thanks for not being a zombie

I've written before about experiencing vertigo for no reason, and it looks like I found out what causes it. A medication I take causes dizziness as a side effect if you take it or if you stop taking it abruptly. Since I'm now living temporarily in a different state, I needed to do a little work to figure out how to switch my prescription to a local pharmacy, but I kept procrastinating because I was focused on research and writing. My prescription ran out last week, and I just assumed I could go without for a day or two.

Nope. Gradually the dizziness and loss of balance forced me to get the prescription refilled. If I had gone another day, I'm pretty sure I would have been unable to walk without falling down, and nausea was surely right around the corner. Luckily, I'm fortunate enough have health insurance with a decent prescription plan and a wide-ranging network of pharmacies.

But imagine going through that--or a similar experience with other side effects when your supply of medication runs out at the end of the month--in the middle of a city that's been destroyed by hurricane and flood. Now put the news stories of "looters" breaking into pharmacies into their proper perspective.