Ear Ache Update

I know that you all are dying to know, just checking my blog ever six minutes to see if I've told you the drama of the ear ache outcome. Come on, don't lie! Well, to appease all of you, I'll tell you. This is detailed and alludes to cussing--just FYI.

I got an appointment Friday morning for the doctor, the clinic I wanted to go to would not see me same day since I had not seen a doctor there. The instacare was a choice, but felt like it would be too expensive. So I went to the doctor that I had seen in March, because it was cheaper to see a doctor again than a new visit ($80 as opposed to $120). Dr. Rasmussen, had prescribed a lot of meds back in March, but I went anyway, cheap is cheap right?

Bad choice. My mother-in-law, bless her soul, came over on her day off and lent me her car so I could go. I waited 45 minutes to see the good doctor, and had to see a P.A. student first. Of course, once the doctor walked in to my exam room, it was only 13 minutes until I was in my car with the prescription driving away. Seriously! I was told that I had an ear infection in the right ear and that the pain on that side of my face was likely due to pressure, although if it didn't go away I could have shingles (that should have been my first clue). I had a bulging ear drum on the clogged left side because my ears are not draining. He made me feel bad for not having seen a doctor sooner for my chest cough--after 1 week he said you should go see a doctor for a cough (bullsh**). He said I might have asthma (no, I don't). That my cough didn't just start, it had to start as a cold (no it didn't). Anyway, I was told to get a nose spray, decongestant (I'd been taking one since Wednesday), a trial inhale (seriously) and an antibiotic (those are usually only given when high fevers accompany the ear infection---most effective is to get the fluid to drain---decongestant).

I left. Not pleased, but not terribly upset. I got to the pharmacy immediately afterwards and was told that the antibiotic he prescribed was $150. Are you ****ing kidding me. I called the doctor's office---everyone was at lunch and there was nothing that could be done for another thirty minutes. I have to admit that I lost it and punched a shelf. I'd have to wait another hour to get it filled and get home to my boys who had been with my mother-in-law who had been with them for 2 hours already. What an insensitive prick for having prescribed a $150 drug to a self-pay patient. Rude. Especially because there was no need--a $4 antibiotic would have worked just fine and an antibiotic was not even necessary because they don't help much for an ear infection. I was crying when I got home to my mother-in-law with no antibiotic.

Well, long story short and several other health professionals in my life consulted. I am still not better. I need to let the decongestants work longer and get things moving. That is what needs to happen: drainage. I still can't hear and occasionally am having horrible pain. I am going to try to get this to work, but I know that I'll have to talk to the doctor again on Tuesday about the antibiotic, which I did not get. If this doesn't clear in another week, I'll have to see someone else.

So that is the long and short of it. Still trying to hold on to the fact that God keeps telling me to be patient, hasn't given me any course correction, and that he keeps saying this will get better. I'm not good at patient or delayed gratification. I need to figure out what this is supposed to teach me.