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Trans-continental Shift, Part I

© Leigh G. Kirtley

Okay, this site has nothing to do with plate tectonics, a.k.a. earthquakes. But in a strange way, this article does.

Five months ago, I packed up and moved my family, which includes two teens, two large dogs and one rusty car, from Upstate New York to Southern California. While the move had nothing to do with my son's asthma, it certainly impacted the way we manage his disease. Coordinating any kind of move is difficult, but when you have a kid with asthma and you move from Zone 5 to Zone 10, it's even more complicated. It's like an earthquake has disrupted the cozy relationships you've established with doctors, teachers, pharmacists, etc.

That and, of course, we live within miles of the famous San Andreas Fault. Yippee.

In Part I of Trans-continental Shift, I'll talk about the preparations we went through to get here. And I'm not talking about the telephone company, cell phones, utilities, school records, etc. I'm just talking about doctors, prescriptions, insurance, and the fear of being between doctors and their excellent care.

I'm a list-maker. And I like to make my list way in advance. It works for me. If you have a way of organizing that works for you, do it. If not, make a list.

The first consideration is having enough prescriptions or refills to last you until you find a new doctor. If you're moving out of state, your doctor may not be able to call in a prescription from your old, home state. I learned that lesson the hard way. Fortunately, there are some safe ways around this.

1. Try to have at least a 3-month supply on hand. 2. If your prescriptions are mail order, change your shipping address ASAP. 3. If not and you might run out, there are many online pharmacies that will accept your physician's script. CVS is one of these. (www.cvs.com) Plan ahead for shipping time or be ready to pay extra for over-night express. 4. Last ditch effort: have your prescriptions renewed in your former town and arrange for someone to pick up and mail them to you. This worked for me.

Second, find out your current doctors' procedures for transferring records. It's never too soon. Three of my doctors had three different methods: One made a copy of my entire file and mailed it to me. Another said just send me a fax. Finally, one had me fill out and sign a form in advance, then just call the office with the name and address of the new doctor.