The big scary headline

The latest big scary headline from the pharmaceutical industry says that it will cost $2.5 billion to bring a new drug to market. That's a lot of hype over a little factoid. And this kind of thing pisses me off. Increasing drug prices are an increasing part of medical costs in recent years.

First of all, yes that is a hell of a lot of money. There is no denying that. Second of all, its not as big as it sounds in terms of how they will recoup their money. For example.

If a new drug is developed that will treat a mere 10,000 people each year and costs $5000 per month (not an unexpected amount), it will take the drug companies 4.17 years to recoup their expenses. 10,000x$5,000x12=$600,000,000. $600,000,000x4.17=$2,500,000,000.

And this is why I really have no patience with the drama from the pharmaceutical industry:

"Development costs are one factor companies use in determining how much they will charge for newly approved prescription drugs. But they also weigh demand, the competitive market in their therapeutic areas, and the value they believe a treatment can provide to patients."

So if you thought the so-called 'death panels' were going to put a dollar value on human life, you don't need to worry because the pharma industry already did when they include the 'value they believe a treatment can provide to patients'.

But I do understand the value the pharmaceutical industry brings to medical advancement. I just have a problem with the dollar amounts and drama.

Sleeping, or not

I have problems sleeping these days. On a good night, I get to sleep for a solid 12 hours. I'm not kidding. I hope to do this once a week at least. Not this weekend. If I can, I save my big sleeping nights for the weekend because I don't have to get up in the morning.

Friday night I slept from about 10-330. Then I dozed off and on until 6 when I gave up and got up. Last night, I slept from about 930 to 4. Then I couldn't sleep so I played games on my phone (because my phone was nagging me to get caught up on words with friends) for about half and hour and then dozed for a while and finally got back to sleep for a bit. I am feeling a bit sleep deprived as a result.

I have spoken with my many doctors about this and my PCP said she wants me to have a sleep test to figure out if I have apnea or other issues.

Sleep tests can determine other problems as well. According to Dr. Wikipedia:

"Polysomnography is used to diagnose, or rule out, many types of sleep disorders including narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), REM behavior disorder, parasomnias, and sleep apnea. Although it is not directly useful in diagnosing circadian rhythm sleep disorders, it may be used to rule out other sleep disorders."

My PCP said that now they do sleep tests where they send you the machine at home and you can sleep in your own bed. However the hospital set me up for an overnight sleep test there. They claim the room is like a motel room. I hate sleeping in motel or hotel rooms by myself. I want my husband there to protect me from intruders and scary monsters or zombies. I also want the cat. I'm not sure I can bring either.

I got the schedule in the mail late Friday afternoon when it was too late to call. Then I got the information brochure in yesterday's mail telling me all kinds of useful information. Dress in comfortable clothes - not pajamas. It doesn't sound like you can wear pjs. They do not have shower facilities either.

I like this part where it says if you drink every night you should do so before coming - but you can't bring any alcohol and you must have a driver bring you if you are drinking. LOL. I find it funny that they specify this. Obviously some have driven drunk to the sleep test or brought in a bottle or two.

But I don't think I can get sleep there which is the whole point of the test. And what if I want to gt up and pee in the middle of the night?

First thing Monday I will call my insurance company and make sure they cover the test at home instead of there. Then I will call the hospital and see about having a home test if I can and ask all my other questions - can I bring my tablet to read a book on before sleeping? What about PJs? What about bathroom visits? Lots of things to know.

All I know is I need to sleep more. And this might help.

Lack of sleep causes both crabbiness and crankiness.

Living with in 'The Rule'

We have many not necessarily rules but guidelines and considerations by which we, my husband and I, live. There are the basics, I cook and he cleans up the kitchen. I do laundry and he carries it up and down the stairs. We are generally considerate to each other (except when we choose to annoy one another). And all sorts of other basics that help us live together peacefully for the most part.

However as my health has done its downward spiral, my husband has created 'The Rule'. It is a rule by which I am required to live. It actually has a lot of common sense built into it (so may be he is being smart here). 'The Rule' states that Caroline is not allowed to plan more than one event per day. This means I can't go to the beach and then go out to dinner the same evening. Or I can't go to a day long event and then go out in the evening. I need to plan accordingly.

The reason for creating the rule is to avoid crabbiness. For some reason, he doesn't like it when I get crabby. I just can't understand (insert smirk here).

I have come to realize that this is really about as much as I can do. I look at my calendar each month, I plan accordingly. I work three days a week and shift it around to accommodate doctor appointments and other events. I also go to the gym three days a week. If I work and then go to the gym, while technically being two events, I am okay but I really can't go out that night.

So today I am being sneaky. I met one friend for lunch about half an hour away and then another friend is coming over for dinner. this did not register with my husband as much because he didn't come with me to meet the first friend. So I am sneaking in the second event. But I am lying down now. Everything is ready but making the salad. But I am tired (don't tell him that). I will go to bed as soon as she leaves which won't be late because we have called it an early dinner.

Tomorrow work and then the gym. Tuesday work and the grocery store and to see my parents. Wednesday work and the gym. And so my week goes on. But I will heed the rule as best I can. I don't like being crabby any more than he does.

