Pill Counting

Today is the last day of May. Tomorrow the counting of days begins in earnest as the month of June rolls around -- that magic month when we are to set off on our odyssey-to-be. June was many distant months away when the planning (fantasizing is a better word) first began, now it is only hours away as I write this.

Tomorrow is the first of June and the first day we can approach the pharmacy in our HMO for a four-months' supply of our standing prescriptions. We are ordinarily restricted to purchasing pills in one-month amounts. I knew we'd have to prepare for this in advance and I was sure I knew the proper procedure, having done this before for other trips. However, I was not expecting to be told when we went to the pharmacy today that the maximum amount that could be supplied was three-month's worth, not four. More than three-months' worth will require the OK of someone in the HMO's administration. This means a doctor's visit for a full four-months' set of prescriptions for each of the meds in question, a copy of our round-the-world ticket, and the administrative OK. When we bring all these to the pharmacy they'll count out the pills.

Sheesh. What were we thinking when we set our sights on a four-month trip? Three months would have been so much less "outside-the-box" as far as travel insurance providers and health service providers are concerned.

A word of warning to anyone in our age category [we bracket 60 above and below by a year or two]: consider being less ambitious than we are being. Too much adventure makes others looking out for your health nervous. We are being as cautious and sensible at two "old people" can be. But they are looking at actuarial tables.

The pharmacists were very encouraging, though. They saw the list of pills we'll need and said,  "These pills are so commonly prescribed you'll have no problem getting this list approved within 24 hours. It'll be all right. You'll see. Besides, you have lots of time before you leave." We're counting on this to be true as we count down the days.