Illness updates

Hello again from the Fontenot Sick House.
So today Sydney has looked ten times better. That Rocephin is good stuff. It used to be a staple of Brandon's medical care so we are quite familiar with it.
So here is a run down of today's crazy events...because nothing can ever run smoothly in Fontenotland.
Our appointment gets moved back to 3:15 so that the dr. has room to see Brice and Jackson since they aren't sounding too well either. Both sound like they are about to cough up a lung.
Half way to the appointment I realize that I've forgotten Sydney's x-rays from last night that I was supposed to bring to Dr. Young. I call the office on Albert's cell and ask them if I should go back for them. They say No. This is a relief.
I pull into the parking lot and am confronted again with.... the double parked Mustang! Many of you may remember a few posts ago I just about lost it due to this same Mustang taking up two spaces in the front thus causing me to have to park wayyyy in the back with four babies ages 3 and under. Now, seeing this same Mustang committing the same unthinkable foul...I am certain it must be an employee. This causes me to seethe even more. I walk in the door (oddly easy without the stroller...I only have Sydney, Brice and Jackson with me) and immediately ask the receptionist "Patty...who's double parked Mustang is that out there!" She doesn't know...or else she isn't telling.
When Dr. Young checks the kids out Sydney is sounding great. She looks much better. She acts much better. We laugh at the amazing-ness of Rocephin. Then she listens to Brice. Sounds good. Probably just a cold...at least for now. Then she listens to Jackson. Oh dear, Jackson is wheezing. And that's good for a script to get an X-ray. I silently shrink down in my chair. Why, oh why must we go somewhere else for yet another medical appointment. Jackson is totally elated and exclaims "Oh! I'm just SO HAPPY!" He elaborates on his happiness to tell us that he can't wait to see a picture of his bones and that he's hoping for a glimpse of his heart as well. I don't share Jackson's enthusium at the prospect of a trip to get more X-rays.
We make our way to the ExpressCare center to get the X-rays done. As we pull into the lot, Jackson lets out a whoop and says gleefully "Showtime!"
He gets his X-rays. The tech is nice enough to show him the films so he can see his bones and even the shadow of his heart. She gives him a yellow sticker with a picture of a skeleton on it.
We return to the car so that I can once again reload small ones into carseats. I strap Sydney and Brice in and turn just in time to see Jackson preparing to affix his new sticker to the side of the truck parked next to us. Quicker than a fat man to a buffet, I intervene and help Jackson into the van.
On the way home, we must stop and drop off the prescriptions. We have many. There's one for Sydney (the one we got last night) one for Jackson for an inhaler and we still have to pick up Isiaiah's new antibiotic for his unrelenting strep rash. After we drop off the RX's, we go pick up a large rat for Albert's snake. Then, back to the pharmacy to pick up the scripts.
I successfully obtain Isaiah's. I successfully obtain Sydney's. But oh, there is a problem with Jackson's.
"Sorry Mam. The insurance requires pre-authorization for this prescription." says the tech who is either new on the job, or not the sharpest tool in the shed. I spend a few moments trying to ascertain which of these scenarios is the case.
"Both insurances denied it?" I ask because we have two and usually at least one of them will pay.
She stares blankly and sort of half-nods. I should have known.
"Okay" I say. "Well, how much for it if I just want to pay on my own?"
She draws another blank. "Oh, I can't tell you. We aren't allowed to fill any prescriptions that are kicked out by insurance."
What the heck??? I take a deep breath.
"What do I need to do?" I ask trying to maintain my patience.
"Well, you'll have to get your doctor to call here." she answeres
"Call here???" I ask. "Call here or call the insurance?" I am loosing the battle to maintain my patience. Common sense would seem to say that it is really stupid for the doctor to call the PHARMACY to authorize the RX since her freakin HANDWRITEN INSTRUCTIONS on the prescription pad would seem to indicate that not only does she "authorize" it to be filled, she ordered it!
The tech says she'll go ask. She comes back in a few minutes and tells me that oh yes, the dr. will need to call the insurance and that 24 or 48 hours after that, they will be able to fill the script. Nevermind that Jackson will probably be missing a lung by that point.
As I drive away I think back about the ignorance of the tech. How can she not tell me how much it would cost to pay for the prescription outright??? What if I had no insurance??? It made no sense.
As soon as I got home I called back. Fortunately someone a little better equipt to handle the situation was on the other end of the phone. She quite easily told me that the retail price of the prescription was $71.00
Then came the kicker. Both insurances DID NOT refuse it. Only the secondary one did. The first one covered it with a $20.00 co-pay. That would have been nice to know at the pharmacy earlier.
Fortunately, I found an inhaler of Sydney's that hasn't been used. Dr. Young just called to say that there is no pneumonia but that there is crackling in the lungs that is consistent with asthma and asthmatic type wheezing. As far as whether or not he has asthma, we'll have to wait it out and see as he grows. Lovely.
So, I'm off to give him a breathing treatment. That's the story of our day.
On a side note, when I got home, Albert had barbecued a wonderful dinner so at least that was taken care of for me!! And since he is having terrible sinus issues, that is really a nice thing.
Hopefully everyone will be better soon and on the way to recovery.