Living with in 'The Rule'

We have many not necessarily rules but guidelines and considerations by which we, my husband and I, live. There are the basics, I cook and he cleans up the kitchen. I do laundry and he carries it up and down the stairs. We are generally considerate to each other (except when we choose to annoy one another). And all sorts of other basics that help us live together peacefully for the most part.

However as my health has done its downward spiral, my husband has created 'The Rule'. It is a rule by which I am required to live. It actually has a lot of common sense built into it (so may be he is being smart here). 'The Rule' states that Caroline is not allowed to plan more than one event per day. This means I can't go to the beach and then go out to dinner the same evening. Or I can't go to a day long event and then go out in the evening. I need to plan accordingly.

The reason for creating the rule is to avoid crabbiness. For some reason, he doesn't like it when I get crabby. I just can't understand (insert smirk here).

I have come to realize that this is really about as much as I can do. I look at my calendar each month, I plan accordingly. I work three days a week and shift it around to accommodate doctor appointments and other events. I also go to the gym three days a week. If I work and then go to the gym, while technically being two events, I am okay but I really can't go out that night.

So today I am being sneaky. I met one friend for lunch about half an hour away and then another friend is coming over for dinner. this did not register with my husband as much because he didn't come with me to meet the first friend. So I am sneaking in the second event. But I am lying down now. Everything is ready but making the salad. But I am tired (don't tell him that). I will go to bed as soon as she leaves which won't be late because we have called it an early dinner.

Tomorrow work and then the gym. Tuesday work and the grocery store and to see my parents. Wednesday work and the gym. And so my week goes on. But I will heed the rule as best I can. I don't like being crabby any more than he does.

Sleeping, or not

I have problems sleeping these days. On a good night, I get to sleep for a solid 12 hours. I'm not kidding. I hope to do this once a week at least. Not this weekend. If I can, I save my big sleeping nights for the weekend because I don't have to get up in the morning.

Friday night I slept from about 10-330. Then I dozed off and on until 6 when I gave up and got up. Last night, I slept from about 930 to 4. Then I couldn't sleep so I played games on my phone (because my phone was nagging me to get caught up on words with friends) for about half and hour and then dozed for a while and finally got back to sleep for a bit. I am feeling a bit sleep deprived as a result.

I have spoken with my many doctors about this and my PCP said she wants me to have a sleep test to figure out if I have apnea or other issues.

Sleep tests can determine other problems as well. According to Dr. Wikipedia:

"Polysomnography is used to diagnose, or rule out, many types of sleep disorders including narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), REM behavior disorder, parasomnias, and sleep apnea. Although it is not directly useful in diagnosing circadian rhythm sleep disorders, it may be used to rule out other sleep disorders."

My PCP said that now they do sleep tests where they send you the machine at home and you can sleep in your own bed. However the hospital set me up for an overnight sleep test there. They claim the room is like a motel room. I hate sleeping in motel or hotel rooms by myself. I want my husband there to protect me from intruders and scary monsters or zombies. I also want the cat. I'm not sure I can bring either.

I got the schedule in the mail late Friday afternoon when it was too late to call. Then I got the information brochure in yesterday's mail telling me all kinds of useful information. Dress in comfortable clothes - not pajamas. It doesn't sound like you can wear pjs. They do not have shower facilities either.

I like this part where it says if you drink every night you should do so before coming - but you can't bring any alcohol and you must have a driver bring you if you are drinking. LOL. I find it funny that they specify this. Obviously some have driven drunk to the sleep test or brought in a bottle or two.

But I don't think I can get sleep there which is the whole point of the test. And what if I want to gt up and pee in the middle of the night?

First thing Monday I will call my insurance company and make sure they cover the test at home instead of there. Then I will call the hospital and see about having a home test if I can and ask all my other questions - can I bring my tablet to read a book on before sleeping? What about PJs? What about bathroom visits? Lots of things to know.

All I know is I need to sleep more. And this might help.

Lack of sleep causes both crabbiness and crankiness.

The big scary headline

The latest big scary headline from the pharmaceutical industry says that it will cost $2.5 billion to bring a new drug to market. That's a lot of hype over a little factoid. And this kind of thing pisses me off. Increasing drug prices are an increasing part of medical costs in recent years.

First of all, yes that is a hell of a lot of money. There is no denying that. Second of all, its not as big as it sounds in terms of how they will recoup their money. For example.

If a new drug is developed that will treat a mere 10,000 people each year and costs $5000 per month (not an unexpected amount), it will take the drug companies 4.17 years to recoup their expenses. 10,000x$5,000x12=$600,000,000. $600,000,000x4.17=$2,500,000,000.

And this is why I really have no patience with the drama from the pharmaceutical industry:

"Development costs are one factor companies use in determining how much they will charge for newly approved prescription drugs. But they also weigh demand, the competitive market in their therapeutic areas, and the value they believe a treatment can provide to patients."

So if you thought the so-called 'death panels' were going to put a dollar value on human life, you don't need to worry because the pharma industry already did when they include the 'value they believe a treatment can provide to patients'.

But I do understand the value the pharmaceutical industry brings to medical advancement. I just have a problem with the dollar amounts and drama.