The Tip of The Iceberg

 Okay, so the parents. We made it one whole week without drama.  Then, it's like they had saved it up for one day.

I was talking to Kevin the other morning and he said "Mom's calling, I'm hanging up."  Then I held my breath, waiting for the call back with either "It's nothing" or "The ambulance is coming" Because it feels like there isn't any middle ground anymore.

He phones and asks in the tone that he hopes will prevent an oncoming tantrum, if I will go next door and help his mother.  She has questions. *deep breath*  Yes, of course, just let me stomp my feet and flail my hands for a minute.  

I masked up and went over there.  She's sitting at the table and she is in Full Scale Meltdown.  TILT has been unlocked. "What's the problem?" I ask as my f-i-l sits behind me and is trying to wrangle the ill-behaved puppy.

"I can't figure out my insurance and my medicine isn't coming."  Umm, okay, that's two things.

"What's wrong with your insurance?"

And she is so spun out that she can't clearly answer the question.  I change tacks (tacts? I never get that right)  "What makes you think that your medicine isn't coming?"  I ask.

They have her medicine set up with Pill Pack via Amazon.  If you have elderly parents, HIGHLY RECOMMEND.  Like, So Much Recommend.  They send the pills out monthly in literal little packets that are clearly marked for Day or Night, to prevent medicine mix-ups.  It's the best thing.  

Anyway, they had phoned to say that they need the prescription renewed and so she extrapolated that to her medicine was not coming and would never come again.  Deep breath.

I phoned Pill Pack and they were lovely.  They just needed one of the two doctor's offices to renew the prescriptions.  Okay, I say, I will make that happen.  I disconnected from them and called the cardiologist office.  They are super helpful and will just send that right off.  

So that fire is put out, for now.  (ooh, cliffhanger!) 

I return to the insurance question.  Finally, she is able to ask "Why did we switch insurance?"  I reminded the both of them, yes, BOTH, that they had made that decision during December and did all the paperwork to change.  And that they did it because there was a substantial monthly savings.  She accepted that answer but I don't think she remembered doing all that.

I return home.  I'm watching a movie and she phones again.  Now CVS has called and she had to create an account with them.   She told them that I would phone them back.  Ummm, okay.  I have a tiny panic attack that she just gave hackers her information.  

I return back over there and ask "Why did they say they needed you to make an account?"  

"To get my medicine." she says.

The medicine.  That less than two hours previous, I had handled with the cardiologist and the Pill Pack.  So I was all "Did you tell them that it was handled through Pill Pack and that you don't need their services?"  

No, she says, "Because they said that I HAD TO."  And she is vague whether or not she gave them her information. (which tells me that she did)

I phoned CVS, totally anticipating a hacker but got a lovely human.  She said that she was phoned, simply because PillPack and CVS are partnered and because I spoke with PillPack, it put me in an automated callback queue for CVS.  She said that because she had Pill Pack, CVS did not need her information.

And: drink.

They said not to worry so I disconnected then called Pill Pack again to make sure.  As I'm starting to speak with them, my f-i-l rises from his chair and decides this is the time to wad up crinkly plastic to throw away.  I turned my back to him and continued the conversation and I heard "Dear, she is on the PHONE." and he stopped.

BUT THEN, he goes and gets what-felt-like half a gallon of ice from the ice machine.  oh.My.DOG.

I turned and walked outside and closed the door.  I could hear my m-i-l whisper/shouting for him to stop.

And I think I heard a little giggle in the voice on the other side of the phone call.  I don't blame them.

Anyway, they reiterated what CVS said and checked the prescriptions, and checked the insurance again. This caused me to go back inside to get her insurance card.  She gave it to me and I sat at the table away from them.  As we're speaking, she picks up her ever-present cup of ice and begins eating it with a spoon.  Augggggghhh.  But wait.  This is where my f-i-l says "Dear, put that down. She's on the phone."

I mean. Wut.  Is this real life?  Because it feels like Everybody Loves Raymond.

 Finally, we are good to go. Again, she's skeptical so I said "Let's just wait and see how this plays out and we'll worry about it later."  AND I said: "Good job telling CVS that they had to talk to me first."  To which, my f-i-l very gently tells her "Yes, dear. They're to talk to Surely. That's all you have to tell them."  So, that felt like a battle won.

Later, I told Kevin all about it and even he was all OMG about the ice thing.  

Now it's today.  Maybe a full 24-hours later.  My m-i-l phones.  From my f-i-l's phone.  I didn't ask why, I just didn't have the energy to have that conversation again.

She says that CVS phoned and that four of her medicines will be delivered next week.  She is spun out again, because it's not Pill Pack.  I told her that we are just going to wait and see what they send and we'll worry about it then.  They already have their February Pill Pack so it's not like she's out of meds.  Again, she is skeptical but I held firm.  I have no doubt that she will try to phone them again.

This is where I say that this adventure began just at 24 hours POST OP from my surgery.  I don't even have full vision at this point.  I'm still a little high at this point.  

But, maybe that was a good thing.  hahahaha.