Spilled Pills......

Keeping medications up-to-date and organized is an ongoing trial.  I try hard to fill two weeks' worth of pill boxes at at time for Babygirl (I do a month at a time for my Mom and I).  I'm limited to two weeks with Babygirl's meds because her transplant-related medications can only be doled out one month at a time, unlike our usual three-month supply on everything else.  I call them in ahead of time - sometimes too far ahead.

Last week was a 'too far ahead' week, so the pharmacy didn't fill a couple of important scripts and I forgot to call back and remind them.  Then Hubby forgot to go get them.  And then I forgot to remind him.  And THEN we had to go to Philly.  So.....

On Monday morning I had our docs call in three days' worth of two transplant medications to the pharmacy at CHOP.  Since our refills were already filled and insurance-paid for at home, our insurance wouldn't cover the extra pills (they will eventually).  When I picked them up, the total was $188.  For three days' worth of only two of the many medications she takes daily.  $188.  That would be $1880/month just for those two medications.

Gulp.

Back at home on Wednesday, I picked up the rest of the meds and sorted two weeks of pills.  We spent the weekend at church for our Mission Team retreat, and on Sunday evening, Babygirl reached into the cupboard, and knocked a nearly-full sorter to the ground.  The scatter was impressive. 

It has been repetitively drilled into us to keep every thing clean.  Up until now, any pill that hit the floor was immediately discarded and replaced.  But.....$188.  We picked up all the pills.  We'd been gone all weekend and the housekeeper had just cleaned while we were gone, and we didn't see any dust.....so I put them all in a baggie for further consideration.  I probably would have just chucked them, but two days later, she did it AGAIN.  And this time the floor wasn't quite as clean.  The pills went into a different bag, labeled so I'd know which were which, and I gave it all some thought.  When it came time for me to refill the pill sorter this morning, I had to make a decision.  We were out of a couple of things - it was use some of the spilled pills or skip doses.

I threw out the entire second bag, the one from the dirtier floor.  I threw out all of the pills we get in three month supplies, because it's easier to finagle spares.  And I was left with 66 anti-rejection pills.  $376. 

I put them in the sorter. 

I am a bad mom.

Okay, I know it was a tough choice, and for at least today there was absolutely no other choice.  I can still go pick up the new bottles and get rid of the (potentially) dirty pills.  The risk of infection is small, but if it happens it will be a big infection, y'know what I mean?

I'm really, really missing the five-second rule.

DeeDee