Something’s Amiss! Some Medications are Missing!

My medications are goofy. Many times the color of the pills change due to SoSec wanting cheaper generic drugs. I will give the pharmacy staff this, though: I would never be organized with regards to these Med-Packs helping me know what I need to take.

I was studying my medications after breakfast and my Trazodone is in my noon dose and there aren’t any Lithium in my noon dose as well. I called my father and he said to drive down to the pharmacy and he would check them out.

“Your Lithium is missing and your Trazodone should be taken at night,” he told me. “Everybody bowls a gutter ball sometimes!”

Dad gave me a correct Med-Pack which I had to wait a few moments for and got the girts started in making new Med-Packs right away. 

Back to the Hum Drum of Life…

I saw Tracy off to work after a big breakfast around 7:45am. I will see her again at noon when the animal hospital shuts down for lunch.

“Aren’t you about out of your medications?” dad asked earlier on the phone today.

He was calling me from the pharmacy and told me a pharmacy tech. has four Med-Packs made up for me.

“I’ve got two days left and will head to the pharmacy after I get a shower,” I told him.

It kind of takes a family effort with me sometimes and all the various things that keep me sane. You should see all the medications I take at noon and at night. I take each big handful with a big gulp which always worries my father I am going to get choked. I take ten pills at night in the hopes it will settle me down for sleep. Right now, we have the perfect combination, but it can change as well if bad luck and brain chemistry gone awry afflicts us.

“When is your injection?” he then asked worriedly as soon as a walked into the pharmacy.

“That's next week,” I told him thankfully. “Look at your next appointment card.”

I grabbed my bag of medications and two Cherry Cokes with his permission and headed home situated for another 4 weeks medication wise.

Mean as a Timber Rattler…

I was passing Walmart on 29 when my cellphone loudly rang. I looked at the screen and answered. “Hello?” I usually hate talking on the phone while driving, but it was Tracy so I felt it must be important.

“Are you headed to get your injection?” Tracy asked. “I forgot to remind you this morning.”

“My ETA is 5 minutes,” I told her.

Tracy doesn’t miss a beat. She’s deft on me getting that injection ever since what happened mentally a few months ago.

Dad and AJ were in the front of the pharmacy when I arrived to get the Risperdal Consta box.

“Tell AJ what you say about me and my temper,” dad told me looking amused.

“He can be a mean little son of a bitch sometimes,” I told AJ

AJ and dad both burst out laughing.

The conundrum for the day was to ask my nurse, Rebecca, whether she was pregnant or not. She’s gained a lot of weight lately. I decided to play it safe and not ask today.

Surprise! It’s Injection Time!

I purposely didn’t tell my father my injection was today. I wanted to see if he remembered and if he didn’t, then I wanted to surprise him.

I walked into the pharmacy at 9:05am and dad asked me what I was doing. The pharmacy had just opened.

“It is not like you to just show up at the pharmacy,” he said tersely. “What’s wrong?”

“My injection is this morning,” I replied with a Cheshire grin.

Dad fawned all over me that I remembered. I got many accolades this morning. I was beaming with pride.

“It completely slipped my mind,” he said, patting me on my back.

Tracy didn’t miss a beat, though. When she got up at 6:45am, she told me to get up and get ready for my injection. She had astutely remembered.

Ode to a Biscuit…

I cooked more Mary B’s biscuits this morning. I also scrambled some cheese eggs and fried some sausage patties. I cannot express in words how lovely and delicious these biscuits are. I ate mine this morning with real butter and Charlie’s strawberry preserves. They taste just like my grandmother’s homemade biscuits and that is saying something.

A Busy Household and Don’t Tell Tales…

The alarm went off this morning at an early 6:30am. I yawned as I pulled on some sweat pants and exited the bed.

“Sweetheart? What are you doing getting up so early?” Tracy asked sleepily as she sat on the edge of the bed getting up as well.

“I have my injection this morning,” I replied chirpily and in good spirits. “I am going to take a shower before you have to and get on the computer for an hour before I have to go.”

I slept so well last night and it was a blessing.

I took my very quick shower so as not to use all the hot water and ate a granola bar for breakfast. Soon, it was time to head on down and get injected. I was quite together this morning and dressed smartly.

Dad was telling the pharmacy employees interesting stories about me and my mother when I arrived – some of the antics we have committed over the years.

