Update (09/27/10): PLEASE, help me understand why this post is getting hundreds of hits a week! If you found this post thru a search engine or linked on another site, could you drop me a comment? I'm very curious about why this post is so popular.
I am surrendering to Italian Customs and asking them to simply return my meds to the U.S.
Their demands for documentation proving medical necessity are obscene and even if I managed to put together the stacks of proof they want, I can only keep a one month supply of each med.
I give up.
75 days before I return to the U.S. I may just decide to stay.
When I lived in Rome, there was often someone coming to the house on business or just visiting. I had prescriptions for 90 days and would arrange for someone to bring them over. I don't remeber ever running out and it did escape dealing with the infamous Italian Post Office. And I can appreciate the "I'm out of here!" feeling that comes from time to time. Courage you will survive!
ReplyDeleteGood luck. Fr. Seraphin Conley, T.O.R.
Just an idea: if you had the medicine shipped to an address in the Vatican City, wouldn't it bypass Italian customs?
ReplyDeletePatrick, it would but I don't know anyone who lives in Vatican City...several friars work there, but I don't want get stuck w/o when Italy goes on one its 3,876 paid vacation days.
ReplyDeletewell, if I went without my heart meds and then encountered this stress, they'd get all the documentation they needed from their local hospital while they evaluated my erratic heartbeat and shallow breathing...
ReplyDeletesorry it's so frustrating.
is there another solution?
Mom,
ReplyDeleteThree of the four meds I take (not all are HBP meds) are available here by RX...getting a RX from our priory is easy-cheesy...the one med I need most is not available in the EU...of course.
Italy. Gotta love living here. Or not.
ReplyDelete75 days is a long time. Surely there must be a way to smuggle them to you. You're in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteLirioroja,
ReplyDeleteThe mistake I made was following the customs rules...the first and only shipment that made it through to me was sent a regular undeclared package. The other three were clearly labeled with customs forms as "medicines for personal use."
You have my solidarity, F. Philip. I am Italian and I know what you mean ...
ReplyDeleteYou should pursue the Vatican postal option. I have had experiences with a number of priests/religious working in Rome and many orders have arrangements with the Vatican postal administration to receive mail through it--essentially like a PO Box in the states. The Augustinians, Oblates, and Jesuits all do this, and the Jebbies even put instructions in their provincial directories as to how to mail to their brethren in Rome via their "Pope box," thus avoiding the "obnoxio portorii". Cheque with the OP administration--I would be amazed if they do not have a similar arrangement. Just FYI.
ReplyDeleteThe pic is in the top ten image results for 'insanity' so... I would imagine that is why you get so many hits.
ReplyDeleteAnon., mille grazie! I hadn't thought of the pic as the source of the hits.
ReplyDeletedefinitely the image. got here via insanity image search on google. oh the mysteries of seo =P
ReplyDelete