It ain't easy being me.
For the most part, I love the Immunology Center staff. They are professional, they are nice, they are on the ball. But they have one small shortcoming.
Their hours totally suck.
Basically, in order to see a doctor, I have to be sick Monday through Thursday, between the hours of 8:30 and 4:30 (skipping a one hour lunch break from 12:30 to 1:30). On Fridays, I can see a nurse between 8:30 and 3:30, but no doctor. So, if something comes up during an off hour, my only recourse is to go to the ER. For whatever reason, there's no such thing as a generic clinic to go to for non-lifethreatening illness.
I noticed yesterday that my left eye was a little sore. When I looked in the mirror, it was also swollen. Noting the time, I decided to wait a day, since 1) I've learned not to panic with every little ache and pain, and 2) I couldn't make it into the clinic to see a nurse anyway. and yeah, honestly 3) it was Sci-fi Friday, and I wanted to see Battlestar Galactica.
When I woke up this morning afternoon (I didn't sleep well, having some early morning stomach issues), my eye looked really bad. It's not that sore, but it was a little on the crusty side, and it looks like I got clocked in the eye, only without the bruise. Very swollen, a little itchy. So I'm thinking pink eye, only all the pics that I see don't look like me; my eyes aren't that red, and my eyelid is really swollen and tender. quillon did some looking around online while I was showering, and one of the possibilities he found?
Cellulitis.
Crap.
I've had that before, and I know it's very serious and that if I have it and don't get on IV antibiotics soon I could be dead in a couple of days (at least, that's what they told me last time). So... I'm not saying that I'm sure that's what it is. I'm just saying that since it's a possibility (the symptoms match) I'm headed to the ER. Oh yeah, and also thinking fuck, I hate going to the ER. And yeah, if I could go to the Immunology Center (i.e. if they had Saturday hours) and it is actually cellulitis I know they would just redirect me to the ER for admission anyway, but I am irritated about it. There goes another $200 or so (and several hours of my life that I'll never get back) for something that might be minor. Mainly, though, my irritation is that there's no in-between option for me. It's either EMERGENCY! or it's nothing, and the truth is that lots of things fall in that gray area between the two extremes. In my case, though, I have to go to the ER, because I have to be someplace where my HIV can be considered and put in context.
So yeah, I'm going. Grudgingly, but willingly.
If it is something that requires admission, I'll either make a phone post or have Q update this entry with a comment. For the record, I'm feeling more put-out and annoyed than anything; if it is cellulitis then the treatment is pretty simple. And I'm trying not to think about the other things it could be, that might require poking around my eye. Ick.
I don't want to end on that note, so... man, BSG was a lot better last night than I was expecting, for the second week in a row.
Edit (4:54 pm) Man, that was the shortest ER visit ever. The nurse told me to not get used to it, because it's a fluke.
They told me they think it's conjunctivitis (whew!) and while part of me feels kinda like they shuffled me out as quickly as possible with the easiest diagnosis they could, I realize that might just be because I'm used to every visit to the ER taking up several hours. I'm also amused that they gave me a prescription for Vicodin (!) in case I have any pain over the weekend. Jesus, people! I'm sure that they have to do that, but I'm likely not going to be filling it, given that there's a $40 copay and, yanno, it doesn't hurt that bad. So I've got a tiny tube of e-myacin and I have to apply that to the eyelid and eyeball 4 times a day (thankfully, touching my own eyeball doesn't freak me out), and I also have to see my doc on Monday, which should be interesting, just given how busy the clinic is and how irregular his hours are.
So, yay that there was no admission. Boo that I'm going to look like I'm crying (but only half my face!) for the next x days, and that thanks to the e-myacin gel in my eye I can't see out of it at all.
Their hours totally suck.
Basically, in order to see a doctor, I have to be sick Monday through Thursday, between the hours of 8:30 and 4:30 (skipping a one hour lunch break from 12:30 to 1:30). On Fridays, I can see a nurse between 8:30 and 3:30, but no doctor. So, if something comes up during an off hour, my only recourse is to go to the ER. For whatever reason, there's no such thing as a generic clinic to go to for non-lifethreatening illness.
I noticed yesterday that my left eye was a little sore. When I looked in the mirror, it was also swollen. Noting the time, I decided to wait a day, since 1) I've learned not to panic with every little ache and pain, and 2) I couldn't make it into the clinic to see a nurse anyway. and yeah, honestly 3) it was Sci-fi Friday, and I wanted to see Battlestar Galactica.
When I woke up this morning afternoon (I didn't sleep well, having some early morning stomach issues), my eye looked really bad. It's not that sore, but it was a little on the crusty side, and it looks like I got clocked in the eye, only without the bruise. Very swollen, a little itchy. So I'm thinking pink eye, only all the pics that I see don't look like me; my eyes aren't that red, and my eyelid is really swollen and tender. quillon did some looking around online while I was showering, and one of the possibilities he found?
Cellulitis.
Crap.
I've had that before, and I know it's very serious and that if I have it and don't get on IV antibiotics soon I could be dead in a couple of days (at least, that's what they told me last time). So... I'm not saying that I'm sure that's what it is. I'm just saying that since it's a possibility (the symptoms match) I'm headed to the ER. Oh yeah, and also thinking fuck, I hate going to the ER. And yeah, if I could go to the Immunology Center (i.e. if they had Saturday hours) and it is actually cellulitis I know they would just redirect me to the ER for admission anyway, but I am irritated about it. There goes another $200 or so (and several hours of my life that I'll never get back) for something that might be minor. Mainly, though, my irritation is that there's no in-between option for me. It's either EMERGENCY! or it's nothing, and the truth is that lots of things fall in that gray area between the two extremes. In my case, though, I have to go to the ER, because I have to be someplace where my HIV can be considered and put in context.
So yeah, I'm going. Grudgingly, but willingly.
If it is something that requires admission, I'll either make a phone post or have Q update this entry with a comment. For the record, I'm feeling more put-out and annoyed than anything; if it is cellulitis then the treatment is pretty simple. And I'm trying not to think about the other things it could be, that might require poking around my eye. Ick.
I don't want to end on that note, so... man, BSG was a lot better last night than I was expecting, for the second week in a row.
Edit (4:54 pm) Man, that was the shortest ER visit ever. The nurse told me to not get used to it, because it's a fluke.
They told me they think it's conjunctivitis (whew!) and while part of me feels kinda like they shuffled me out as quickly as possible with the easiest diagnosis they could, I realize that might just be because I'm used to every visit to the ER taking up several hours. I'm also amused that they gave me a prescription for Vicodin (!) in case I have any pain over the weekend. Jesus, people! I'm sure that they have to do that, but I'm likely not going to be filling it, given that there's a $40 copay and, yanno, it doesn't hurt that bad. So I've got a tiny tube of e-myacin and I have to apply that to the eyelid and eyeball 4 times a day (thankfully, touching my own eyeball doesn't freak me out), and I also have to see my doc on Monday, which should be interesting, just given how busy the clinic is and how irregular his hours are.
So, yay that there was no admission. Boo that I'm going to look like I'm crying (but only half my face!) for the next x days, and that thanks to the e-myacin gel in my eye I can't see out of it at all.