“Don’t tell them all that!” I said exasperated. 

“I can tell one on you!” I then said. “You slept with your mother until you were thirteen!”

Everybody laughed and asked me if I was serious.

“I am damn serious,” I replied haughtily.

That clammed my father up! He prepared my injection and sent me on my way. I was still smiling when I got in my car to head to Kamath Medical.

In and Out…

I was a little early this morning when I arrived at the pharmacy to get my injection.

“I have to wait until nine to run it through your insurance,” my father told me.

I took a seat as this elderly lady took me under her wing and immediately started to make small talk with me. I was relieved when dad said my injection was ready. I made my way to Kamath Medical just down the highway.

“What do you do for fun?” Rebecca asked me grasping for answers this morning as I sat in an examining room.

“I play role playing games on my computer,” I told her. “They are much like interactive books. I can’t stand the run and gun type games that are so popular with the teenage and college crowd.”

“The kids keep me busy, but I like to curl up with a good book after they’ve gone to bed.”

I told Rebecca how industrious I’ve been about cleaning my house and car lately.

“I always say I am going to vacuum my car, but never get around to it,” Rebecca replied. “It is in pretty bad shape.”

When I arrived back at the pharmacy, Charlie was there. Charlie has the gift of the gab that I do not possess. When he steps in a room, he immediately becomes the center of attention. Charlie was there to pick up a prescription for Horsefly before he drove to Dadeville and work. 

Burn Baby, Burn…

I’ve been having the most awful time with heartburn or acid reflux disease as it is known in the trade. It has been downright painful. I’ve been eating Tums like candy. Dad just called me and said he called Dr. Kamath for a prescription of Prilosec for me. I am about to drive down to the pharmacy and pick it up. We are having the weirdest weather today. It is 74° degrees with wind gusts up to 35 mph. It feels likes like a blustery spring day. This usually forebodes bad weather which I think is on the way.

Waiting… Waiting… Waiting…

Today was my injection, but the pharmacy forgot to order it. I drove down there just to be turned around and sent home. They’ve got it coming with today’s order so I am waiting for the truck to arrive. Dad is going to call me and I am going to scurry back down there and hope things aren’t FUBAR when I arrive at the doctor’s office. This all makes poor Andrew a nervous wreck. It’s like when Horsefly doesn’t get his sausage biscuit every morning or misses a night of bowling.

Just a Motoring…

Dad asked me last night what I thought of my new car after driving it a few months. This is what I told him…

• The engine and transmission shift like butter.
• The car is whisper quiet on the road at any speed.
• The car feels much more powerful than just 127 horsepower.
• Thank god finally for windshield wipers that are reliable and actually work.
• The CD player/stereo sounds wonderful.

“What don’t you like about it?” he then asked.

“The car is so low I feel as if I am sitting on the ground and it scrapes the ground pulling out of my driveway,” I replied. “I would have picked a different color as well. Beige is so blah! An emerald blue car with that light tan interior would have looked gorgeous.”

Tread Carefully, Andrew...

"Dad? Can I come to the pharmacy and get two sodas?" I asked my father over the phone this afternoon. "I need some caffeine and sugar."

I had to call to see what kind of mood he was in.

"Now, dress up some," my father replied. "Don't come down here in a t-shirt and your pajama bottoms."

I chuckled loudly. I wanted to say, "Yes Hyacinth!"

"I've got news for you and you are going to be thrilled," dad told me. "They are coming Friday to install your new Gigabit internet service. I went ahead and got you the highest speed they offer. I signed the papers today."

Well, I just started gushing. It was Christmas in February. I almost couldn't believe it.

"I am going to give you a big kiss on the cheek tonight," I told my father as he laughed.

"Now, clean up your computer room before they come," dad told me naggingly. "And don't get so excited you get in a wreck on the way down here."

I will be going from 30 Mbps to 1000 Mbps.

Another Two Week Lease On Sanity...

I was especially nervous, anxious and skittish this morning. You could tell it was time for my injection. "Please let things go smoothly," I prayed to myself about my injection as I warily pulled out of my driveway and headed down busy highway 29 to the pharmacy.

I arrived at the pharmacy and the door was locked. I moaned as all the employees were running late. A dreaded and much-feared setback. Dad finally showed up holding a McDonald's bag and his senior coffee and quickly got to work filling my prescription as the other employees came trickling in. Old Fuss and Feathers was my lifesaver this morning.

