this.  All we can think of is that all the meds he has taken recently during his hospital stays (including the infusions of antibiotics this time) must have caused him to fall into this hole.  Just love this US health care system, just love it.

I hope he will be on a good enough drug to kill all those lurking microbes.

I think this will be the last of my postings, enough of this health business.  We will think positively and persevere.

So this Season 2 has been short.  A mini series I guess.

Anyway we are both wiped out right now.   So I am signing off.  Bye.
Talk to you all in the real world.