To those that observe

  Happy Easter 

 Happy Passover

 

 

Thank you for the emails and checking in on me.  You've asked how I am doing, so here's a report.

 

My eyes are still not producing tears but not as irritated with medication. The dry mouth has progressed to my throat and I can't swallow without water, talking for any length of time is difficult and I lose my voice.  Medication does not stop progression, it only helps to alleviate symptoms.  I am ashamed to admit that this is getting to me emotionally.  I keep telling myself how lucky I am to not have something worse, but my fear that I will be the small percentage with lung involvement or cancerous lymphoma is real because of the sudden and severe onset.  Sjogren's is usually a slow progression to diagnosis and this is not making sense to any doctor.

And now for some technical crap about Medicare Part D.

 

The sample of Xiidra I am using for my eyes is not covered by my Medicare plan and I will have to switch to Restasis.  For those of you not on Medicare, a little preview!  Under my nephew's employer plan, my drugs would be a $10 co-pay, but being on Medicare, my co-pays for the same run from $47 to $268 each month and $140 to $780 in the hole. One is not even covered at all. The donut hole instituted with Obamacare is only applicable on Medicare, a real blow to seniors, who enter the higher cost hole when the drug expense reaches $3820, and stay there until they pay $5100 out of pocket.  The total drug price (retail cost) is counted to reach that threshold, which I did not know.  For example, my 90 day Eliquis price of $1568 and $1704 for Restasis is used toward the $3820, not just my portion of the cost.  But the $5100 threshold is based on patient cost only, not the total retail costs as it is to reach the hole.  So even though I write a check for $570, the actual cost of the drugs is well over $3820.  That cost is shown on the receipt or mailed to patients in a summary report and this is the amount needed to gauge when the hole is near.  And it ain't nothing like the one Alice fell into.

  The discounts and help offered by drug companies and others are not available to Medicare patients, another slap.  Regardless of the recent proposals to decrease drug prices, Part D plans (mandatory with Medicare), have the right to drop your drug, change the formulary list, the Tier of your drug, but you have no right to switch to a different plan within your contract year if your health and finances are impacted by those changes.  How's that for unfair?  This is how government mandated policies help seniors?  Between drug costs that are not mentioned and the increase in taxes, I wonder how the aging population will be affected by Medicare for all. 

 

When did we become our parents' age?

 

While continuing to rid myself of "things", I finally let go of the gourd I painted so long ago.

It had a split end that was perfect for rabbit ears but before I finishing painting them, my sister asked if she could show her friends that were coming over for lunch. 








When it was returned, there was a crack beneath the puppy that was also indented.  I think it was rolling on the floor of the car and her grandson must have accidentally stepped on it.  It became too unstable and fragile, and I lost interest in finishing it, certainly could not sell it as I did the others.

 

I am making Nona's risotto and garlic chicken, fruit salad, elderberry pie, and not much else for family dinner on Saturday.  Cold plate of sliced kielbasa, ham, cwikla, cheese, eggs, and honey oatmeal bread Easter morning, Carole is having the Sunday dinner with the wild great-grands.  I so wish I would not have seen the crates crammed with white baby lambs crying for mama while being hauled to slaughter.  I know lamb is often served at Easter but it breaks my heart.

 

Have a blessed holiday weekend.

 

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