I had just sat down in the lobby after signing in when Rebecca opened the door to the examining rooms and welcomed me back with a wonderful smile. Things were looking up. She is always so prompt and doesn't make me linger in the lobby.

"Are you okay?" Rebecca asked. "You seem agitated."

"I feel like I am going to have one of my classic and notorious anxiety attacks," I told her mournfully as I squirmed in my seat.

"Let's give you your injection and get you home," Rebecca replied as she began hurriedly putting together my dose of Risperdal Consta.

We dispensed with the small talk this morning.

I didn't dawdle at the pharmacy when I gave my father my next appointment card. I quickly grabbed two Snickers bars and two cherry Cokes and began to head for the door.

"Shave off that goatee," Old Fuss and Feathers told me with a frown. "It makes you look like your evil twin."

"You've been watching too much Star Trek," I told him with a chuckle and I skedaddled out of there arriving home safe and sound.

My dear Maggie was looking out the window for my return.

My injection will hit me in about an hour. I will feel a fleeting moment of euphoria and then I will get really drowsy. I am so happy to be home safe and sound despite a nail-biting and nerve-wracking morning.

Shots for Societies Sake...

I was the first customer at the Pharmacy this morning. Craig, the owner, had to unlock the door and let me in.

"Good morning, Andrew," he said to me as he patted me on the back.

It took me off guard as he is usually gruff and unpersonable.

Soon, my father and the other employees came trickling in.

"I emailed Matthew about my soundcard and I needed some speaker cables," I told my father who stood behind the partition and frowned.

Dad grumbled a little bit but said he would see about it. I soon grabbed my injection and headed to Kamath medical.

"You look nice!" Rebecca said as she greeted me at the door. "You are all cleaned up and with a new haircut."

It made me feel good to hear that. I smiled and told her thank you.

"It is one of my new year's resolutions," I replied to her. "Dad says I can get the homeless look going and I am turning over a new leaf."

I really hope my father hears from the WOW! guy today. It would make my month if my father called and said an appointment was made for a technician to come and swap out my modem.

A New Day Dawns on Papa...

I winced when my father answered the phone.

"So, are you feeling better today?" I asked my father with great trepidation this morning.

"I was downright mean last night, wasn't I?" my father replied apologizing with a chuckle. "We had some of the most aggravating customers come into the pharmacy yesterday! I was on my last nerve when I arrived at your house."

"You were mean as a rattlesnake!" I told him. "You almost ruined my good mood."

"I forget you are like your mother and internalize other people's feelings," he said.

"I can't help it. It is in my genes -- my Achilles heel," I replied.

"Is the WOW! truck coming today?" I then asked hopefully.

I sometimes feel like I am in the Army -- hurry up and wait!

"I honestly, really don't know," my father replied. "Keep an eye out for them."

One of my New Year's resolutions is to dress more nicely every day instead of my standard fare of sweatpants and t-shirts. I thought my father (Hyacinth Bucket) would be overjoyed at this revelation. I also told him we were going to sell my car and not buy computer parts, but instead get my teeth fixed with that money. He didn't act enthused at all last night and it deeply disappointed me. I thought he would be extremely overjoyed at this sudden turn of rational thinking.

"We could use my Christmas money to buy nice clothes," I then told him.

"I've already ordered your computer parts!" he snapped at me.

Hurumph!

Storm Clouds On the Horizon...

The Papas has left and in good spirits as well. He regaled me in an episode of what we begrudgingly call the "key disease". The whole family except my departed mother has it. It might have been what put my mother in her early grave. It drove her crazy. We continually lose our keys despite our best efforts to keep up with them.

"I had your mother's car key as I was driving her car," dad regaled me. "I stopped at McDonald's to get a sausage biscuit and Senior coffee. I got all the way to the drug store and realized the keys to open the drug store were on a different keyring hung up in the kitchen on the key caddy."

Dad had to drive all the way back to his house to get the keys and the pharmacy was 20 minutes late opening.

Shall We Be Weather Friends?

I had called my father earlier telling him stormy weather was on the way. The radar was lit up like a Christmas tree. He showed up at a record 8 pm tonight. I was overjoyed. He soon skedaddled on out of here to miss the swath of heavy rain and thunderstorms on the way.

Stay Awhile... Stay As Long As You Please...

