One of the nicest things about Thursday Doors is the breadcrumbs leading to such interesting blogs.
One I particularly enjoyed this week is A Thousand Finds. K.L. Allendoerfer is a science fiction writer, a neuroscientist, a violinist, and a geocacher. Sounds like Buckaroo Banzai or sumpin!
If you or someone you know uses an EpiPen, you already know about the rapacious price gouging that’s making some of us who are old enough to make the decision for ourselves to consider flirting with death and going without. Consumer Reports has another couple of suggestions. Me, I’m watching the invisible hand of the market reach out and slap the mfr (short for manufacturer, of course, what did you think) upside the head.
You already know one of my blogging faves is Dan Antion, but his Thursday Doors post about 27 Quality Avenue also has — guess what?? — pictures of cats! Tuxedo cats, my new favorite pattern.
Speaking of cats, I followed one of this blog’s commenters home and found this happy place: CatsCottage: Celebrating Life With Cats. Happy!
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Write about a cat and something hidden.
MA
Jane
August 26, 2016 at 9:26amAn exciting and interesting post, as always.
I went over to Dan’s post and found super-rewarding stuff. Great workshop tale, Dan!
Marian Allen
August 26, 2016 at 10:10amGlad you like Dan’s posts as much as I do!
Karen Allendoerfer
August 26, 2016 at 1:40pmHi Marian, I agree that one of the best things about Thursday Doors is getting to know new bloggers. Thanks for the mention here, and glad to meet you and your books!
Marian Allen
August 26, 2016 at 2:44pmPleased to make your acquaintance, Karen!
Joey
August 26, 2016 at 12:34pmI think Oreo stole the show over there at 27 Quality ^_^
Happy Friday:)
Marian Allen
August 26, 2016 at 12:57pmI think so, too!
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt
August 26, 2016 at 5:37pmI was concerned about the epi pen story, then realized it is common (I don’t know what they expect to gain from it) to raise the price of a brand name drug right before the generics come out.
The generic SHOULD work, though recently I have had to report to the FDA that two of the three generics for Celebrex sent to me by my online pharmacies didn’t work at all. I had saved the bottles during the struggle to get back to a pain medication that worked, and I am now back on the real stuff (even though the first generics worked, the pharmacies look for lowest price, and you could get one of the bad ones any time). Celebrex works. My copay is eight times higher. Sigh. It was THEIR generics that didn’t work, and I have to pay?
If this happens to you, it is important to report it to the FDA, because they are trying to crack down precisely on this kind of thing, as Medicare is paying for a lot of these useless generics. If you don’t tell them, they have no way of knowing enough details (the information on the pill bottles) to do anything about it. Slow – but possibly effective – and I felt it my duty as a citizen.
The problem with the epi pen is that you won’t know if the generic doesn’t work unless you need it – and then it would be dangerous to use one which didn’t! They need stronger controls on the generics to weed out the bad ones BEFORE patients are affected – but there is a lot of pressure (and little money to resist that pressure and investigate better) to make the generics available.
Up until now, I always approved of getting generics. Now, I’m not so sure.
And the paperwork was atrocious, and the time spent in pain reminded me how well Celebrex had been working for me (and the generic from Mylan, which worked). I didn’t even notice when the first changeover was made.
It will be interesting to watch the reports come out on the generic epi pen, though epinephrine is a well-known and well-characterized drug. The pens – there may be a problem there – but they’re really not that complicated. Sometimes the brand names gouge, even before they raise the price. I don’t know in this case – the brand name one I have cost me a $25 copay. I haven’t used it yet.
Marian Allen
August 26, 2016 at 5:45pmThe brand name EpiPen cost me around $300 co-pay. I hate to think what my refill would cost.
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt
August 26, 2016 at 6:31pmOuch! Have you had to use it? I’ve never gotten quite to that stage.
Marian Allen
August 27, 2016 at 11:28amI’ve never had to use it *knock wood*. A slug of Benadryl or the generic equivalent takes care of me so far. I had refilled my prescription before the latest price hike, so I’m good for almost a year. Maybe by that time, the generic epinephrine will be affordable.
Dan Antion
August 26, 2016 at 8:28pmAw, thanks so much for the kind words, Marian. I’m glad you’ve seen the light regarding Tuxedo cats. We took a quick look in the paper, to see if someone had lost that kitten. No one had, but someone was giving away Tuxedo kittens and their ad said “Oreo cats are special treats” That’s how he got his name. Joey is right though, I think he stole the spotlight – he always did.
I love meeting new people, learning new things and hearing new stories from the community out here.
Marian Allen
August 27, 2016 at 11:29amIt’s a perfect name, and OF COURSE his companion had to be Cookie! 😀
Dan Antion
August 27, 2016 at 5:01pmAfter we got Cookie, my wife took him to the car while I finished shopping with our daughter. By the time we got to the car, he was being called Cookie. My wife said she needed to add something to the “… no!”
Deb Rodgers
August 28, 2016 at 4:39pmHello Marian.
I’m so pleased you like my blog. “A happy place” is the best comment I could hope for. Thank you!
The look in Oreo’s eye reminds me of my cat, Tux. His full name is Toorak Tux and he is very upper-class. I’m so glad he allows me to live here!
Deb