woooo! hit the max!!

this is a new record for me -- I hit the out-of-pocket copay max on prescriptions yesterday. my nuvaring was $4.14 and my steroids were free! woooo free drugs for the rest of the year for me!

good thing too, only $434 left in the FSA for the year. and i'm back to seeing dr awesome almost monthly instead of almost quarterly. had a great visit yesterday, but have to go back in 4 weeks. luckily, he's totally booked solid anyway, so I can't get in until august. sweet! because if i got an appt in july, he woulda made me come back in august anyway. ugh, i wish i could use the FSA to pay for my parking, njtransit ticket, metrocard, and cab fare that it cost me to see this guy. but he's awesome and i'm lucky to be able to see him, so I'm not really complaining that much. just grumbling.

anyway, started the last of the steroid tapers. if i flare after this, it's cuttin time! dr awesome mentioned it would probably be a two-step procedure. hubs wanted more info, but dr awesome said it was a convo for another time. he's really hoping the 6mp took hold and a nice slow taper off the oral steroids, bridging with the topical steroids, will get me on track. i hope so too.

best case is no surgery. i'd prefer a one-step, but two step isn't horrible either. i'll just be happy to be done with this. i wouldn't be surprised if this taper fails and i end up having surgery, and i won't be surprised if we have to do two step. everything with this damn disease is complicated. why should any of this be easy? at least i know i'm in good hands and i feel comfortable saying, "ok doc" rather than worrying if i've done enough medically and gotten enough second opinions.