Had a realization today, of something that well it seems logically to be incredible wrong…

As I was waiting in the line at Walgreens to pick up my RX… the elderly gentleman in front of me was trying to also pick up his RX. The girl at the counter was “new” – and his medicare card on file was apparently not working. She asked him for his card. The gentleman pulled out six or seven cards from his old leather wallet.

She asked him if he had his Medicare card. He tried going thru, couldn’t tell if any where the medicare card, and tried one card, which she said no that isn’t it. He tried another, and it was apparently his card. He was also getting a flu shot – a smart thing for someone in his age — did I mention that the girl cleric asked him for his birthdate, and his social within ear shot of me while he was in line, both of which he spouted off – as its a “requirement” to give them what they want, if you want service. — Slight segway of spiderweb….

It has annoyed me recently for so so many people to ask for the social security number, when the card clearly states on the back that you don’t have to provide it. Like doctors offices, or the surgeon asking — I’m sorry why do you need this? Are you assuming I’m, not going to pay you and you will need to file a claim against my credit? Do I seem like a credit risk? Or is the day and age such that you just have to “file” it all and let the gods of credit sort it out. I digress.

Finally this man, this elderly gentleman, finally about 25 minutes later, they were able to help him, and give him a stack of paperwork to manually fill out for his “flu shot”

The thought occurred to me, having to recently jump thru my own Medicaid hoops, that we require so much more paperwork, detailed information and generally “extra” things out of the older citizens than we require of the youth. You know, the people that are already experiencing brain fog, from age, or from other health battles they have faced, or just are “generally” less mentally able than the younger counterparts – who we often don’t require these things of because we know they wouldn’t fill them out. …. So the people with the most hardship or difficulty providing details are the most required to provide them? This seems backwards.

I’ve no idea how this would be resolved, and I’m certain while someone else probably will come up with a resolution its probably not going to be an ideal one – because the younger folks that would NEED to come up with the solution just don’t have an interest in it.

In simpler times, so I’ve been led to believe, eldars were respected and treated like royalty. They were held up and allowed dispensations from doing these sort of hoops – hoops were made for the young folks. Age was a right of passage of wisdom, knowledge and experience…. Now it seems like in our “modern” day and age we treat age as a “opportunity” to test the system. We have created “systems” that are designed to be excessively complicated and difficult to navigate, almost as a test to validate the elderly.

Backwards. Take two steps forward one step back. I’ve been noticing alot of life is becoming more and more like this….

I went to the doctor on Monday, because the staph infection which I’ve had three rounds of antibiotics for – now on fourth round which I started on Saturday when I noticed that my body was saying “surprise I’ve come to visit you again” …. so we went to the doctor – the surgeon who my other doctor referred me to, that I had previously said “why do I need to go see her again? This surgery was years ago … she gave me a rx for stuff to “pack” into this wound, to try and “heal” it from the outside. This seemed great, except Walgreens – my holy mecca of stores for many years, has failed me <again> by their automated system calling to tell me the rx was done, when in fact, they didn’t even have the item.

Now, I’m pretty okay once I’ve decided to “follow” a doctors instructions, at Following a Doctors Instructions. She had said “pack this wound twice a day” — It was too late on Monday to get the RX. On Tuesday, the auto system called me…. We went to the store, they didn’t have the RX ready. They said “tomorrow” …. this is the third time of late, that Walgreens – you know the Pharmacy – doesn’t have the drugs/RX in the store…. Its like a grocery store not having groceries… “Yeah come get the flowers, and firewood – we are out of food right now” …. Okay I understand, not all RX are created equal…. fine. They didn’t have the RX.

I left, not getting the RX on Tuesday. It was just odd that their system told me they had it. I called the Doctor, the PA offered to call it into CVS – apparently CVS didn’t have it either. I figured okay, well maybe its just some “rare” medicine….. Fine.

Today, Walgreens auto system calls me AGAIN to tell me that the RX is ready. We drive over, and I go in…. after waiting for the gentleman above to get taken care of, I get to my turn…. They don’t have the RX again, she tells me its an Over the Counter item, and they don’t have it in stock.

I blink alot. I explain that their auto system called me just two hours before and left a detailed message explaining they had it ready to go. She looks at me and apologizes. I get the bandaids and other supplies I will need, and leave rather frustrated.

Because P is alot better able to think and process when he is angry/frustrated, he decides we will check CVS and see if they have it available. One thing I have noticed, as I work to stay in “lights off” position, I’m very very ill equipped to deal with my own emotions.

Also worth mentioning, that its Austin in the Fall…. My favorite time of the year, the time of the year where my sinus’s cry and lament. Everything is high today – tree pollen, Grass pollen, Ragweed pollen. I don’t have allergies, I just have the family (Atwood) schnoz which is apparently sensitive to all things landscape related…. this typically manifests as a headache….. I’ve had a doozy of one since I awoke, and all these unexpected “surprises” have done nothing to satiate my swollen sinus’s. There are limits to coffee, it solves most issues, but apparently it takes more than I’ve had at this point.

CVS came thru like a champ, they had the RX, and after a safe drive home. Thank you P for being my epic driver. Its like driving Ms Daisy – except its driving Alethia, and I ride in the front – oh and P is a crotchety white guy not Morgan Freeman.

So I was thinking, this morning, before these caucus race of things occurred — geez I don’t know what to blog today… I said “universe, show me what to talk about” …. Gentle reminder to myself to be careful what you wish for…