I am sick again, this time with a supposed Viral Upper Respiratory Infection...although, I don't believe what I'm told.
It started last Sunday evening when I returned from California with a scratchy throat. The scratchiness continued until Wednesday morning when I woke up with probably the worst sore throat I have ever had. I called my boss and told him I wouldn't be in and went back to bed until I could call my doctor.
I woke up promptly at 8am to call the doctor's office to make an appointment, and was told my doctor was not in but that I could make an appointment with another doctor in the office. That sounded fine to me, but I still had to call back with my insurance information (we got new insurance this year, and wow, on January 15th still didn't have our new cards) which I had to print off the internet. Upon calling back with this information, I was told that since I was now on the Aetna HMO plan, I could not see any other doctors, and that Dr. Clark (my doctor) was completely booked on Thursday as well. JUST GREAT!
So, I gave up and went back to bed for the rest of the day. I considered an urgent care facility, but I really really hate those places. I mean, really really HATE them. I feel like they aren't clean, and the doctor's just give you whatever cookie cutter diagnois that is popular at the time. I didn't want to have to go to one of these places. Well, later on Wednesday afternoon, I got a call from my doctor's office informing me there was no way to fit me in on Thursday, but I could make an appointment for Friday. I told them I would get back to them, knowing that I probably wouldn't be able to wait that long to see someone.
I was right, I woke up on Thursday morning, my throat hurting even worse and with an incredibly hoarse voice. I called my boss again, who by the way gave me shit for calling in again even though he made fun of how I sounded, and informed him I would not be at work again today. I got myself up and showered and out the door to be at CityDoc by 9am when they opened. I hoped if I got there early I wouldn't have to sit there all day. They actually got me in to see the doctor fairly quickly, and just as I had feared, after about 30 seconds of examining me I was told I had a viral infection and that I would just have to let it run its course. She told me I should start feeling better in a couple of days, as I was on day 4 and viral infections usually only last 7 or so days.
Well, I'm now on day 7, and I might feel worse today than I have felt all week. I have been taking sudafed and advil all day long and the cough syrup with hydrocodon at night for the past 3 and half days. My throat is still KILLING me, I still have no voice and I have lost all sense of taste and smell. The tea I keep drinking to soothe my throat might as well just be hot water. My entire body hurts today, similar to what I would imagine it feels like to be hit by a car. But, I have to get myself up and showered again today to go pick up the "just in case" antibiotic the stupid docotor gave me a prescription for. "Just in case you don't start to feel better", she said, "I'll give you an anitbiotic." My luck, the antibiotic won't have a generic just like the cough medicine she prescribed and I'll be out another $70!
I'm so annoyed with my new insurance, and I'm more annoyed that my doctor couldn't get me in last week. I have never had a problem getting in to see him until he changed practices. I hate being sick as it is, but its even worse when the systems in place to help you feel better fail.
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