Week Six - Day Two: And the surprises just keep on coming!

This was a busy day for me. It was also a day of surprises. Big surprises!

The day started with my friend Susan and I having breakfast at Linda's Bar & Grill. It's a very quaint throwback to the 50's diner with great food. We both had the Sunrise Sandwich and it was really filling. MMMmmm... Yes, I did eat the English muffin it was served on, but I'm not going to beat myself up for occasional carbs.

See what I mean? Throwback!

From there it was off to the bank, a quick stop at Starbucks for a vente Passion Tea Lemonade...

MMMmmm... My new favorite drink! 

...and then it's time to get my nails done.

This is my one vice. I think I have the world's worst natural nails. They are flat, they grow funny (i.e., some curl down at the end, some grow straight, some curl down on the sides, none are uniform), and they are thin, brittle, and split in layers. So Charee makes them beautiful for me.

This is my version of a French manicure.
White tips but with an awesome, sparklie color!

At this point I have to go to the clinic for a walk-in appointment because my provider, Florence, doesn't have any appointments and the advice nurse told me to just walk in.

For a bit of history here, I have had cellulitis in my abdomen off an on for years and I didn't know what it was. In 2012 it flaired up so badly that it required medical intervention involving 2-3 visits to the doctors over a period of 6 weeks.

It has come back twice since then and it's just required antibiotics to clear it up. Now it's come back, only this time in a different area. So this is the second round for the new area.

I checked in at 1:50 and didn't get to see her until 4:15. (This is where I would insert a picture of my crabby face, if I had one) She swabbed for a culture and then prescribed doxycycline for 90 days, an antibiotic I've taken before. My copay last time I took it was $15. My copay this time was going to be $287, and that was with my new Obamacare insurance. 

I need to explain that this pharmacy is a 402B federally funded pharmacy in a very low income area. So they only have a marginal markup, unlike a commercial for profit pharmacy. Pharma prices have gone through the roof because now that more people have insurance they feel they will be buying more medications, and this will increase their profit margin.

My pharmacy clerk is so wonderful. She talked with the pharmacist and he explained that the $287 was WITH my insurance, and that if I paid cash it would be EVEN MORE. Ugh... I told him I could not afford it and please talk to Florence for something less expensive that will be just as good. He said he would do that for me. Since it was so close to 5:00 I told them I will come back tomorrow to pick up my prescriptions.

My friends who know me know that this is my opinion of corporations that no longer care about anything except the bottom line...

Sorry if anyone finds this offensive.

We should not have to choose between food and medication. It is too bad that so many
only value money and not human life.

I will now step off my soap box...

Now let me share something nice about my office visit. I lost 2 lbs - and this in spite of the fact that I had a bazillion birthdays in the past couple of weeks!  I'm so excited!!!

Two down, eight to go for the month!

And on to the rest of the day...

Since it's Tuesday, that means it's Pint Night at The Happy Viking! 

This is Captain's favorite thing to do. He says it's the one saving grace about the Marysville/Yuba City area, but he really knows that this is a lovely place to live.

I met him there because I was running late. When I arrived I found him sitting at a table with Charee (yes, the same one that does my nails), Monica and Andy. They had a seat waiting for me! It's usually just the two of us, so this was a treat. 

I have the best bunch of friends here!

I digress...

I ordered a Bloody Mary with Absolut Vodka. He had already ordered a pizza. At this point in time I was so hungry that I didn't really care and wanted to eat anything in sight! (Remember that sunrise sandwich at 9 am this morning? Yeah, that was all I had eaten all day! 

I had my drink and two small pieces of pizza. Not just any pizza, but a "veggie haters" pizza.  All meat.  The man is a carnivore! HAHAHA!!!

We got to talking about the fact that Lent is coming. Captain talked about how he gives up sweets for Lent. Other options we talked about giving up were sex and alcohol. The outcome? Sweets. No surprise there. Since Lent starts tomorrow at midnight, Captain ordered the "suicide sundae" for all of us to share. What is that, you may ask?

This is half of the suicide sundae. Brownies, peanut butter layers, whipped cream, cherries, hot fudge, caramel. (Sorry the lighting isn't better.) I had a few bites. It is amazing!!! Thank you, Fat Tuesday!

My day has come to an end so I will say good night. Hope you had a wonderful day. Thank you for letting me indulge my rant. Have an awesome tomorrow! And remember...

Let the good times roll!!!

…Lin…