Assorted Jams

05Sep

Today Mother Nature is back to her glorious blue-skied self and the schoolyard down the street is jam packed with children in white shirts and navy shorts having a great time on the playground (well, til the bell tolls at least)!

Carman spends most of the day “on hold” in turn and back and forth with each of our pharmacy, health insurance company and the doctor’s office trying to sort out the jam  (and more costly than usual)  we find ourselves in with our recent prescription pick-up. It turns out that the pharmacy filled one of his scripts with a different trade-named version of a very expensive medication he’s been taking for a couple of years, for the pulmonary hypertension, induced by his IPF. 

Much like over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen (which can be purchased under the trade names of Advil, Motrin or Nurofen, etc.), once the patent expires many prescribed meds are picked up by other companies and self-branded. However, the insurance companies only cover specific brands of a certain drug and when the drug store fills the prescription with whatever they happen to have in stock, the results is you pay the full cost - with no chance of reimbursement that is. 

The lesson here is do your drug research...and make sure your prescription states not only the specific drug (which ours did) but also, the specific manufacturer (which ours didn’t). That’s right, everything about these little tablets is the same, from the ingredients to potency level to manufacturing process to the little blister card and box they come in...but type A is covered and types B & C are not. No refund, no exchange, not happy!

On the happiness front...

This morning marked the first dip into the strawberry freezer jam my sister, Penny, sent with Tim when he visited a few of weeks ago. Yes, this clearly represents massive restraint on Carman’s part, it’s his favourite but, Attila that I am, I insisted the opened jar we already had in the fridge (store bought) had to be used up first. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, and I’d have to agree - he likes it! he likes it!...

Once again, Omar came through all the construction and bicycle, pedestrian & vehicular traffic jams to deliver our much needed oxygen. I know the streets are busier this week, now that schools and universities have started up again - and still he brings us a smile! Thank you Omar!

After Omar fills the portable tank that we use in the car, I take the car to run an errand, return to our building and stop in the lobby office to see if they can jam us into the booking calendar for our next games night (yes they can on 26Sep, Game On Breathless Gang!), then I go to check the old fashioned paper mail. There is is a pink slip jammed into our little mailbox, which means we have a package that I must pick up from the concierge (because it’s too big for the mailbox - I know, I could have used more jam there, but hey, there's more to come). This is exciting because we haven’t ordered anything...the excitement mounts and the mystery begins...

As soon as Parvez sees me, he shouts a friendly “Hey, how are you? Good to see you!”, tells me we have a parcel and that I can pick it up on my way back (he sees that I have one of the big Costco bags over my shoulder, which usually means I’m headed to the grocery store to jam in as much stuff as I can carry, and often just a little bit more). I explain that I’ve been out already (no groceries today) and can take the package now. While I’m signing for it, he digs this big box out of the cupboard and says, “it’s kind of heavy, I’ll carry it to the elevator for you.”

Meanwhile, who other than Martin Reader (yes, 1/2 of the Canadian Men’s Olympic Beach Volleyball team - Go Canada!) arrives to chat with Parvez. I’m in no hurry so step to the side while they finish their conversation, when I hear Martin say, “yes, everything - all my photos, blog notes, gone!” It turns out his luggage was stolen at one of the airports on his way home from the UK and (with the exception of the one already posted online) all of his carefully recorded memories and souvenirs with them! This is so sad...and far outweighs the value of the goods that have been taken!  Theft of any kind is such a violation and I feel very badly for him. Even if he decides to compete in a future Olympics, he will never get back his notes and photos from this once in a lifetime experience! 

Martin's situation brings to mind the Maya Angelou quote "I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights." (thanks Sue L for the reminder of this)

My heart breaks for Martin’s loss, but chance encounter? I think not. Martin is a fighter and is passionate about his sport and believe it or not, our common issue is a lung thing!  We’re hear for Carman to get new lungs and at the age of 10, Martin’s stellar swim career was cut short when he developed sports induced asthma, a reaction to the chlorine in the pools where he competed. He didn’t give up though, just redirected his energies and you can read his story at Martin's Passion  Go Martin!

Oh, and that pink slip that signaled we had a parcel?...It’s a lovely gift from our friends Madi & Arlene - jammed full with McCormick spices, seasonings and honey (Billy Bee, of course) - SWEET!...aha, that’s why he was asking me which items I liked and frequently used, while we were all at lunch together last week. Well played Madi! Sneaky...but well played - and thank you & Arlene so very much!

Tonight we’re off to take in the movie “Hope Springs” with Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep. We figure a Wednesday night, the first week of school, should prove quiet enough that we won’t have to worry about crowds jamming the theatre (see, I told you :o)...we’ll see how that goes.

04Sep

Tuesday - the first day of school and Mother Nature has blessed us with rain...a gloomy day for the kids, but the rain is badly needed - many of the maple trees have brown curled leaves from lack of water thru the summer.

We venture out in the gloom to make our way along storm-sewer-flooded streets to Physio. Our red light entertainment is watching pedestrians jump over puddles (some are less able jumpers than others) and juggle their myriad bags, cups of coffee and umbrellas as they make their way. Cyclists are...well, soaked to the skin even seems a tad inadequate to describe them, but will do for now. I have to admit to a tiny bit of glee at this, they scare me every time I drive to the hospital...weaving in and out of traffic, obeying neither pedestrian nor vehicle traffic laws and even leaning on your car while waiting at red lights. Many don't wear helmets...which puts them in even greater danger! As someone who biked to work everyday in London, I am ashamed of them and can only hope they make it safely to their respective destinations...I'm sure it will take divine intervention for this to happen!