Wednesday, March 27, 2024

One week post-surgery! Improvement is slow but more or less steady. Still not eating a lot and trying to make sure there is decent protein at minimum. I am using the Fairlife protein drinks at times. Last night I had around 2-2.5 ounces of swordfish, and 2 spoonfuls apiece of rice and peas. Seemed about right. Cravings are absent which is good. I bet they will come back big time once I am past the pain part of this.

The article on the cost to Medicare of the new drugs is interesting - I don't think it talked about the Pharmaceutical profits? They have to be huge. Definitely needs to be on Medicare's price negotiation list. Maybe they will cause fewer people to need insulin or wrack up other costs associated with type 2 diabetes or obesity. My PCP tried to prescribe Wegovy in 2022 and of course it was denied but maybe he could prescribe it now? I'm assuming high blood pressure fits into the cardiac risk category. I wonder what the co-pay would be though. I tried to see if I could figure that out on my prescription plan site but they haven't added Wegovy yet. Maybe I will try looking up ozempic.

Anyway, the goal today is to get cleaned up and take some sort of a walk. I already paid my monthly bills this morning (a challenge with one arm though I am getting better at typing with my left forefinger on the ipad). Time to get these bones moving.

Have a watchful Wednesday!

ETA: My prescription site says Wegovy isn't covered but might not have been updated. Ozempic is $570 for 3 months so doable if Wegovy ends up being the same.

My cold continues. Just a good old-fashioned head cold. Kirby wants to eat my tissues from the box (we won't discuss the used ones!), so I have to keep them in the kitchen. Very inconvenient. I need more cold meds. Why do I wait to get a cold to make sure I'm prepared for one?

Today was my 8th shot. So in 7 weeks I've lost 21 pounds (2 pounds this week) Insane. I know it won't continue that fast, but what a nice way to start.

The only place I could find with my prescription is Costco (they have a box in their fridge), so I'll be driving there today for a 3 hour roundtrip. They don't have it available for shipping nor does LillyDirect. You'd think Eli Lilly would have done a better job of planning for the popularity of these medications. Same with Novo Nordisk and Wegovy. Lilly's problem apparently is shortage of the pen itself, specifically the trigger portion, not the medication. In Europe it's sold in a vial for injection. That would be a good stop gap measure, but apparently Americans can't be trusted with needles! The backorders are expected to last until mid to late April. That's a lot of people who can't get it. And they say after being off for more than 2 weeks, you should go back to the starting dose.

Anyway, I should get ready to head out for my errands. Kirby won't be happy!

Take care all!

I notice that as shot day approaches I am less picky about what goes in my mouth. LOL.... Perhaps it's the waning of the med or my body getting used to the med. Who knows. But an interesting phenomenon. I seem to lose during the first part of the week after injection and then start going back up as Thursday gets closer. So far, the bad gut issues have not returned. Hallelujah! I don't mind the reverse issue, which is what I have now. Going once per day or every other day works beautifully for me. Yeah, I know.... TMI

Not much here except that I am still fighting with the FSA to get my money. I am pissed that I am now locked into this calendar year. I would give anything to get out of it. I will not sign up again for next year. I think since it will be my last year, it will also be nice to have the added money on my monthly check. I will keep my disability insurance, but the health savings is going bye bye!

Ron still isn't well. I'm bothered that he is putting his church work ahead of his health concerns because it is Holy/Easter week. He won't get to the doctor because he can "function." Ha! Not in my opinion. My frustration has led to a lack of sympathy. Probably not nice of me, but it's the way I'm wired. I will own it. But when he first was hurting and needing to get care, I was really nice about taking over his house duties, etc.... But now that the bladder issue is resolved and there is still pain (most likely hernia) he's not taking care of that. UGH....

Well, off to class. Lunch is over!

Aw, Peps I'm sorry about the FSA. I've never had one so was curious what was covered and not. How insane nutritional counseling is covered, quit smoking programs, and substance abuse programs, but not weight loss treatment programs or prescriptions. They consider that "cosmetic"? https://flexadministrators.com/employer_information/fsa/elig ible-ineligible-expenses/

And it's YOUR money!

The FSA won't go for it, even if your doctor prescribed it? Because your doctor is on board with the compounding pharmacy, no?

Greetings Peeps Peps and Pups

It's pouring rain today but nothing that will stop nephews airplane. Yes he decided at the last minute to come. He says he is feeling a bit better and decided he would rather loaf around with us instead of at home alone. Guess his wife is out of town or something. So the pot roast is on. Entire house is a shambles except for the guest room which is good. I kind of want nephew to see what a border his uncle has become though not much to be done. I suspect we won't be going out and about much. Nephew is happy to be a couch potato and in fact I think he is looking forward to it. We can do couch.

Kudos to Peps, CC and DD for rocking the new meds. We are with you. Love hearing about it. And yeah, Americans are probably considered incompetent to draw a syringe even though there are likely youtube instructions. I am mentally moving in this direction. Like everything I do, I am over thinking it and worrying too much about making a mistake. Well duh. Here I sit too fat....

Liz good to hear that you have turned the corner and feel like a walk. Amazing what you will learn to do one handed.

Yeah sometimes one gets the urge to just stuff ones face. Thats where pasta comes in. At least sleeve stops the volume. It would be nice to be free of those urges. Funny that urges are no longer for sweets which used to be my constant Greek chorus. Now its a smaller voice saying "psssst why not eat some pasta or tacos?"

DD wishing good things from your rally. Great signs. Hope it's effective.

I was invited to join a new Facebook group. It's called "Why I Don't Go to Pot Lucks". It has pictures and comments about all this weird gross food that people bring to pot luck suppers and other food disasters. Kind of funny. Maybe an appetite suppressant.

Well time to get butt in gear and prep. Pick up, get clean towels etc. Our airport is small and only a mile or so from our home. So we tell nephew to text when he lands and then go stand by the curb. We can see the glide path out our back window so will likely see the plane come in. Our airport has two gates: In and Out. Life is easy in a small town.

Diane S

Yeah for nephew's visit. And how sweet that when he needs to loaf/veg/relax he knows he can do it with you. There are lots of people I love who but aren't restful. You are apparently restful. A sometimes rare thing.

Funny but sad-ish moment from my Costco trip - I gave them the savings card to run so I didn't have to pay full price. The guy called me over and said, "I have bad news, the savings card didn't work..." No!!! I thought after the 1.5 hour drive there. "Are you sure?" He said, "Yes, the price is $550." I said, "Whew! That IS the savings card price! It would be at least $1300 without it." He was pretty horrified and had never heard of Zepbound. I chose not to explain and just said how glad I was that they had it since no one else does.

Perspective, right? $500 is a lot until you realize it could be double.

Ozempic comes in a pen that holds multiple doses. One pen per month, you switch out the needle. Seems like a more efficient, and less expensive way to get your dose vs. The Wegovy pens which are single dose.

Now that we have these wonder drugs, how will they fix the supply? Since I'm at the top doses, I've had no problem, but this summer I had to shop around pharmacies to find the lower doses. DD believes it is very difficult to find any dose strength in Massachusetts. That's what her friends who have prescriptions tell her anyhow.

Long, long day with students, followed by a happy hour with co-workers. Much venting. I felt lighter when I left. Tomorrow is the last day with students until April 9. I have professional development on Friday, but it's online, so I can do it from home. Yeah!!!

It's shot day. I usually do it right before bed.