Prescription drug conspiracy

I realize conspiracy is a strong word.

But that’s the word I deemed appropriate last month when I filled several prescriptions as I fought a wicked bilateral kidney infection.

I am well aware that money drives the pharmaceutical industry in America and frankly that money drives most things in America.  But when the reality of it was staring me in the face I was mad.  Really, really mad.

My mom had sent me a Consumer Reports article last year about drug costs and the incredible mark ups.  I brushed it off, we hardly ever get prescriptions for anything.  I momentarily thought it unfair for the chronically ill and the aging population in our country and then forgot about it.

Fast forward to December when after an utterly incompetent doctor provided me with such inadequate care that I ended up in the ER in the wee hours of the morning and likely incurred notable damage to my kidneys (and a $2,000 ER bill despite having insurance!).

On the way to fill another round of antibiotics I remembered what I’d heard from my mom and other various places and had it called in to Costco instead.  This was the result:

7 days of generic CIPRO antibiotic from Walgreens $46

7 days of generic CIPRO antibiotic from Costco $6.50

How is that possible?  How could it vary that much? Don’t they care about the old people who need 10 different prescriptions daily to stay alive and live on small, fixed incomes?

Because prescriptions are the prime money maker for Walgreens, Bartells, Rite Aid and the like.  Everything else is fairly superfluous.  Costco has taken heat for their low prices and their unwillingness to stick it to the American drug consumers.  And because when you don’t feel good, going to Costco to get drugs is less appealing than the pharmacy on the corner in your neighborhood.

As if I didn’t love Costco enough already with their giant carts and humongous packs of toilet paper.

I know that there is so much more to this issue but just thought it might be helpful to pass on!

A sick mama

After 9 days of battling a bladder infection (and finishing a full round of antibiotics!), two nights ago I found myself in unbearable pain, even prescription narcotics weren’t touching it.  So early yesterday morning I called my mom crying and she took me in to the ER.  At 31 years old, there is still something very soothing and wonderful about your mom taking care of you.

Long story short I have a kidney infection.  Truly, I don’t think I’ve ever been so sick in my life.  Maybe mastitis after Caleb’s birth but doubtful?  Definitely this was worse than natural childbirth.  It took three different doses of IV pain meds to get my body to calm down.  Chris graciously took the day off work and cared for the kids and cleaned the house.  My mom got me medicine and brought a few groceries to get us through.  My sister brought dinner and took Audrey for the morning.

I could scarcely get from the bed to the bathroom yesterday.  Hoping for a bit better day today…my kidneys are throbbing in my back still.  So strange, having two daughters with unrelated kidney issues to have yet another kidney ‘thing’ come up.  Back to bed, just wanted to fill you in.

This picture was at the end of the day, the kids are worried, they’ve never seen their mama like this.  So I welcomed them all for a movie before I slept again.

Whole wheat breakfast

At my friend Kristin’s house yesterday, while the kids ate lunch, she generously ground me some fresh flour. She promised it would taste like nothing we’d ever had and that I could make anything with whole wheat. Even things that before had turned out flat or heavy or icky. So today we started with waffles. Wow. I was not disappointed. The last batch of whole wheat waffles I made were barely edible. These were amazing. Kristin educated me about whole wheat and fresh flour-as one who grew up enjoying it. She said I have to keep it in the fridge so it stays fresh and that flour sold at the store is often rancid which is why it makes crummy bread. I never knew, just thought I was a really bad bread maker. So here is my flour (and a window into my slightly neurotic, labeled world):

And here is the recipe along with this mornings leftover waffles (mind you I doubled the recipe hoping for leftovers!):

Whole Wheat Oat Waffles

1 cup oats, blended into powder in blender
1 1/8 cup milk
3 T oil
3 eggs
½ cup whole wheat flour (fresh if possible-second best is whole wheat pastry flour)
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder (must be fresh)
¼ tsp salt

In a blender, blend oats then add milk, oil and eggs. Then add brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add flour, blend. Let sit 5 minutes then cook on hot waffle iron.

Binkie laughs


Caleb – “Yay! I found the BPA binkie”