This stuff smells wonderful.

He Wasn't So Fussy and the Feathers Weren't Flying...

I got on one of my Mad Hatter house cleaning fits today. It is a once in a blue moon kind of thing for me to do.

"I'm heading to Kroger to get some Fabuloso, a mop, and a bucket," I told my father who was at work to approve the debit transaction.

"Are you cleaning your house?" dad asked and I said yes. "Well, thank Jesus! Get up all that dog hair while you are at it."

Dad inspected my house upon arrival tonight. We both agreed that us two are just not very domestic -- cleaning house doesn't come easy to us. He was amazed at what I got accomplished, though.

Dad stayed a very long time tonight regaling me in stories of when my mother worked with him at the pharmacy. They were all very interesting. My mother was a pistol for sure and we laughed and laughed. I can't even imagine my father and mother both working at the pharmacy together. That is like when oil meets water.

Making Our Rounds...

Tuleana's called me several times today. She wants to go back to Wal-Mart, her mother's house, and Charter bank. I told her I would be glad to take her. Hell, it gives me something to do instead of sitting in front of my computers all day and obsessively scheming of my next hardware purchase. I have very much enjoyed our new found camaraderie.

"I'll see you in the morning at nine my time," I told her tonight. "And make sure Richard is going with us."

I also have a whole bag of DVDs to give to Richard tomorrow. They don't have cable television way out in the boonies where they live. He is going to really enjoy all the Star Trek and Star Wars DVDs I am bringing him. He is a big Trekkie and a Star Wars fanatic.

Par for the Course...

Super Big Kudos go out to Glittermom for helping me remember this!!!

"What are you doing?" my father asked me as I walked into the pharmacy this early morning at nine.

The pharmacy is off limits to me except on injection day. Dad doesn't like me coming in and getting sodas all the time as I have been known to do -- imposition as it is.

"It is time for my injection," I replied to him with a big toothy grin.

Dad fawned all over me for remembering when he forgot. It was amazing I got it all together this morning as I woke up not feeling very well mentally. I slept with the alarm blaring for another hour until 8 AM.

"Thank you so much for remembering," dad said with more fawning. "It hadn't even dawned on me that your shot was due. I am going to do something neat and nice for you in return."

I had to wait for a few minutes while they filled the prescription and then I was on my way to Kamath Medical.

I was signing in when my nurse, Rebecca, stepped into the lobby and told me to come on back.

"That was fast!!!" I exclaimed to Rebecca excitedly.

"We aim to please," she said with a chuckle as I grinned feverishly.

We talked mainly about her kids and the summer, and then heading back to school. Small talk is easy with Rebecca because of her children when it usually stymies me normally.

"Now, I've injected your right butt cheek for the past six to eight weeks," Rebecca admonished me. "We are going to do your left butt cheek today before you start getting scar tissue."

Dee Dee had my next appointment card sitting on the reception counter as I grinned some more as I told her I loved her. If a black lady could blush then she would have been blushing.

I arrived back at the pharmacy and dad was standing up front waiting on me. I handed him my next appointment card and got something in return.

"Here is $10 dollars," he told me. "Go get you your ham and cheese omelet you so love up at the Waffle House."

I asked for $15 and he pulled out $5 more dollars.

"I've got to tip well, you know?" I said with another sly grin.

I got a familiar waitress today. She asked me if I wanted my usual breakfast.

"Add an extra order of buttery toast," I told her.

I finally arrived home and crashed for the day. I always sleep all day the day of my injection. It makes me so very drowsy. Maggie just adores it when we do this. I slept all day until 5 PM this afternoon.

Good For Me -- Bad for You...

I was going to play a seemingly sadistic joke on my father and it all went terribly, tragically wrong...

"Dad? They keep calling here from the pharmacy wanting you to come in for work," I told my father over the phone with a dour tone to my voice.

"I know," my father said. "I am driving to the pharmacy right now but I only have to work 3 hours. What could I say? Angie needs me."

What are the odds that could happen when my father never gets called in?

"I was just joking dad. They haven't been calling me," I replied. "I feel terrible now."

"I will see you at five and we will take your meds and I will bring your sodas," he then told me not saying anything about my joke/tragic blunder.

"Sounds great to me," I told him excitedly and also feeling unworthy of such kindness.

