Miscalculation costs!

It seems that there is a bit of a theme running through my blog since Jim and I started our travels - miscalculation costs! In New Zealand I ran out of some of the medication needed to keep me alive. What it cost financially I cannot remember but the cost to my pride was high when the (unpleasant) doctor suggested that I should have been better organised for a 3 month holiday! In Tettnang in Germany I miscalculated my step as I ran indoors from a thunder storm and fell in a heap with Jim quickly landing on top of me - it seems he miscalculated his step too! That had painful and long-lasting costs as I had badly broken my elbow. However, with the E111 and travel insurance the financial cost was little. In Waldorf in Germany this summer, Jim miscalculated when he was reversing the exchange car and incurred excess charges that were very painful indeed!

And, would you believe it, I miscalculated one of my medications for this trip and discovered last night that I was 28 pills short for the rest of our time away from home! That cost me much sleep last night and much stress and time today as I made efforts to have my prescription (which, in my organised fashion, I had with me!) filled. First stop the pharmacy in Basha's (supermarket) where, initially I was told it would take 24 hours to contact my own pharmacy to have it filled. Then, horror of horrors, it turns out that that cannot be done internationally! My expression of horror caused the young gentleman to call for the pharmacist who then told me that the particular medication I required could not be had in the US. I would have to have a doctor prescribe a similar medication. That required a trip to Urgent Care (and I was in need of urgent care by then with my cheeks flaming from hypertension!).

At reception in Urgent Care I had to answer hundreds of questions and fill in a number of forms before I could see a triage nurse. She took my blood pressure - and you don't need to know how high it was but trust me it was high! More questions had to be answered and forms filled in before I could see the doctor. The doctor, thankfully, caused me no stress because she was a lovely young woman. But she confirmed that my medication could not be got in the US and that she would prescribe something similar. It took another 15 minutes for that. And then came the really painful cost - yes, the cost! 253 dollars!! There was no seat to sit on and I was in dire need!!!

At the pharmacy (Walgreen) there was a 45 minute wait so we went for coffee to help us both recover. The medication cost 14 dollars. So at three and a half hours time cost, incalculable stress and anxiety and at a financial cost of 267 dollars - miscalculation costs!