Humana remains difficult

My visit to the Huntsman BMT clinic this morning was routine, although quite slow. I was there right at the appointed time of 10:00 AM but wasn't taken in for vitals until about 10:20 and then had to wait for access to the lab for a blood draw and then again in the infusion room for a velcade shot. I reminded the nurse that I am supposed to get an Aredia infusion once every 4 weeks and that I thought it must be close to time for that shot. She checked the computer and found that I last had an Aredia infusion on Dec. 9 and therefore I will not get the next one until my visit next Monday, which is more than 4 weeks but that is due to the change to an every Monday visit instead of Monday/Thursday. Carol, my patient coordinator, found me waiting at the pharmacy and gave me a new schedule for 3 cycles showing the timing of each Aredia infusion.

The pharmacy could not refill the prescription for Lovenox because Humana insisted on prior authorization before the prescription could be filled while I still had some of the syringes on hand. I will use the last of them Wednesday night and if I were going on Thursday I probably would not need the prior authorization, but now I will have to make another trip to get the Lovenox. I had to go to the pharmacy last Thursday to pick up the 50 mg thalidomide capsules, which Dr. Tricot had prescribed with me taking 2 one day and one the next, and I could only have 28 capsules, which will last only 18(+) days. The pharmacist told me that they had tried to get a double order filled but this had been refused. I hope some accommodation can be made whereby I can pick up refills of prescriptions on my regular visit and not have to make special trips to get them.

Emma continues to find excuses to not go to the aquasize class. It has been her incipient cold, then the stormy weather and bad roads, and now the very cold weather, but perhaps she will start going soon. The roads are dry even though quite cold and it is a rather short drive. The flexibility in her left ankle is somewhat reduced over what it has been a week or two ago.