There's a reason I'm not on the bomb squad: I'm incredibly clumsy. Two weeks ago, I went out to the garden to cut some rosemary for the roast potatos I was making for dinner. It was dark, and I considered taking a flashlight, but decided against it. After all, I was only going up to my well traveled garden. Who needs a flashlight?
Three quarters of the way there, I realized, at age 53, that my night vision isn't what it was a few years back. I could make out the bulk of the hot tub, and angled towards it, as I knew my rosemary was in the front right corner of the left rear garden box, just beyond the hot tub.
And then it happened. I tripped over a planter, and landed on a large plastic flower pot with my right leg. My right shin scraped down the pot from my ankle to midway towards my knee.
The pain was sharp, but not intense. After cursing a blue streak (what is a blue streak, btw?), I retrieved the rosemary and hobbled back to the kitchen.
I didn't think I was hurt too badly. My leg could support my weight, I was bruised and limping, but not in much pain. The following day, my leg was swollen and bruised, but again, not much pain. I figured I had a bad bruise, and thought nothing more, by day two, my limp was gone.
But there was something more going on. I'd feel fine in the morning, but as the day progressed, I'd get an achy pain in my shin. When I drove, I had a sensation of something floating in my lower leg when I depressed my foot to work the gas and brake pedals. My leg would look fine in the morning, but was bruised, swollen, tender, and sore by evening.
My doctor had x-rays done, but couldn't see anything unusual, but I still had pain and swelling. So I'm off to the orthopedic doctor tomorrow by my PCP's directive to try and see whats wrong. In the meantime, I was prescribed an anti-inflammatory to deal with the pain and swelling.
What's prescribed is the generic, emphasis on generic, form of Celebrex, celecoxib. Thirty pills are $250.00. Thankfully, I have insurance, so my out of pocket cost is just five dollars, but 8 bucks a pill for a drug that's been around since the early 90's and was developed in conjunction with a university research program?
I've long known there is something seriously wrong with the way we develop, market, and dispense medicines, but this experience really brings it home. If I did not have good insurance, I wouldn't be able to afford it.