Notes from an alternate world, a World Without Oil.
Woops, we have a problem. I had not been watching my medical prescriptions supply, and I ran short on a couple of my heart medications. I had to get refills ASAP.
Being 70, I am on Medicare Part D. That means I get a break on my meds, at least as long as I go through the system. However, before this world without oil business started, we made regular trips to Los Algodonas, Mexico, down near Yuma, to pick up most of my medications. It was still 70% cheaper there than using Part D, and I could procure a ninth-month supply instead of a one-month supply.
Now we are here in Oregon without enough fuel to get to Mexico. I thought about searching out some diesel and moving back to southern California, but when I checked the weather, it was apparent I do not want to stay down there into next summer. The weather in the southwest has gone even further south (temps over 115), and the drought conditions are still there. They are running out of water faster than they can come up with ideas of what to do.
So, back to plan D. I called my friendly mail-order pharmacy in New York where I have been purchasing the prescriptions I could not get in Mexico, and asked them to send me a supply of my other heart medications. They said they needed a new prescription, the old one on file with them was out of date.
Bummer, my cardiologist and GP are in southern California near our old home base. I called their offices and asked for a refill prescription. Nope, I had to come in for a checkup before they could write a new one. I explained I was up in Oregon and could not get in. They said sorry, they could not help me on that.
I scratched my head for a while and then went around to other RVers in the park and asked if they knew of any local doctors. I got a list of the "good" ones and started calling them. There were no doctors in the local town, but there was a cardiologist in the town of Roseburg, about 15 miles south, who would see me the next week.
I still had that quarter tank of diesel in the truck, so I knew I could make it to the doctor's office. I wasn't sure I could make it back without a refill. But when the time came, my wife and I headed down that way on I-5. We had checked around and found five others who wanted to go shop in Roseburg and would help pay for the fuel. Seven people in a quad-cab pickup is pretty tight.
Along the way we got a few stares, but I had never seen it so clear on I-5. There were only a few trucks, virtually no cars, and everyone was doing 45 or 50. Nothing like a fuel shortage to make conservers out of everyone.
I parked next to the doctor's office, and everyone else headed out to shop. I laughingly warned them I could only carry so much in the back. I went inside for my appointment.
The nurse was nice and the doctor obliging. I explained the situation and gave him our medical records. We always carry a complete copy of our records because we travel, and it surely helps in situations like this. Dr. Lin said he really should run a series of tests before giving me new prescriptions. I said I didn't think I could come into his office for the tests anytime soon, and he just did a visual check, a quick EKG, and reviewed my records. He finally wrote the prescriptions I needed and I made arrangements for my mail-order pharmacy to call him so they could be filled. He said he should see me in the next few months, and I said I would see how soon I might get a ride back down and call him back.
Returning to the truck, I found it piled high with stuff that the people from the park had found. Three of them were standing guard over the "loot" as they called it. I asked if anyone had found a fueling station, and they gave me directions to the only place in town that had diesel. They said I would have to pay with cash and I should take some heart medicine before I drove in. Once everyone returned, they all climbed aboard and we drove down three blocks and behind this feed store to get fuel. I almost fainted when the owner told me he wanted $8 per gallon, cash on the barrel-head, take it or leave it.
We pooled our available cash and had $155. The store owner said I could have 20 gallons. Everyone agreed we should get the fuel while we could, so we did the deal.
After returning to the RV park with the loot, I called the pharmacy again and made arrangements for them to verify the prescriptions with Dr. Lin. They said they would send the meds out as soon as they had talked to the doctor. And they even let me use my credit card.
It turns out that one of the most reliable services that remains in the world without oil, and one of the cheapest, is the US Postal Service. They still charge less than $10 to ship a Fixed Rate Priority Mail package across the country, and they do it reliably. It just takes a little longer than it used to.
Good news. Two weeks later I walked down to the Post Office and picked up my prescription. Okay, it cost three times what I would have had to pay in Mexico plus postage, and I would have to do this refill thing every month, but at least I had my meds.
And the park has an available truck with half a tank of fuel for common use. Life in central Oregon is settling in. Hope the World Without Oil doesn't throw us a curveball.
Sam
the Prudent RVer
