Hmm…not a good start really.
So, today I picked up my first month’s worth of Saxenda. I went to a specific pharmacy because they had it for $50 cheaper than everywhere else. And at a cost of $520, that 50 bucks makes a huge difference.
Anyhoo, although it cost less, I had an hour’s drive (plus an hour’s drive home) at a cost of around $30 in petrol. But, I was still saving 20 precious dollars, so again, worth it.
As I was saying, I picked up my pens and went to a garage to buy myself a coffee. While there, I read the packaging on my pens.
“Needles not included.” WTF?
What, for the love of all that is unholy, is the point in giving someone an injectable pen without a fucking needle?
Injectable pens that I paid $480 NZ for.
Ugh. I immediately went to the facebook support group for validation. They were all shocked and horrified, and all agreed, they should have given me needles. And a box to store, and then get rid of, used needles.
FFS.
So, I rung the pharmacy.
“Where are my needles?”
“Oh, we don’t have any. We’ll order some in now, and they should be here by next week, can you come back then?”
I’m not ashamed to admit, by this time, I’m nearly in tears. I’d got all psyched up to start dosing tomorrow and now I had to wait because the pharmacy didn’t have any needles.
That was also when I looked at the receipt for the pens and saw that it quite clearly stated, “Saxenda pens plus needles.”
They had entered information from this receipt into their computer, while taking my $480, but still hadn’t told me they didn’t have any needles.
I tearfully and probably not very calmly, explained to them that I did not have any money left in our bank account so I could not buy petrol to be able to make another trip into town to pick up needles that they should have supplied in the first place.
They said, “I’ll ring you back.”
Half an hour later, I get a call from someone else at the pharmacy who said they’d managed to source some needles from another branch and they were doing an inter-branch transfer, and could I come in next week to collect them.
(Have I mentioned that I live in a small rural town that only gets mail on Wednesday’s and Friday’s? So, even if they are allowed to post needles, which I doubt, I would still have to wait for who knows how long to get them).
Once I explained my financial situation, again, to this fella, I also suggested that it would be easier for me to pick the needles up myself from the other branch as I could do this on my way home.
It was a fifteen minute detour for me but okay.
He said he would ring them to let them know I was coming. I asked him if there would be a cost and he said no.
Can you guess what happened next?
To buy Fiona a goblet of blood (or a coffee) hit the button below:
I get to the other branch and I knew there was a counter very close to the entrance so I didn’t bother trying to wrestle my walker out of the boot, I figured I could manage those few steps without it.
I get to the counter and nope, no needles behind there waiting for me so I asked if she could go and check at the dispensary way up the back, because I was in no condition to walk that far.
She did, while I leaned on the counter, looking like a doofus, until she came back with my needles.
“Here they are! That will be $22.50.”
“No. No, it will not.”
“Okay, I’ll just go check.” Off she went to the back of the store again.
She finally came back and handed them to me while saying “yeah, they’re free.”
I may sound like I’m making a fuss about nothing but taking this drug is a big deal for me. It’s a last resort. I can’t afford, and can’t get, surgery, so this is the next best thing.
I really could have done without this drama. And really? I give you $480 and you give me half of what I need?
Anyhoo, I refuse to take it as an omen and I’m looking forward to taking my first does of Saxenda tomorrow.
But yeah, not a good start really. Lol.
PS: The needle is nowhere near as big as the one in the above image.
My son deals with a lot of health care related things. It's maddening. Hope things are going better today!