I've been mocked my whole life for not knowing about sports by sports fans who didn't know the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek just like I don't know the names of all the teams of all the balls. As many times as I've heard the equivalent of "blah blah blah *nerd*" I'm afraid I can't muster up any shame about "blah blah blah *sportsball*". I'm sure I'm not affecting them with my lack of concern.

Zen is me regarding the above. And appreciation of sports is one of the markers of masculinity that have been used derisively against *several* communities I've been a part of most of my life that didn't share it: sci-fi & gaming geeks, artists, and gays. So when people get mocked for showing support for their pro sports team of choice in schools and social situations or have to make do with a sparse trickle of funding while the Arts and sci-fi/comic conventions have nine-digit facilities built for them with public money, maybe I'll be more sensitive about correct sports terminology.

I cannot believe how fucking hard it is for Tim to get a goddamn shingles vaccine. He can't start his treatment for his RA until 4 weeks after he gets a shingles vaccine. Only he doesn't turn 50 until November. Fine, he knows that means insurance won't cover the vaccine and he'll have to cough up about $200 to get vaccinated. Whatever.

CVS and Kroger pharmacies won't give the vaccine to anyone under 50, even if they have an order/prescription from a doctor. No exceptions, not even if it's because someone needs the vaccine before they can start the treatment that *might* stop his hands from becoming horribly malformed (and oh, stop the pain that he won't even talk about). It's not like it's illegal to give the vaccine to someone under 50; it's just their corporate policy. (If you're between 50 and 60, they'll give it to you ONLY if you have an order from your physician. Is this the new crazy trend for 20-somethings? Are they joyriding and getting vaccinated for shits and giggles so now there's no shingles vaccine available for old people???)

You'd think his primary care doctor's office could vaccinate him, but they don't have the vaccine. I told him to ask them to FUCKING ORDER IT. It's not like it's a mythical thing that we're asking them to retrieve, like a leprechaun or something. It's an actual thing that exists in the world and HOW does a doctor's office NOT HAVE IT???

(Of course, I *also* think that since his rheumatologist is the one who wants him to get the vaccination, *HE* should get the damn vaccine and administer it. But apparently they don't do that. In which case then they should just let him start the treatment for his RA. But they're insisting he get the vaccine THAT NO ONE WILL GIVE HIM. Our healthcare system is so beyond fucked up that I don't even have words for it.)

I'ma have to start making seriously angry phone calls on his behalf tomorrow, and no one wants that.

Jesus, that's fucking awful. Seriously? THE FUCK?

Five months. He'll be 50 in 5 months. (Well, less one day. 4 months and 29 days.)

He's actually on hold with Walgreen's right now. He hadn't tried them yet. Fingers crossed SO HARD. (Mine, not his, since they hurt.)

t edit FUCK. Walgreen's won't do it, either.

That is so splutteringly maddening. It's times like that when you just sit there, phone in hand, unable to even get out a sentence about how unbelievably fucked up and stupid the entire situation is.

Our Passport Health travel clinic gives shingles vaccinations. I googled Passposrt Health Cinncinnati and came up with this. [link]

Okay, so the pharmacist explained to Tim that it's actually a law (I thought it was a corporate thing, but it's actually a legality) -- because the FDA only approved the shingles vaccine for people 50 and older, *pharmacists* can't give it to anyone under 50 for any reason. However, physicians can. So this is the point at which he needs to tell the rheumatologist to get his shit together. If the rheumatologist can't/won't give Tim the vaccine, he needs to send the order for the vaccine to Tim's primary care doctor NOW.

Or he needs to let Tim start the Humira now and then get vaccinated in 4 months and 29 days.

How infuriating, Steph. I hope Tim can get the vaccine sooner than five months from now.

Unless I read the information wrong, his doctor (*any* doctor; hell, at this point, I'd take Dr. Nick) can administer it. Now the thing is getting his doctor's office to order the fucking vaccine and give it to him.

I don't even understand why it matters how old the patient is. Because it's not an issue of it being harmful in people under 50. It's just that the FDA approved it for people 50 and older, so that's what everyone is going with.

So. Much. Rage.