io’s surgery

tomorrow, io goes in to surgery to have her tonsils and adnoids removed. please keep her in your thoughts and prayers for those who are up at 5:45 am…and for the next few days as she recovers.

tonight, i went to walgreens to get her antibiotics and pain medicine. as the girls and i were hopping out of the van to come inside the house, io’s medicines slipped from my hands and fell to the driveway with a sickening crash. one of the bottles, the antibiotics, was in plastic, and survived. however, the other one was in glass, and it shattered.

i frantically picked up the paper bag, but the medicine was already leaking out, all over me and down the drive. i don’t know why, but i burst into tears. i couldn’t stand the thought of io not having comfort after the surgery because of my mistake, and our insurance already didn’t cover the cost of the medicine: $98 for just this one bottle.

lance was just pulling up from work, and he saw me crying and came over. io was saying “it’s ok, mama” and lily was patting my back, and lance was cooing in my ear that everything would be fine, but i just felt heartsick. it was after six pm, and i knew the doctor’s office would be closed. how would we be able to refill the prescription?

lance took the broken remains back up to walgreens, and the pharmacist went beyond the call of duty. he called the doctor on call, he tried to call my insurance company…he worked very hard to help us. we were waiting to hear back while we were having dinner, when the phone rang. i took it back in the bedroom and the pharmacist told me he had permission to refill the prescription, but that it would be another $98. the insurance company would not help. i had to choke back tears.

i returned to the table and announced that everything would be fine, we would have the medicine. (i didn’t want iolana to be anxious about anything; we had been having such calm conversations about her surgery for the last two weeks.) so, lance went back to walgreens to retrieve the new bottle, and almost as soon as he left, the phone rang, again. it was mr. joseph, the pharmacist, calling to say he had talked to the store manager and they wanted to split the cost with me. i was so touched, but i told him my mistake should not cost the store. i declined his offer, i thanked him profusely, and said good night.

well, of course, lance came home with the medicine and this kind man went ahead and split the cost.

now i am crying because people can be so kind in a world that sometimes seems crazy. i would like to herald mr. joseph for his
help and consideration. we are grateful for his support and that of walgreens. thank you, mr. joseph.