Monkey in the Middle

Just a note here to say that writing about this subject is an emotional experience, so I have tried to be as coherent as possible, and have done my best. Attila says the sentences are very long, he is correct.

A call came from the cataract surgeon’s office this morning. Apparently there is a problem changing the prescription from one that has my allergen, to another one that does not.

The surgeon’s office told me the request from the pharmacy cited the reason for the change is the presence of an ingredient that is not in the medication. The upshot, no new prescription. It was suggested that I contact the pharmacy and ask that another request be sent citing the correct allergen.

I did become emotional at first, because the surgeon’s office first stated that the allergen was not in the medication that needed to be replaced. The allergen is definitely present in that medication, and I emphatically stated the fact. It was just a poor choice of words on their part, and not fully representative of the situation.

After I was upset more details were provided, stating that the problem was due to a mistake by the pharmacy. The error was that, the reason given by the pharmacy for substitution was based on the wrong allergen, one that really is not in the prescribed medication. The surgeon’s office said that since the wrong allergen is not in the medication, no alternative would be prescribed.

The surgeon’s office said they have had problems with this particular pharmacy before. Based on the raspberry flavouring incident, I can believe that. BUT the surgeon could have noticed that my allergen, clearly identified on the forms I filled out, is actually in the prescription drug that was prescribed. The surgeon might have prescribed an alternative from the get go. The allergen is plainly listed on the box, on the drug company website, on many websites online.

Sooooo, as requested by the surgeon’s office…. I called the pharmacy. Talking with the pharmacist, they stated that the correct information had been sent, that the surgeon’s office must have misread it. They said they would send it again. I requested that they send the EXACT name of the allergen, as it is listed in the ingredients on the medication box, to avoid any confusion.

Two things I know for sure in this unwelcome drama: one is that the pharmacist does make mistakes, as per the raspberry flavouring in the wrong medication list; the other is that the surgeon’s office did not catch that my allergen is in the medication that was prescribed. The surgeon’s office is one where it was stated to me several times, by several employees, “we take allergies very seriously”. The staff during my testing appointments were quite accommodating about my anaphylaxis, so this back and forth business has been a bit unexpected.

I still have no answer from the surgeon’s office about my request for the name and manufacturer of the pill I will be given at the time of surgery.

When my scheduled surgery comes along, I will need to find out from the hospital about the anaesthetic that will be used… that battle is for another day. In the past I have requested, well ahead of time, the name and ingredient list for anaesthetics used for my surgeries, I have yet to succeed in obtaining that information. For my last two surgeries I was lucky enough to have the anaesthetist talk to me just before I entered the operating theatre to assure me that my allergen was not in the anaesthetic That was their assessment, I had no opportunity to review the ingredients, I could only hope they would not make a human error, one that I could not forgive.

For one of my surgeries, years ago now, I wrote my allergen on my body with permanent marker, where it could not be missed, and attached a sticker to my forehead with my condition, listing the chemical names of my allergen. I hoped these unusual decorations would capture the attention of the anaesthetist, or the surgeon. I had Attila take a picture of decorated me at the hospital, just before the surgery.

Sigh, a day in the life. Anyone who is different, in any significant way, probably has days and situations similar in kind. Wishing us all good luck!

I found today’s quote interesting, and did some reading about Christoper Morley. It was interesting to me that Christopher Morley was a Rhodes Scholar. I was put forward by my faculty for a Rhodes Scholarship. However, because I was a single mother of two dependent children, after careful consideration, I decided that the required participation in non-academic activities (as stated by their representative) would impinge on my family responsibilities. So I expressed my appreciation, and declined the offer to apply.

Worldly

Weather

21°C
Date: 6:00 PM EDT Friday 26 June 2026
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 101.7 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Temperature: 21.2°C
Dew point: 17.4°C
Humidity: 79%
Wind: ENE 4 km/h
Humidex: 27
Visibility: 24 km

Quote

“My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated but not signed.”
Christopher Morley
1890 – 1957