2013 up date

New year, new start. So far so good.

Attempt to stop taking claritin was a total fail. Singular and dymista were not enough to control my superultramegaallergies. So I bought a bottle of 300 pills of wal-itin today. Since the changes to FSA coverage make it a pain in the ass to use them for OTC meds, I just gave up and paid out of pocket. Besides, they weren't in my plan when I made my FSA budget.

Speaking of FSA funds, I found out buying my meds in 90-day supply from the aetna pharmacy is basically a buy 2 get 1 free deal. For most drugs, instead of $30/ month, it's $60/ quarter. Score! However, someone in the PCP office wrote my novolog for only 30 days, so it cost me $60 through thru the mail order (woulda been $50/month at a retail pharmacy). So I got boned. Aetna won't give me the extra months and also won't refund the $10. Also, the PCP office did not send in my form with my prescriptions, so they didn't have my FSA card info for payment. I have to figure out which scripts got paid already and which ones I owe, because half were shipped before they called me for payment info and half were sent after. Way to make shit complicated for no reason. Definitely need a new doc.

Thought I found a new doc. She's the supervising physician of the nurse that runs the clinic at HQ. the clinic nurse is awesome and her associated practice has great reviews, but they don't take aetna. Dammit.

On the plus side, I start introvale next month. Free birth control, yay! Sucks that nuvaring got left out of the free bc list, I'll miss it. Another fucking pill to remember.

So that brings me to 2 daily injections, 8 pills, and a nasal spray. At least the UC has quieted down. It's so nice not taking all that freaking useless asacol.

I credit the UC quietness to 6mp, trying to have a more positive outlook, and avoidance of fast food. 13 days and I have not had burger king, Wendy's, or mcdonalds. And unfortunately last year, I was being a big bad fattie and practically living on that stuff. Being broke has its
privileges. But I didn't make it a huge declaration of banning fast food, it just sort of worked out. And I've still eaten some crappy food, just not as much and not as often. Looking for sustainable baby steps.

Like cutting down on caffeine. I used to start each day w a bagel and cream cheese and a diet coke. To save $$ and calories, I've switched to oatmeal and the occasional soda. I am still dependent on caffeine, but I wait until I've proven myself incompetent and nearly comatose before I go get a soda.

Saving $$ on food and eating better is going well. I think I want to do another whole 30, but not yet. I'm not ready for that level of deprivation. Thinking March. I want to get on track w the whole food shopping and cooking thing first. The last part of last year, I was so miserable and depressed. I let myself fall apart. Gently, I'm putting myself back together.

January is about forming healthier eating and living habits. Food shopping, take my drugs, doing laundry, getting organized. February, we restart some exercising. March, we tweak the diet more low carby. Get blood glucose under control w food and rely less on insulin. During all of first quarter, keep spending under control. No credit cards. No buying yarn. No fun purchases until my $500 loan to myself is paid back.

Car broke down once, but it was a cheap repair. Minor setback. Not fun losing a vacation day and $200, but nothing I can do about it.

Still waiting on FEMA reimbursement. I faxed over my receipts last month, but when I called on thursday, they had no record of receiving anything. So I sent it again. All told, I'm super lucky. But acknowledging that others have it much worse does not mean I don't deserve some help myself. That unplanned vacation in Rahway cost me thousands of dollars I don't have. Granted, allstate gave me peace of mind in the aftermath by saying they would cover 14 days of expenses; however, it ended up I wasn't actually entitled to coverage after the $$ was spent, and I got nothing but an apology and $200 to cover the food that had rotted in my fridge.

I did manage to pay off one loan by the end of last year. $600 was a big hit all at once, but I'm glad it's over. Divorce will be final later this month. I'm still finding his socks in my laundry.

Lots of things will be coming to an end early this year. Even more things will be beginning. I am hopeful.