Doc Says:
The doc saw me within 10 minutes of my arrival in his office. I spent maybe five minutes in the exam room waiting for him. He talked to me for 20 minutes. That ads up to 35 minutes for my appointment — but I had to wait over 45 minutes after that for my sinus and chest xray. The xray tech was brand new — first day on the job, first job out of school. She was very slow, but very nice — and anxious not to offend. I was kind to her. A couple of the people waiting with me were not.
Doc looked in my ears and said they are clean. No wax. No infection.
Doc had me blow my nose and looked at the chunky green stuff in my tissue. He said I had a sinus infection and wrote me a prescription for Avelox (antibiotic). He also wrote me a prescription for Zyrtec-D — and he told me if I’d been back when I was supposed to and had my allergy prescription renewed, then I wouldn’t have a sinus infection. He didn’t exactly call me an idiot, but he implied it.
Doc asked me how my CPAP works when my nose is congested. I told him it didn’t. Doc asked how I was sleeping. I told him I wasn’t. He snarled. Then he wrote me a prescription for Flonase.
Doc said the Avelox and Flonase should take the pressure off my ears — ending the vertigo — and the Avelox should have the infection knocked out in 10 days. He said plenty of other things, too. He wanted to know why it has been 18 months since he saw me last. I answered, “Well, I guess that’s how long I stayed healthy.”
Doc wasn’t amused. He said things about preventitive maintenance. He asked about the weight I’d lost since he saw me last. I told him about Curves. That pleased him — except now he wants to send me to the vampires so he can check my blood panel to make certain my exercise program is effective.
He also wants to do an echocardiogram. Because of the CPAP, my insurance wants me to have one yearly. He said if I keep pushing their limits I will find myself uninsured. Sleep studies and CPAP machines are expensive, so I guess I better play by their rules. Pft.
19 Comments
I was thinking along the lines of either an ear or sinus infection. Glad it’s something easily treated with some oral antibiotics. Love you.
Brooke — easily treated? The allergy pill makes me sleepy. The Avelox makes me sleepy. I cam’t take them togehter — so I figure I am going to be semi-coherent for the next ten days.
The doctor snarled at you?. If both pills make you sleepy that should end your lack of sleep. Just think how good you will feel when the sinus infection is gone.
I hope you take some extra days off to atleast give your system a chance to get better. An extra day or two off from work so you could allow the meds to work would do you a world of good!
Hi Quill
Glad to hear that you are going to survive. You do want to take care of yourself. Monday I got to give my blood sample and another sample. Maybe I should substitute that other sample with Haimish or Alexander Pee.
Dr. John — it was a polite snarl.
Angela — you know how hard it is for teachers to take sick days!
Bill — they will know that was kitty urine! Nice try. Just pee in the cup.
I just hope you can stay awake long enough to keep up with the kids at school. If you go to sleep you know they’ll put shaving cream on you and stuff, right?
Hope you are feeling better! As a fellow sufferer of chronic sinus problems, I feel your pain 🙁
Zyrtec is awesome. It’s the only thing I can find that helps me. Unfortunately, there is not generic version so it costs me $40 per bottle. But, I guess if it keeps me away from the Doc then it’s worth it in the long run.
Take care of yourself!
Donna — the shaving cream would be preferable to them sneaking out and wrecking havoc upon the entire school. Stay awake = keep moving. I have some experience with this. It’s not my first sinus infection.
You know, Rob, right after you blogged about your sinus infection I started thinking about how long it had been since I had one. I am holding you responsible for this … However, my insurance is better than yours. I only paid $25.00 for my Zyrtec.
The Enemy of Human Souls
Sat grieving at the cost of coals;
For Hell had been annexed of late,
And was a sovereign Southern State.
“It were no more than right,” said he,
“That I should get my fuel free.
The duty, neither just nor wise,
Compels me to economize —
Whereby my broilers, every one,
Are execrably underdone.
What would they have? — although I yearn
To do them nicely to a turn,
I can’t afford an honest heat.
This tariff makes even devils cheat!
I’m ruined, and my humble trade
All rascals may at will invade:
Beneath my nose the public press
Outdoes me in sulphureousness;
The bar ingeniously applies
To my undoing my own lies;
My medicines the doctors use
(Albeit vainly) to refuse
To me my fair and rightful prey
And keep their own in shape to pay;
The preachers by example teach
What, scorning to perform, I preach;
And statesmen, aping me, all make
More promises than they can break.
Against such competition I
Lift up a disregarded cry.
Since all ignore my just complaint,
By Hokey-Pokey! I’ll turn saint!”
Now, the Republicans, who all
Are saints, began at once to bawl
Against his competition; so
There was a devil of a go!
They locked horns with him, tete-a-tete
In acrimonious debate,
Till Democrats, forlorn and lone,
Had hopes of coming by their own.
That evil to avert, in haste
The two belligerents embraced;
But since ’twere wicked to relax
A tittle of the Sacred Tax,
‘Twas finally agreed to grant
The bold Insurgent-protestant
A bounty on each soul that fell
Into his ineffectual Hell.
– Edam Smith
(“Tariff”, Ambrose Bierce’s Devil’s Dictionary)
That said – glad this doc’s medicines seem to be working.
OC – I do so like that poem. Thanks you. As to “medicines seem to be working …” I went to bed at 8:45 p.m. last night, unable to hold my eyes open. I slept until 4:30 a.m. — right through the phone ringing last eve and woke dizzier than I’ve been to date. It does seem to have abated a bit since I’ve been awake and upright. I think it is because half of my sinuses have drained. The other half are still congested. Pft.
Wow, your doc doesn’t sound all too pleasant. He does have some good points though…it is important to keep on top of your health instead of waiting around to get sick. I’m guilty of that though, just about the only time I go to the doctor is when I’m sick.
Thanks for adding me to your blogroll!
Sigh. Out of everything I read my attention zeroed in on Curves and how it’s been almost a year since I went and let my membership lapse. Now I feel guilty and am ready to call them to rejoin. Pffft.
Now -that’s- skill, Quilly.
Silver — My doc has a file with 10 years of history on me. He isn’t unpleasant, just serious — which is fine by me. He always reads my chart and asks follow up questions about my previous visit — and he pays attention to details. For that he can scold me if he likes.
Jenna — I’m a teacher. Guilt is my speciality.
Hi Quill,
It’s going to be a long ten days for me. Hope you are getting better day by day. Thanks for the support.
Brian — I’m home again today seriously not okay. My vertigo is so bad I can’t walk without hanging on to something, and even sitting up straight is a chore. I have a definate list to the left. I sincerely hope you are doing better.
Quill, I suppose it’s good to have a doctor like that then. My doctor isn’t like that, and I guess I just got used to having just a cursory look through my file. That reminds me…I still got to make an appointment.
Hope you feel better, I’m glad I’ve never had vertigo like that before…I don’t think I’d be able to get out of bed.
Silver — today I am very, very still. Moving is wildly uncomfortable.
Ohhhhhhhhh dang those rules! I ~happy dance~ every day since I no longer need my CPAP!!! Life, she is gooooooooood to me!
I AM so glad you got in and have been given something to help you out though… seriously! I have NO doubt that you were terribly FUN for everyone watching you — but I’m assuming you do DRIVE to get places … and vertigo and cars don’t make a good healthy mix! Here’s to your antibiotic cocktails!
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