WHO ATE MY INTERNET?!

As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted...

I got a new computer on 2/20. Well, make that a slightly "pre-owned" computer. My friend the computer geek managed to score one from the law firm where he works. Don't worry, he didn't steal it! The firm bought some new computers to upgrade and my "new" computer was one of the ones they didn't need anymore. So the firm gave it to him, and he gave it to me.

Then about 2 weeks after he hooked it up, my computer & my modem stopped talking to each other. Between being sick and other commitments, it took my geek friend another 2 weeks to come out to my place & fix the damn thing. But it's finally fixed. YAY!

So first, an update on the job. It's a college. We'll call it the School of Style. So far, so good. At least on the outside. On the inside I'm constantly worrying about getting fired. Given all that's happened to me at work in the past, you can hardly blame me. Even though I've had nothing but praise from my boss & the powers-that-be, I can't enjoy it because I'm afraid that as soon as I let my guard down the other shoe will drop & I'll be let go or fired or something.

Now to what you're really interested in if you're one of the 5 or so people on the planet who are actually reading this blog--my treatment. Since last I blogged I've met with my nice p-doc twice. I am very well-stocked with meds. That's the good news. The bad news is my insurance at my new job is not going to cover my Namenda (memantine for you non-US readers) because it's an off-label use.

Fortunately I'll be able to manage for a while. On my last meeting with the asshole pdoc he gave me several sample packs of Namenda (1 sample pack is good for about a month). As of right now I have 6 packs left. When I first lost my job at Prestigious Institution I went through all my meds & put away a 30-day emergency stash for each one. I still have my Namenda stash. In addition, I was going through my meds last month & I discovered I had one refill left on the prescription my pdoc wrote me a year ago. So I filled it. The 9/11 benefit that I signed up gives me reimbursement for up to $1,500 worth of meds. I've already used up about $300, so that leaves me $1200 to play with. At roughly $165 for a 30-day supply of Namenda, that gives me about 7 months more to play with. It's also possible that Forest may still be giving out sample packs. Next time I see the pdoc (4/14) I'll ask her if she can look into it.

So...that's 8 months of Namenda I currently have on me, plus another 7 months for which I can be reimbursed. And that's if the pdoc CAN'T get any samples.

Then what? Maybe I'll go back to Neurontin. It didn't work as well as Namenda, but it's covered under my insurance. Maybe by then there will be another glutamate inhibitor out there that's cheaper. Or maybe by then there will be some research done on Namenda as a treatment for GAD & it will be approved by then.

OH, I almost forgot my exciting news of the day: I've been called up for jury duty. It's for 4/26. The deal is I have to show up that day. If they don't pick me for a case I'm free to go & I don't have to go again for another 3 years. If they do pick me for a case, I have to serve for that case, then I'm done.

I will keep you posted!
- posted by Pat @ 10:04 PM