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stoutfellowToday was, shall we say, a mixed day.
About three Sundays ago, I caught an extremely persistent cold. At its worst, I was afflicted with... no, let's skip the catalog. By last Friday, it was finally petering out, reduced to occasional coughing, no more than that. Then Sunday came.
Ka-boom. Suddenly the cough had intensified and dropped deeper into my throat. I was hacking almost constantly, and even the two-block walk to Shop'n'Save left me short of breath. (The 90-90 weather was not exactly helping, either.) After a couple of days of dithering, consultation of a Home Medical Guide (one of the prestigious ones), and a call to sister C - the nurse - I decided that this was novel enough to deserve that rarest of events, a visit to the doctor.
I don't, at present, have a primary care physician, so I planned on using the Health Services on campus. Another couple of days elapsed before I found myself at the university again, at which point I called - and found that the next available appointment was the following day - today - at 2:30. (It's high summer, there are next to no students, how are they too busy?)
On reaching campus today, I checked to find just where Health Services was. Their web page said "room 0220" - without mentioning the freaking building. A bit more poking around led me to the conclusion that they were in the basement of the administration building, about five minutes walk from my office. So, at about 2:20, I set out.
They weren't in the admin building. I had to ask directions twice before finally locating them. On arrival, I was told that I had to fill out some forms. (I thought I had already done so, online, the previous day. Wrong!) After some ten minutes, a nurse came for me; she was just beginning to take my information when the fire alarm went off.
We all dutifully trooped outside. (She was paying close attention, and noted my shortness of breath.) After a few more minutes in the baking heat, they let us back in, and she completed her part of the examination - tut-tutting over my blood pressure ("Are you on blood pressure medicine?" "Er, no." "Should you be?" "Er...") and applying a - blessedly unfrozen - stethoscope to assorted points on my chest and back. I had just finished re-buttoning my shirt when she re-entered the room and told me to leave it unbuttoned for the doctor. :sigh:
The doctor then carried out most of the same tests the nurse had just applied, and concluded that I had an infection, treatable by antibiotics. He left to do the paperwork and write the prescription; I sat in the room and twiddled my thumbs, keeping an anxious eye on the clock. (The bus leaves at :40, every hour.) Eventually he returned, admitting that he wasn't, after all, sure about the infection; there was a possibility of fluid in the lungs. (He checked the other signs that would have gone along with that, all negative, but still....) He strongly advised that I get a chest X-ray. I agreed to this; he contacted a nearby radiology clinic - just off campus - to arrange for this. The clinic was right on the bus line, so (tick...tick...tick...) I could get there quickly without much exertion. He then sent me on to checkout.
There was another person at the checkout, and the clock continued to tick. It said :38 when I bolted from the room, paperwork in hand. I raced up the stairs, out the door, across the quad (shortness of breath making itself known again) - just in time to see the bus rolling away. No chance of catching it.
I wobbled my way back to the Science Building, to see if there was anyone there who could drive me over. (Short trip, 5-10 minutes max....) My luck finally turned; one of my colleagues agreed to get me there. Once at the clinic, there was some fussing about insurance data and all. (Yes, yes, I should have it all in my wallet, don't noodge me, OK?) Again keeping an eye on the clock; the next bus would pass by at about the :45 mark. They finally agreed to take the chance. Two quick snapshots of my chest, and they sent me on my way, with ten or so minutes to spare.
I began trudging over to the point where the bus would pass by - and one of the workers at the clinic drove by and offered me a ride home, which I gratefully accepted. (Have I mentioned how nice people around here are before?)
About half an hour after I got home, the doctor from Health Services called. The X-rays indicated no fluid in the lungs, so the diagnosis is pneumonia. "Get the antibiotics and start taking them; if you're feeling worse on Friday, come in again. In any case, I want to see you on Monday. And - oh, yes, about that blood pressure...."
:sigh:
About three Sundays ago, I caught an extremely persistent cold. At its worst, I was afflicted with... no, let's skip the catalog. By last Friday, it was finally petering out, reduced to occasional coughing, no more than that. Then Sunday came.
Ka-boom. Suddenly the cough had intensified and dropped deeper into my throat. I was hacking almost constantly, and even the two-block walk to Shop'n'Save left me short of breath. (The 90-90 weather was not exactly helping, either.) After a couple of days of dithering, consultation of a Home Medical Guide (one of the prestigious ones), and a call to sister C - the nurse - I decided that this was novel enough to deserve that rarest of events, a visit to the doctor.
I don't, at present, have a primary care physician, so I planned on using the Health Services on campus. Another couple of days elapsed before I found myself at the university again, at which point I called - and found that the next available appointment was the following day - today - at 2:30. (It's high summer, there are next to no students, how are they too busy?)
On reaching campus today, I checked to find just where Health Services was. Their web page said "room 0220" - without mentioning the freaking building. A bit more poking around led me to the conclusion that they were in the basement of the administration building, about five minutes walk from my office. So, at about 2:20, I set out.
They weren't in the admin building. I had to ask directions twice before finally locating them. On arrival, I was told that I had to fill out some forms. (I thought I had already done so, online, the previous day. Wrong!) After some ten minutes, a nurse came for me; she was just beginning to take my information when the fire alarm went off.
We all dutifully trooped outside. (She was paying close attention, and noted my shortness of breath.) After a few more minutes in the baking heat, they let us back in, and she completed her part of the examination - tut-tutting over my blood pressure ("Are you on blood pressure medicine?" "Er, no." "Should you be?" "Er...") and applying a - blessedly unfrozen - stethoscope to assorted points on my chest and back. I had just finished re-buttoning my shirt when she re-entered the room and told me to leave it unbuttoned for the doctor. :sigh:
The doctor then carried out most of the same tests the nurse had just applied, and concluded that I had an infection, treatable by antibiotics. He left to do the paperwork and write the prescription; I sat in the room and twiddled my thumbs, keeping an anxious eye on the clock. (The bus leaves at :40, every hour.) Eventually he returned, admitting that he wasn't, after all, sure about the infection; there was a possibility of fluid in the lungs. (He checked the other signs that would have gone along with that, all negative, but still....) He strongly advised that I get a chest X-ray. I agreed to this; he contacted a nearby radiology clinic - just off campus - to arrange for this. The clinic was right on the bus line, so (tick...tick...tick...) I could get there quickly without much exertion. He then sent me on to checkout.
There was another person at the checkout, and the clock continued to tick. It said :38 when I bolted from the room, paperwork in hand. I raced up the stairs, out the door, across the quad (shortness of breath making itself known again) - just in time to see the bus rolling away. No chance of catching it.
I wobbled my way back to the Science Building, to see if there was anyone there who could drive me over. (Short trip, 5-10 minutes max....) My luck finally turned; one of my colleagues agreed to get me there. Once at the clinic, there was some fussing about insurance data and all. (Yes, yes, I should have it all in my wallet, don't noodge me, OK?) Again keeping an eye on the clock; the next bus would pass by at about the :45 mark. They finally agreed to take the chance. Two quick snapshots of my chest, and they sent me on my way, with ten or so minutes to spare.
I began trudging over to the point where the bus would pass by - and one of the workers at the clinic drove by and offered me a ride home, which I gratefully accepted. (Have I mentioned how nice people around here are before?)
About half an hour after I got home, the doctor from Health Services called. The X-rays indicated no fluid in the lungs, so the diagnosis is pneumonia. "Get the antibiotics and start taking them; if you're feeling worse on Friday, come in again. In any case, I want to see you on Monday. And - oh, yes, about that blood pressure...."
:sigh:
