What a f**king day! We were on a search for a prescription for Paxloivid. We got one but now not sure if they will fill it and if the prescription drug company will cover the cost.
Patients with Alzheimer’s can often times have a hard course of Covid. Add in Kathy’s COPD and Covid can be deadly quickly. KU Memory Clinic had told us if Kathy ever got Covid to get Paxlovid ASAP.
We started our day at 10:00 with a trip to the Urgent Care Clinic that is attached to Newman Hospital. Kathy filled out the required form before we left home. I took it inside and had Kathy wait in the car to limit her exposing anyone.
I had to wait for the clerk to check in two other people ahead of me. When it was my turn I told her I had Kathy in the car and she needed a script for Paxlovid. The lady said, and I quote “We don’t do that here. What do you expect us to do about her having Covid”. WTF? I asked her if we needed to go to the ED and she said they won’t write a script for it either. We could call our on-call nurse line and see if they could do something.
I left and we tried calling the on-call line for our doctor. After 25 minutes a person answered and took the basic information and told us someone would call us back.
We called at 10:30. We decided to go home and wait for the call. At 3:00 they still hadn’t called back. I called them again. This time I only waited a few minutes to give the information to someone. Again they said someone would call me back. 15 minutes later the nurse called. She asked for all the symptoms, etc. and finally told Kathy to take some cough drops. When Kathy turned her over to me I said we had been instructed to get Paxlovid. She didn’t seem too interested in that but finally said she would contact the on-call doctor.
About fifteen minutes later a doctor called. When he heard Kathy was 74, had Alzheimer’s and COPD and running a temperature of 102 he said we needed to go to the ED.
So off we went to the ED. The nurse we had didn’t understand why we had come in. She didn’t wear a mask and even told Kathy she would breathe easier without a mask on.
The doctor came in and acted a bit put off that we were there with just a case of Covid. When I told him what KU Memory Clinic said and that we were instructed to come in by the on-call doctor he kinda rolled his eyes and said he would work Kathy up.
She had an X-ray, blood drawn and a nose swab. After two hours the doctor came back and said yes Kathy has Covid but not pneumonia and she was good to go. He said she would feel bad for about a week but that it would get better. He did say he would write a script for Paxlovid but he didn’t know if the pharmacy would fill it or if insurance would cover it. He said God Bless You and left.
None of the people tending Kathy today wore a mask. They were all a bit put off that she bothered them with “just a case of Covid”. We both wondered if any of them had worked in hospitals during 2020 and 2021 when people were dying daily.
We really are living in two different realities. Our medical system is so broken and has been bought off by the pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies.
So far I am not showing any symptoms. Based on what I saw today maybe I don’t need to have any concerns or bother isolating. Has Covid really softened to the point it is just a cold now? Many people are treating it like that. No wonder it continues to spread. I supposed the younger members of the population that don’t have underlying medical conditions can shake it off easily. But what about the exposure to us seniors – especially those like Kathy that has several complex medical issues. Do we not care about them anymore?
Made some chicken noodle soup when we got home from the Clinic. It sure tasted good when we got home from the ED visit.
While I was in town I stopped by the bank that has a CD of mine that is up for renewal today. The west side bank could not handle the paperwork of it for me. I have to go see a Personal Banker at the main bank to take care of it. Dang! I will be glad when I can close this account and not do business with this bank again.
This has not been an easy day! It did drive home to me the two different realities that are happening right now. It does make me more determined to stay on the love path and block out the other path to the best of my ability.
The best news of the day is when I got my mail I got a $200 check as a donation for the Love in Action project. I have the best friends that have been so very generous in their support of this project. I needed that reminder today that love is the answer and the only path that makes sense.
Grateful we got the script, grateful for all my friends that are supporting the Love in Action project, and grateful tomorrow is another day full of love and promise.