i have an appointment with my rheumatologist every three months. i go in, have my routine check up, tell her where i’ve been hurting, if i have at all, and get my prescriptions. that’s all there is to it.

apparantly, that last part is too difficult for someone, whether it’s my doctor or the pharmacy. my next appointment wasn’t until feb. 19. today it got pushed back until feb. 27. the refills for my methotrexate prescription ran out last week.

why is it so hard to write (or fill) a three-month prescription. i take six pills a week, so only simple math is involved. and, for some reason this is the only prescription that runs short.

today, i had quite a time trying to get a hold of my doctor’s nurse and then trying to get her to call a prescription in for me. she said she couldn’t because i haven’t had labs done since august. i understand they need to keep track of my liver to make sure the medicine doesn’t affect it, but i haven’t had a problem yet, so i’m not too worried. and, if they really want my labs done every three months, why didn’t they give me the orders in november? they let me go on my merry way.

in order to appease the nurse, i had to leave work (and i was quite busy preparing for the weekend news), go to the clinic’s other office (because my doctor’s technician wasn’t working) and have my blood drawn. sigh. then, she couldn’t get the vein in my right arm to cooperate (probably because it gets stuck every three months!), so after several twists of the needle (ouch!), i told her to use a butterfly needle. i probably should have told her that to begin with, but i just didn’t think about it.

ten minutes and two bandaged elbows later, i was on my way, walking quickly back to my car in the freezing cold with both elbows throbbing. and it was all because they couldn’t give me the right prescription in the first place.