I felt like such a supreme goober. That's what I used to call Kevin "The Homeless Guy" Barbieux. He was a goober, too, as we affectionately call such people in the South!

Because Pradaxa is Progress...

It is going on 6 AM. I am feeling as strong as an ox and as fit as a fiddle. I woke up and got a big pot of spaghetti sauce simmering after browning 2 lbs of ground chuck and sauteing some minced onions in butter. I put the meat in the words meat sauce.

The Magster has decided this is a good day to sleep in. She didn't stir when I got out of the bed to take a shower.  I am making great strides and progress with my cycling and circadian rhythms. I slept until 4 AM this morning. (gosh, that spaghetti sauce smells wonderfully delicious).


If You Love Them Set Them Free...

Glittermom, dad arrives home late Thursday night.

My father loves and immensely enjoys travelling, but couldn't do this kind of stuff when my mother was alive. Mom's failing health problems wouldn't allow it. He toiled away in that pharmacy for 47 long years so I think he should travel to his heart's content and to entirely enjoy his retirement.

I Want to Become Entangled With You and Your Life...

I am wooing a certain beautiful lady on Facebook. We know each other from high school and have chatted quite extensively. We are taking things very, very slowly. I assure you this is no ruse for blog fodder and I assure you I am not being misleading to cater to my female readers.

I think she hangs the moon. She, too, is on medications for mental issues so we have both divulged our mental illnesses putting that out of the way well before the relationship may start.

My writings on Facebook lately have been to show her I am kind, intelligent, sensitive, and caring -- a good person to start a relationship or friendship with.

Who knows what can or will happen? At least, we can be friends first and foremost.

Maybe It is Time to Retire Or Maybe Not...

My father had bags under his eyes tonight he was so tired. He came running across my yard under a black umbrella all the while Maggie greeted him at the door. A steady soft rain was falling.

"How was your day?" I asked as he plopped down on the couch.

"It was nonstop mayhem all day. The phone was ringing off the hook and the pharmacy technicians asked me a hundred questions all day long."

"Have you thought about finally retiring for good?" I asked.

"I need the extra income," he told me like a broken record.

The Calvary Finally Arrived Early Last Night...

Let's be glad this wasn't Custer's rendition of a last stand!

Dad came pulling up to my curb at eight 'o' clock sharp last night. He took a short detour to his house to get my sodas and my MedPAC. I am sure he turned on the television as well for a few moments -- like a moth to a candle flame. 

Lately, he has been showing up at 9:00 PM to 9:30 PM so he was true to his words in saying he would get here early last night. What a damn good sight for these sorry and sore eyes. Maggie put on yet another grand show for his grace. I was trying to gather my wits and faculties for my father's arrival when Maggie squealed with joy signaling zero hour had begun. 

"I heard you needed some crazy meds as you call them," he told me as I let out a strained and weak laugh.

I was teetering on the edge of my mental precipice.

"From now on, no more funny business," he told me. "We take your medications at 9 to 9:30 PM every night. Okay? If I can't be here, then Charlie will administer them."

I agreed wholeheartedly.

"Did you realize you told Craig (the new owner of dad's drug store) you loved him and you loved everybody at the pharmacy yesterday afternoon?" dad then told me with a smile.

I laughed another weak laugh as well.

"It was sheer misjudgment on my part for driving through all that crazy traffic on highway 29 just to get a lemon/lime sports drink," I replied to my father. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

I feel ten times better this morning. I can focus and I have some of my mental acuity back. I am listening to music this morning and it is not getting on my nerves so that is a very good sign.

More Arrivals and Departures...

barbecued pork, Brunswick stew, cole slaw, and bread

Well, my father just showed up at my house which surprised me very much. It was good to see him as we gave each other a big ole bear hug.

Maggie was also very glad to see our head honcho as well. She let it be known that an evening with Charlie and Papa is a special thing indeed.

"I just had to see how my eldest was doing," my father told me. "I brought you a Fredonia Road barbecue plate and your sodas for the day."

"You should've seen the speaker at continuing education tonight," my father told me laughing. "One of the more frumpy and bumbling fellows I've ever seen."

Dad was in an inquisitive mood tonight. He asked me all about what I thought of my mother's mental illness and he also wanted me to give him the skinny on what Scientology was about. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology.

"Some real dullard and duped high profile people are members," I told my father. "Celebrities like Kirstie Ally, John Travolta, and Tom Cruise."