Who Gets a Cold in August?
As if having a repeat of stomach problems (thanks to a recall on a box of Lucky Charms) hasn’t been annoying enough this summer, Monday before the Yankees game I started getting a sore throat. I instantly started feeling fatigued, but I threw on a hoodie and went to the game anyway. Tuesday I was feeling alright, until I started feeling completely run down when I got home at 830. Wednesday I woke up with a sore throat and a headache that gradually got worse. By the end of the day I was a whiny, miserable mess. It’s Friday afternoon, and I’m still a whiny, miserable mess (though I’ve managed to pull myself together for work— somewhat). I’ve been taking Sudafed every 4 hours; drinking OJ, tea, Gatorade and Emergen-C; using Ayr; and eating soft foods for three days. Last night I thought I was starting to get better, but I woke up this morning worse than ever. It felt like I had golfballs in my throat. Wait, not just golfballs; razorblade golfballs. My head is so congested that it’s actually making me dizzy. And every time I take Sudafed I feel like what I’d imagine some crazy, laced drugs from the 70s would make me feel like. I don’t handle pills very well; so I try to avoid them at all costs. But since it’s almost my birthday, and my mom is on an airplane on her way to visit right now, I absolutely could NOT ignore this! I actually went to the doctor today.
Now, I know, going to the doctor is no big deal. But since I’ve been without health insurance for a year, I’ve been holding off on making a visit unless it’s some sort of life-threatening illness. Even when I had insurance, I prefer to let whatever sickness run its course rather than live in a foggy haze of drug-induced side effects for a week. But based on the severity of my sore throat, I couldn’t risk getting strep throat again over my birthday weekend! I’ve had that before and it was not fun. The last time I was really sick (two and a half years ago) I had strep throat, mono, and erythema nodosum all at the same time. I ended up having my tonsils removed and I was basically glued to my bed for a month. So in order to prevent all of that, I Googled the closest walk-in doctor that accepted uninsured patients, and luckily there was one only two blocks from my work, with an appointment available during my lunch hour.
After listening to me rattle off my symptoms, the doctor basically told me that he thinks I have a viral infection. Then he told me there’s basically nothing he can do for me, but he will write me a prescription for z-pack just in case I wake up feeling worse tomorrow— then maybe it is a bacterial infection. And just like that, I left.
I think that is a huge reason why I never go to the doctor. I feel like general practitioners are a waste of my time, and now that I’m uninsured, my money. If it’s not something severely wrong with me, any doctor is just as good at diagnosing me as I am, thanks to the Internet and my own reoccurring health problems. I get a little sick of hearing “I think” in a doctors office. I’m sorry, but for as much as I pay you (whether it’s through insurance or out of pocket like today) I think you should do a lot better than “I think.” You better run some tests and see what the hell is wrong with me. When someone comes in without insurance, I’m sure they’re being generous by treating minor illnesses as cheaply as possible, but I really cannot continue to condone visiting a doctor unless you think you literally might die.
And on that note, here I sit at work, sipping on some tea, all drugged up on Sudafed. I can’t really think straight, but whatever, it’s Friday right? The start of EatFest2010! I just hope that my sinuses straighten up so I can actually taste the delicious meals ahead of me in the days to come…
