Angry and Upset and Sick and at a Loss

Get ready! I am in full-tilt boogie screaming yenta mode with The Cranky Old Broad along for the ride!

As y'all know, I have been being treated for an upper respiratory infection for the last two weeks. The first week the doctor at Immediate Care gave me some antibiotics and told me to go to bed for two days. I followed orders and went back to work even though I'd seen no improvement. A few days later (a week ago) when the first round of antibiotics ran out and I was still coughing up my lungs and generally feeling lousy, I called the clinic I go to because I have crappy medical coverage and explained what was going on and they told me to go to the after hours clinic and see the doctor there. So I did. That doctor put me on stronger antibiotics, prednisone and an inhaler and sent me back to work, etc. despite that I felt really awful.

Today I still felt like death and the meds obviously hadn't done their job and mid-afternoon at work I suddenly felt dizzy and like steel bands were wrapped around my head and neck and my vision is a bit blurry. I called the clinic nurse and got a recording and left a message for her to call me back. She never did. I started feeling worse and was in tears and I decided that I should go home so I told the boss that I was going to take off a bit early. He said okay so I came home.

I called a friend in hope that I'd feel better and made myself eat supper. Nothing helped -- the steel bands were still there as well as the vague dizziness so I called the clinic number again. humanoid answered and I explained my problem. She told me that a nurse would call me in a half hour. The nurse actually called and again, I explained what I'd been experiencing and she told me to come to the hospital. I hesitated to do so because I really didn't think I should drive and but decided to go ahead. (Before y'all tell me to call someone, experience has taught me that no matter how people tell you to call if you need help, they don't mean it unless you're bleeding to death.)

I got to the hospital okay and told my story -- AGAIN! -- and they took my blood pressure and I got to answer all the same damn silly questions yet again. When I finally got to see the doctor he told me that I had been being treated for the wrong things with the wrong stuff and that my problem was either viral or allergy-related (I don't have allergies) and that I had no need to be there but he was going to order me Zyrtec and cough medicine. AND he told me that it was an emergency room and I shouldn't be there. (So why did the nurse tell me to go there?) I got angry and got dressed went to the front desk and asked to see someone in authority. They asked if I'd seen a doctor. I said yes and that I wanted to see someone in authority. No one available I was told. Right. I came home. And yeah, they'll send me a bill.

I still feel like hell. If anything, I feel worse. I guess that I'm not allowed to get decent treatment. I wonder how McCain and Obama would fix this. Then again, I think I know and I'll be no better off than I am now.

In my next life I'm gonna be rich instead of good-lookin' (eyes rolling -- uh huh)! Sigh. Suggestions/solutions are welcome.

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay