PART D AND DONUT

The Boulevard construction in Key West changes, at least for me, where I go and how I get there and return.

I had three stops yesterday around lunch time. Publix, Office Max, and Walgreens. Because of the hour, I normally would have driven into town for lunch first at the Plantation Coffee House, Blossoms, or some other place.

But I did not want to fight the rerouted traffic and traffic itself. Ergo lunch had to be in new town rather than old town.

I decided on Goldman’s in the Winn Dixie Plaza. Directly across from Walgreens.

Goldman’s is a deli. I am usually there with Robert and Ally. This time alone. They are on vacation.

Ordered a cheeseburger. Fantastic!

After the errands were run, I wanted to go to Don’s Place. That meant taking on the construction, detours, etc. Turned out that for Don’s Place I would endure the negatives.

David was at the bar. Watching the PGA. I joined him. Further down the bar were Jimmy and Joanie. I had dinner with Jimmy and David the other evening. Joanie was in Colorado. She has returned. Looked rested from the trip. Gave her a hug and kiss.

My pink eye appears to be cured. I decided to stay in in the evening to make sure. I know. Sounds crazy. Ran errands in the afternoon and stopped at Don’s Place. Did not even think about my pink eye problem. In any event, it was a sandwich and TV last night.

Just my luck. A good portion of the PGA was rained out.

I woke early this morning. Around 5. Watched from the comfort of my bed Julius Ceasar. The black and white version. Marlon Brando as Marc Anthony. Love Brando’s Marc Anthony eulogy to Julius Ceasar…..I have come to bury Ceasar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones. So let it be with Ceasar.

As one ages, the number of prescription drugs taken increases. The drugs are costly. As a senior citizen, I buy them via Part D and a private insurer.

The cost is relatively cheap. Till you hit a certain point. That point is called the doughnut or donut. It is spelled both ways in the articles describing it.

The donut is a real hole! Other than the initial $350 drug cost, you pay 25 per cent of the cost of the drugs initially. Till you reach the donut. The donut begins at $2,800. It runs to $4,550. You pay 100 per cent of the drug cost while in the donut. After $4,550, the charge drops to 5 per cent.

The 100 per cent cost during the life of the donut is a killer!

One of the reasons is the cost of prescription drugs. I cannot believe they are so expensive. Sometimes I seriously believe the insurance and drug companies exaggerate the cost. This leaves more money in their pockets based on the increased cost the senior citizen pays.

Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act is supposed to help ease the burden. Not relieve it totally however for a while.

Recipients are to receive a $250 refund check from the insurance company this year. It was supposed to have been paid in June. I am still waiting for mine.

Over the next couple of years there will be deductions in the donut. The plan also provides for the total elimination of the donut by 2020. May I live that long!

This donut thing I am merely sharing. It came to mind yesterday. A prescription costing roughly $200 came up for reordering. I had to pay $200 during the donut.

I am now out of the donut. That $200 prescription yesterday cost me $10.

Imagine the burden on the senior citizen when in the donut. $200 is too much for most people. Remember there are other presecription drugs the seniors require. For some, it means skipping a few meals to pay for the drugs. Not the way in the USA.

Enjoy your day!

INTERNET SHOW THIS MORNING

Friday again! Time for the Key West Lou Legal Hour.

Ten this morning my time. World wide. www.konkbroadcasting.com.

Join me. Interesting and challenging topics. Like a chastisement of the Presidential campaigns of both candidates, an insight into the Sikh Temple shooting, a shocking triple tragedy, FDR and polio, birthday of the electric chair, gay voters in the coming election, discrimination in a bakery, Boy Scouts and pedophilia, Catholic nuns at a cross road, the financial advantages of being a babysiter, a strange bigamy case, and more.

Did what I had to do yesterday morning. Haircut with Lori. She also trimmed my beard a bit. Banking. Finally was able to pickk up the prescription drops for my pink eye. The drops must be working. My eyes are significantly better this morning.

On the way home, I noticed work men gently removing the palm trees along Northern Roosevelt Boulevasrd. They were pushing hard at the trunk after having dug a bit around the base. Suddenly the roots would pop out. Much like a dentist pulling a tooth. Palm tree roots are surprisingly short. The palm trees are being saved somewhere in a holding pen till construction is complete. They will then be replanted.

Stayed in last night. Pink eyes made me uncomfortable. Addionally, I did not want to infect any one. Pink eye is very contagious.

For whatever reason, I had a good night’s sleep. The best in a long time. Feel energized.

Again, please join me this morning by watching my internet show. You will not be disappointed.

Enjoy your day!

DOCTOR DAY YESTERDAY

I now have pink eye in both eyes

I cannot recall having had pink eye since I was in grammar school.

My prescription for appropriate eye drops not yet filled.

I am doing good! Said with tongue in cheek, of course.

Received a call yesterday afternoon at 2 from Walgreens. My prescribed drops are no longer produced/made. Company went out of business. What to do? We agreed Walgreens would call my doctor and work it out. A couple of hours later I heard from Walgreens and my doctor’s office. Publix has it. Go to Publix. The prescription has been called in.

It was dinner time. I was not eating. I was propped up in bed. Both eyes were running like faucets. A friend had stopped by with left over eye drops for pink eye. I started using them. Decided Publix could wait till this morning.

No Yacht Club dinner as planned last night. I was scheduled to have dinner with Sean and Katherine. I missed their wedding as I was in Europe at the time. Wanted to celebrate the event with them a bit. Last night was the time.

I would have cancelled on my own by late afternoon. Sean saved me the trouble. Sean is a loyal blog reader. He telephoned in the morning saying they would have to cancel. Sean wears contacts and cannot get near any one with pink eye.

I had a noon appointment with the heart doctor. When one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong.

I am having a good morning. The blog was much longer. When I went to publish, I somehow lost more than half of it. So I am ending here. Note that I experienced a severe chest pain that required nitroglycerene to releive. Doctor ran some tests. Blood pressure 120/75. Stress and echo tests scheduled for next week. I am not concerned. Yet.

Enjoy your day!