And the winners are ...

I watched the academy  awards tonight. I believe it was the first time that I hadn't seen any of the best picture nominees. I had seen a few movies last year: the last Harry  Potter, the Muppet movie, Mission Impossible.  We sat and watched the show for many hours. I can't help but thinking it's wasted time. I did some paper work for some of it since it's the end of the month but maybe I should consider skipping the shows and reading the results the next morning.

My Romantic Husband

For New Years Eve, I tried to have a romantic dinner. I went to a friends house and got dressed in my best dress that fits. She helped me straighten my newly cut and colored hair (by another friend). Her daughter helped me by putting on "smokey eyes" makeup. I even borrowed some wonderful perfume.  I planned a lovely dinner of steak, potato and salad with sparkling apple cider for the 4 of us (my darling husband and my 2 children). As I arrived home all the little girls four 5 and 6 year old girls come running to my car to tell me how pretty I look and how I smell nice. It was nice to be treated like a superstar. I bet this is how Dora the Explorer feels.

My friend that helped me get dressed asked me what my husband said about my dress-up for New Years Eve. Initially, my husband said nothing. As far as I can tell he doesn't even look at me. So I asked him how I looked and he said I looked "cute." Not exactly the look I was going for but it does explain why I am only attractive to 6 year old girls.

My friend then suggested that my husband wasn't romantic. See that's the funny thing, my husband is romantic. He is very romantic.

We met in August of 1987 and started dating soon after. We married in December of 1994. My darling husband is romantic. He is kind and thoughtful. He is generous and loving. In all those years, he has never forgotten an opportunity to give me a gift. He has even given me presents for HIS birthday. He has written me love letters. He has brought me flowers. He records TV shows that he thinks I'll like. He saves magazine articles for me to read. He sends me emails and texts each day offering information and words of support. Although he does tell me frequently that he loves me, he rarely comments on my appearance.

So is my husband romantic? Absolutely. Now for me, am I a romantic? That's another story for another day.

Secular Co-op Road Trip

H.O.P. Home School Co-op

Total we spend the day at a Home School Co-op. That's what its called. It isn't anything like how I pictured school co-operatives 13 years ago when I first read about them. I pictured 4 families getting together. Three parents would stay and one parent would have that time off or something like that. In the area that I live, there are many home school co-ops. Most are based on common religions. Those families keep their children out of the school system to reinforce their beliefs. We are secular home educators. I drive all over the place. Every other Tuesday I drive an hour for Camp Fire USA. Then twice more I drive an hour to two different secular co-ops.

Wish You Were Here!

With all that driving you would think that I would be tired of driving but I have found myself lately day-dreaming of my next road trip. I have to admit I was going to try to sneak in a trip to the snow this winter. Apparently there will be no winter so that may have to wait. My daughter wants to go camping again in the Florida Keys. We went early last summer. I really wish I had sent a post card that said "Drove through the night Thursday night with the kids fighting the whole way. Friday morning, it was so hot that I thought I was going to pass out as I set up the tent. Friday night, the seam in our air mattress broke and quickly left us sleeping on the ground. Saturday morning, I got stung by a wasp on my leg. Saturday afternoon I brushed my back and arms against Fire Coral as I was snorkeling. Then Sunday morning it started to rain as we were packing.
Having a great time wish you were here."

Happy Mardi Gras 2012

Mardi Gras Snack Café au Lait and Beignets

Happy Mardi Gras 2012 I actually haven't been to Happy Mardi Gras (which is French for "Fat Tuesday") in New Orleans since 1987. It's been 25 years. I attended every Mardi Gras of my life up until that point. There were Happy Mardi Gras and sad ones; stormy, cold and wet ones and even a few hot and muggy ones. That last Mardi Gras that I attended on Tuesday March 3, 1987 was wonderful. The weather was sunny, cool and crisp. I started my journey uptown at the intersection of Napoleon (actually Gen. Pershing) and St. Charles. I watched Rex and one of my favorites Zulu. Then of course the trucks. For someone not born in the crescent city. Most of the parades are Krewes (private clubs) of the wealthier families. The trucks are Krewes that are little less restrictive. I don't know what the exact membership requirements but I knew middle class and blue collar families who participated in those. The trucks also spent their time, money and effort on the throws instead of the float, costume or ball. I knew a family who used to sew up hundreds of bean bags to throw. There is pretty good live coverage at Experience Mardi Gras 2012

