#HAPPYDAYS - DAY 26 - For my valentine

Gleaning apples in Washington

My husband left for a two-week business trip yesterday.
He'll be in the summer cornfields of Chile, while I remain in the frozen wastes of Iowa.
And yes, he left on Valentine's Day.

But you know what?
I'm not bothered at all.
He's missed my birthday most years, along with our anniversary, and Valentine's Day.
Name a traditional "lovers'" holiday and he's likely missed it.

I've not always been so sanguine about his travel.
Mostly this was due to the difficulty of managing the heavy load of child-rearing alone, though I did carry a nice little backpack full of personal resentment for a number of years.

It was maybe 10 years ago or so that I realized those "special" days are not important, not really. It's the day-to-day living of a life together, the give and take, the appreciation and love, that is shown through daily actions that really matters.
Sometimes during a lull in my day I'll suddenly feel overwhelmed by how much I am cherished by this incredible man. He's seen me through depression and anxiety, never faltered as a father to children with severe mental illnesses, and is always willing to do the dishes.

He's put up with a menagerie of pets through the years; not because he wanted rats, cats, mice, guinea pigs, or dogs, in the house, but because he knew how vital pets are to myself and our children. He helps me can and freeze more food than we could possibly eat in a season just because he knows I'll worry if we don't, and despite the fact that I'll worry about how we will ever eat it all when we do.
He'll vacuum and clean, make the coffee every morning, glean fruit from public trees, brush snarling cats, and pay exorbitantly for doggie daycare; all because of and for me.
Well, he'd probably make the coffee anyway, but you know what I mean.

Now, I'm not knocking flowers or chocolates or even celebrating special events. It's always nice to show someone he or she is loved with a gift.
But I believe true love is found in the small things; the sharing of a laugh, the holding of a hand, the give and take of a life spent together.
It's in these daily gestures of caring that true love resides.

Hurry home, honey.
I miss you.

#100HAPPYDAYS - Day 7 - Better living through chemistry!

Access to high quality medical care makes me happy!

It's no secret that my family suffers from more than its fair share of mental illness.
And without therapy and modern medications all of us might not still be here.

So last year when our insurance company began requiring that all long-term prescriptions be filled by an online pharmacy, I was dubious.
I was also a little angry, as we had a local pharmacist who would help us with insurance company issues, prod slow doctors into issuing refills, and answer any questions we might have knowledgeably and with an appropriate dose of humor.
Plus I liked the small town feel of being greeted by name whenever I came in the store.
Well, no more.
Admittedly, once the initial hassle of verifying prescriptions, clarifying the verifications, and verifying the clarifications was complete, the inconveniences were mostly small annoyances.

But pity the poor fool whose prescriptions are not stable.
And that poor fool just happened to be my son.
He's been working hard with his psychiatrist to find the right combination of meds that will help tamp down his anxiety and offer relief from depression. That means he might try one med for a month, then need to change the dosage, add a different med, or try something else altogether - all of course under the direction and care of his doctor.
Oy, what an ordeal he has had.
He's had to call the doctor to call the insurance company to call the local pharmacy to call the online pharmacy, and every possible combination of the above.
One of his meds still hasn't been approved, despite being a quite common ADD med; one that my daughter also takes that has been approved by the same insurance company and ordered through the same online pharmacy.

My son usually ends up having to pay out of pocket for medications he needs, something he can ill afford on his salary as a therapeutic social worker. I can't help but think of others who are suffering who don't have the wherewithal to buy what they need outright, the know-how to navigate the never ending phone calls, or the ability to expend the energy needed simply to satisfy insurers and online pharmacies.

By the way, this has nothing to do with Obamacare.  In fact, without the ACA my son would not still be covered under our insurance and would likely be denied affordable coverage because his illnesses would be considered preexisting conditions.

I realize how fortunate my family has been in having access to high quality medical care not only for our mental illnesses, but for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and other routine ailments.

As difficult as it has been for my son to get his medications approved and delivered, the online pharmacy has an ironically bizarre medication delivery method.
All our prescription medications are delivered by U.S. Mail and our left on our front porch.
Yep, drugs arrive almost weekly - in 3-month supplies - and are dropped off by our front door. No signatures required. No proof of delivery nor receipt. Antidepressants, thyroid meds,  drugs to aid with sleep, anti-inflammatories, antacids, muscle relaxants, and anti-psychotics all wait outside the door.

Despite the ongoing hassles, I am so thankful we can get the medicines that not only improve our lives, but in some cases, have actually kept us alive and ticking.
That makes me happy!
Though it's too bad we need these drugs or I could make a lot of money on the side...