You know things are not off to a good start when the most basic of your routines throws you a curve ball. Or rolls you a curve pill.
Friday morning, I had plans to take The Pony shoe-shopping. He said he didn't really NEED shoes. But with no idea what to get him for Christmas, and him being a state-and-a-half away, I wanted to provide for him.
With Farmer H out of the Mansion on his usual Friday schedule of Storage Unit Store (yes, even on DECEMBER 27), lunch, doctor, and old-man fat-chewing, we didn't have to worry about rising at the crack of dawn. I slept until 10:15, and headed to the kitchen for my morning medicine.
I take three pills. The first, for my missing thyroid, I take standing at the sink. It requires a full glass of water. The other two are a heart-slower and for blood pressure. I generally take them 30 to 60 minutes later. I carry them into the living room in the palm of my hand. I'm very careful. I make sure my hand is not wet. I put my cell phone and some Puffs Plus Lotion in my shirt pocket, so as not to interfere with my pill hand. I pick up the house phone and carry it in my other hand.
Once in the living room, I set down my other stuff, then put my two pills on the top of my yellow bubba cup of ice water. It has been left on the table beside the La-Z-Boy in my trek from bed to bathroom to kitchen. I've done this for three years now. No incidents. I don't forget to take the meds, because they're right there beside me as I peruse the innernets on HIPPIE. And my water is there for the swigging, to wash them down.
Friday morning, I put my two pills on the lid of my yellow bubba cup. The tiny orange blood pressure pill laid there like it was supposed to. The white, aspirin-size, heart-slowing pill decided to land on its edge, and roll around the rim like one of those crazy gumballs in a spiral machine. Or a coin in one of those funnel-shaped contraptions they have at The Science Center. Around it went, right to the opening where the straw fits in. It's a thick straw. Takes up most of that hole. MOST.
MY HEART-SLOWING PILL FELL INTO MY YELLOW BUBBA CUP OF ICE WATER!
Well! That made my heart stop! Momentarily. Then it started pounding. What was I going to do? I would be short one pill!
In reality, nothing much would probably happen, because I get refills a few days before I run out. So that missing pill wouldn't really be missing unless I ran completely out. Still. I was all panicky about it.
I rushed to the kitchen counter. I pried the lid off Yellow Bubba, but didn't see my pill. How long can a pill last in a cup of water, anyway? I ripped the lid off Purple Bubba, empty all night, and poured my water and ice into him. There, at the bottom of Yellow Bubba, kind of stuck at the edge, was my pill!
I pried it loose, and put it in a foam bowl. Blew on it to stop it from dissolving. It still had pretty much of its shape. I put the straw and lid on Purple Bubba, and went back to the La-Z-Boy. About a half hour had gone by since taking that thyroid med. I'd been writing out a check, and getting stuff ready for my shoe-shopping trip.
I took my waterlogged pill. It was still in one piece. It's an extended-release pill. The Pony, once out of bed, assured me that it was probably all right. Almost the same as if I was swallowing it, and it got stuck to my throat, waiting for another slurp of water.
Good thing it wasn't a capsule!
6 comments:
So, are you going to change your routine, so another pill doesn't go rogue on you?
And what kind of shoes did you get for The Pony? Metal ones that had to be nailed into his hooves?
Sioux,
I have no plans to change the routine that has worked for three years minus one day. I will be more careful when putting the pills on the cup lid.
The shoes are not metal, nor will they be affixed to The Pony's feet by skewering nails through them. They are a low boot. Hopefully, The Pony won't throw a shoe...
My eyes are spinning as I mentally follow that pill around and around. why not just take all three pills together while standing at the sink? Is there any specific reason for waiting to take the two bubba cup ones?
River,
I will not be responsible for a bill from your eye doctor! The thyroid pill must be taken one hour before food. I figure pills start to digest like food, so they must apply as well. If I'm rushed, I might take them 30 minutes later.
I sweep my kitchen floor daily … not saying I am a good housekeeper, but HeWho swallows his pills in the kitchen where his weekly supply of sorted out pills reside. I usually get 2 or 3 floor pills a week. I am more concerned about my dogs eating one of his pills than I am about him missing a pill. The critical pill he takes, the blood thinner goes directly from my hand to his mouth. You could have just tossed it and taken another out of the bottle. The pharmacy will refill every 28 days. I congratulate you on your thriftiness of drinking all the pill water, though!!
Kathy,
I find floor-pills in the bathroom. Usually by stepping on them. Usually, they are a clear-brown gel capsule of some kind. Maybe a fish oil or a vitamin. I'm sure they would be dog-candy if we had our pets indoors!
When I had THE VERY WORST INSURANCE IN THE WORLD (Coventry), they refused to refill my prescriptions near the end of the calendar year. Said I'd already gotten too many pills! I had to have the school insurance rep call and deal with them.
Even though we'd only had Coventry since the fiscal year started in July, they said that since I'd been getting my refills two-three days early, I had TOO MANY pills! Sweet Gummi Mary! It's not like it was anything good! Just generic blood pressure and heart-slower and thyroid meds. I'm glad I don't wait until the last minute like Farmer H, getting refills the day he runs out.
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