Asthma Apothecary Adventures

Xopenex® Inhaler with Spacer

My daughter and son both have asthma. In the last few years, they have had bouts with bronchitis and pneumonia treated at home and in the hospital caused by asthma triggered by environmental allergies. It has been frightening, expensive and complicated.

Luckily, my kids are both happy kids, mostly healthy. We are fortunate to be able to afford our United HealthCare self-employed insurance for $1,630.47 each month. Even with nearly $20,000.00 each year in insurance payments, the co-pay, deductibles and whatever the amount that we have to pay for the drugs is called exhausts me.

My daughter was using Albuterol as a rescue inhaler. She started having hives after each use. We used Benedryl (Diphenhydramine) to get rid of the hives. So the doctor switched her to Xopenex (Levalbuterol). Online it is described as a reverse isotope of Albuterol. Gladly, the Xopenex seems to open her airways without hives. I hate chasing one drugs side effects with another drug. i know there are times when there just isnt much of an option (like antibiotics) but as a general rule I want us to take as few drugs as possible.

I am trying to be prepared. Some of the medications are not readily available at the pharmacy. With my daughter the time from onset of symptoms to full blown pneumonia has been as little as hours so waiting a day for medication could land us back in the hopsital. The children seem to have the hardest time breathing in March (oak and pine pollen) and October (weed pollen). Today, I tried to enroll in a "Loyalty Club" to reduce our out-of-pocket cost for the medication. After much confusion it seems that the the "Club" has been discontinued. The nurse was sure that the company would not discontinue that unless there was a generic and there is not. It would have paid up to $50 towards the prescription. That would have only left another $50 for me to pay since my Insurance is paying $41. When I looked on the companies website I could only find information about the "Loyalty Club" for the inhaler Xopenex HFA which we do belong to but I could not find anything for the solutions for the nebulizer. I called the number on the card and it said that the program had been discontinued. A representative suggested that I look at http://www.internetdrugcoupons.com/ which indeed has a coupon for Xopenex HFA but none for the nebulizer solution.

Xopenex® HFA Loyalty Club Card

It reminded me of a Discount Prescription Drug Plan card that my friend Dawn got in the mail. I got that card and a few others. I am a little wary of these cards. I don't like that I cannot see who is paying for the websites, the actual printing of the cards, the television ads and the mailings. I am suspicious. My friend's recommendation and I found two additional that allow me to use them without anything from me: www.rxassist.org RxAssist Patient Assistance Program Center Discount Prescription Drug Plan; www.rxrelief.com RxRelief Pharmacy Discount Card; yourrxcard.com Your Rx Card Free Prescription Drug Card.

So next I call pharmacies to get the prices. I never get through to Walmart, it just rang and rang. Walgreens was very helpful but the lowest cost was $153 and I would have to buy a "Walgreens Card" for $20.00. Publix is the lowest price at $100 out-of-pocket.

I went to Publix armed with my cards and prescriptions of all types. The assistant told me that the Discount Prescription Drug Plan cards that I had printed out only help for generic drugs. Of course there is no generic of Xopenex.

When I got home I looked up generic Levalbuterol. It seems the initial patent expired on January 2010 but still there is no generic. The website asthma.emedtv.com/xopenex/generic-xopenex.html says "Sepracor will allow the generic companies to make a generic version of Xopenex 'early' in 2012 or 2013." That would explain why the "Club" has been discontinued. It says this information is from "settlements between Sepracor and generic manufacturers" which looks like litigation and that could explain the delay.