The Story of My Sickness
I've been sick since I got back from Malvern. Coughing, runny nose, the usual.
I'd been taking Robitussin cough pills and some kind of Tylenol cold stuff but I didn't sleep much Friday night I was coughing so badly, and when I woke up Saturday I had pink eye.
So I called the doctor. But the doctor doesn't see anyone on weekdays, so they set me up with a group of doctors that do housecalls, Doctors Direct. The guy comes into my room (I had Emily stay with me) and gives me a prescription for some cough stuff, some stuff for my eyes, and an antibiotic.
The appointment was 110 pounds and had to go on my credit card.
Fine, okay, it was an emergency, I didn't want to walk around with infected eyes for two days before I could see a doctor. And sleep would be nice.
So I go to Boots to get the prescriptions filled. I got excited because the first cough med. was Pholcodine. I figured, "Excellent. Something that works and I didn't even have to beg!" Boots didn't have the other things, so I had to go up the street to Superdrug, but I was okay with that.
While I was being helped at the counter the other pharmacist asked, "Did you need any help, sweetheart?" I told him no, that I was being helped and he smiled at me which was nice because he was cute and I felt like dead on a triscuit. A few minutes later a woman comes in and starts asking these questions and he's like, "That's not what I'm here for." (Pharmacists here are practically doctors) and she starts arguing with him, then the two of them start going at it 2 feet away from me, it was too funny.
So I walk the half mile back to the house and take my medcines like a good little girl and realize...um...it's not working. I take the highest reccomended dosage and I'm resting and doing everything right...and it's not working.
Monday morning I'm woken up by the phone ringing. It's the doctor's office, wondering if I still want an appointment. I said absolutely. I set one up for this morning, Tuesday morning and went about my day.
Thus begins my morning of hell.
Now, keep in mind that I spent 110 pounds on the appointment and 30 on the medicine so far. I've also bought train tickets for my trip to Gloucester this weekend, so that's 185 pounds on my credit card, or about $370. I have a $500 limit.
So I go across town (about 40 minutes) on the tube to get to the doctor's office, my appointment's at 11. I go in, sign some stuff...I go in...he takes a family history...examines me...tells me lawyer jokes...I explain my dire need of medicine with a REAL kick, he says he understands.
We go out to his medicine cabinet and he hands me Amoxicillan and Robitussin. I almost cried.
So I go to pay. I know I've put a lot on the card recently, so I tell the receptionist I'd like to put it part on the card and pay part in cash. The total is 75 pounds. I give her fourty pounds and my card.
The card's denied.
So now I owe the doctor 35 pounds.
I figure, "Hey, I'm in Kensington, I'll go to the CEA office, get my reimbursement for the other appointment, come back, pay this, get my reciept and get my other reimbursement."
There is one person in all of London who is qualified to give out reimbursements.
Irony of ironies: she's out sick.
Kristen's gift for me came today, a Colbert inspired awesomeness that I love very much. That was the bright spot of my day. That and watching Manilow on TCR, but that's beside the point.
So far from this cold I've put out about $400 US and missed the ballet, had to cancel the party I was going to throw, and missed the Haunted London tour I was taking tonight.
Sorry to be complaining, but this hasn't been my best week.
I'd been taking Robitussin cough pills and some kind of Tylenol cold stuff but I didn't sleep much Friday night I was coughing so badly, and when I woke up Saturday I had pink eye.
So I called the doctor. But the doctor doesn't see anyone on weekdays, so they set me up with a group of doctors that do housecalls, Doctors Direct. The guy comes into my room (I had Emily stay with me) and gives me a prescription for some cough stuff, some stuff for my eyes, and an antibiotic.
The appointment was 110 pounds and had to go on my credit card.
Fine, okay, it was an emergency, I didn't want to walk around with infected eyes for two days before I could see a doctor. And sleep would be nice.
So I go to Boots to get the prescriptions filled. I got excited because the first cough med. was Pholcodine. I figured, "Excellent. Something that works and I didn't even have to beg!" Boots didn't have the other things, so I had to go up the street to Superdrug, but I was okay with that.
While I was being helped at the counter the other pharmacist asked, "Did you need any help, sweetheart?" I told him no, that I was being helped and he smiled at me which was nice because he was cute and I felt like dead on a triscuit. A few minutes later a woman comes in and starts asking these questions and he's like, "That's not what I'm here for." (Pharmacists here are practically doctors) and she starts arguing with him, then the two of them start going at it 2 feet away from me, it was too funny.
So I walk the half mile back to the house and take my medcines like a good little girl and realize...um...it's not working. I take the highest reccomended dosage and I'm resting and doing everything right...and it's not working.
Monday morning I'm woken up by the phone ringing. It's the doctor's office, wondering if I still want an appointment. I said absolutely. I set one up for this morning, Tuesday morning and went about my day.
Thus begins my morning of hell.
Now, keep in mind that I spent 110 pounds on the appointment and 30 on the medicine so far. I've also bought train tickets for my trip to Gloucester this weekend, so that's 185 pounds on my credit card, or about $370. I have a $500 limit.
So I go across town (about 40 minutes) on the tube to get to the doctor's office, my appointment's at 11. I go in, sign some stuff...I go in...he takes a family history...examines me...tells me lawyer jokes...I explain my dire need of medicine with a REAL kick, he says he understands.
We go out to his medicine cabinet and he hands me Amoxicillan and Robitussin. I almost cried.
So I go to pay. I know I've put a lot on the card recently, so I tell the receptionist I'd like to put it part on the card and pay part in cash. The total is 75 pounds. I give her fourty pounds and my card.
The card's denied.
So now I owe the doctor 35 pounds.
I figure, "Hey, I'm in Kensington, I'll go to the CEA office, get my reimbursement for the other appointment, come back, pay this, get my reciept and get my other reimbursement."
There is one person in all of London who is qualified to give out reimbursements.
Irony of ironies: she's out sick.
Kristen's gift for me came today, a Colbert inspired awesomeness that I love very much. That was the bright spot of my day. That and watching Manilow on TCR, but that's beside the point.
So far from this cold I've put out about $400 US and missed the ballet, had to cancel the party I was going to throw, and missed the Haunted London tour I was taking tonight.
Sorry to be complaining, but this hasn't been my best week.