getting ill really sucks
I have a family physician, well, for me, it's actually a personal physician I guess. Anyway, I noticed an infection over the weekend and knew on Monday I would need to get some antibotics. 
I'll leave out the gross details where appropriate. And the trouble only began...
I've found out the hard way getting sick over the weekend is not the best time to do so. With an HMO you have two options: (1) wait until Monday and suffer through the painful symptoms, or (2) go to the emergency room (even though it's not a true emergency) and get treated earlier - but pay a huge bill. When I got bit by a kitten last year (it wasn't one of my own) I needed to go to the hospital because the puncture wound in my thumb was pretty deep. I ended up paying a $50 co-pay for the emergency room visit and another $75 directly to the physician who treated me - because she'a an independant contractor and does not directly work for the hospital. What a neat way for the medical industry to get more money out of you.
Okay, enough diversion. So I decided to wait it out until Monday (after reading onWebMD what it might be from the symptoms (leaving gross stuff out here). So I call up my family doctor as soon as they open at 9am Monday morning. Oh, here we go...
Turns out my doctor is on vacation this week. Golf trip maybe? Just kidding, doc. Anyway, they refer me to another doctor down the street. I am on the phone with the receptionist three times throughout the morning and afternoon. Finally, turns out the physician has no time to see me. Then I'm informed the doctor I've been referred to is not in on Tuesday or Thursday and is booked solid on Wednesday. I'm asked would Friday be okay? Uh, no (leaving out gross stuff here).
So they refer me to the one of the county health department's clinics that is no more than 10 minutes from my house.
That would have worked out fine - except that the specific clinic I went to has no availablilty to see me until Thursday. I'm asked would Thursday be okay? Uh, no (leaving out gross stuff here).
The lady at the clinic refers me to the downtown branch of the county health department where their main clinic is located. She says if I get there early the next day (Tuesday) I can get in line and wait to be treated on a first-come, first-served basis.
So after work (I work from 1am to 9am Monday to Friday), I get at the clinic by 9:30am. Since they have been open for two hours at the point, I received number 19. At least I got my favorite number - which is a good sign. Six hours later - yes, six hours, I leave the clinic tired and haggered less $30 (though my insurance won't be billed at all) with a prescription of antibotics. Finally, this afternoon I'm feeling better... four full days after major symptoms started (leaving out gross stuff here) and six days after my throat began to not quite right. I wonder if the standardized medicine in Canada can be much worse.
Moral of the story: don't get sick... and if you do, plan it in adavance with your doctor's vacation schedule to make certain he or she will be in the office that week so you can set up an appointment with little hassle.
I'll leave out the gross details where appropriate. And the trouble only began...I've found out the hard way getting sick over the weekend is not the best time to do so. With an HMO you have two options: (1) wait until Monday and suffer through the painful symptoms, or (2) go to the emergency room (even though it's not a true emergency) and get treated earlier - but pay a huge bill. When I got bit by a kitten last year (it wasn't one of my own) I needed to go to the hospital because the puncture wound in my thumb was pretty deep. I ended up paying a $50 co-pay for the emergency room visit and another $75 directly to the physician who treated me - because she'a an independant contractor and does not directly work for the hospital. What a neat way for the medical industry to get more money out of you.
Okay, enough diversion. So I decided to wait it out until Monday (after reading onWebMD what it might be from the symptoms (leaving gross stuff out here). So I call up my family doctor as soon as they open at 9am Monday morning. Oh, here we go...
Turns out my doctor is on vacation this week. Golf trip maybe? Just kidding, doc. Anyway, they refer me to another doctor down the street. I am on the phone with the receptionist three times throughout the morning and afternoon. Finally, turns out the physician has no time to see me. Then I'm informed the doctor I've been referred to is not in on Tuesday or Thursday and is booked solid on Wednesday. I'm asked would Friday be okay? Uh, no (leaving out gross stuff here).
So they refer me to the one of the county health department's clinics that is no more than 10 minutes from my house.
That would have worked out fine - except that the specific clinic I went to has no availablilty to see me until Thursday. I'm asked would Thursday be okay? Uh, no (leaving out gross stuff here).The lady at the clinic refers me to the downtown branch of the county health department where their main clinic is located. She says if I get there early the next day (Tuesday) I can get in line and wait to be treated on a first-come, first-served basis.
So after work (I work from 1am to 9am Monday to Friday), I get at the clinic by 9:30am. Since they have been open for two hours at the point, I received number 19. At least I got my favorite number - which is a good sign. Six hours later - yes, six hours, I leave the clinic tired and haggered less $30 (though my insurance won't be billed at all) with a prescription of antibotics. Finally, this afternoon I'm feeling better... four full days after major symptoms started (leaving out gross stuff here) and six days after my throat began to not quite right. I wonder if the standardized medicine in Canada can be much worse.
Moral of the story: don't get sick... and if you do, plan it in adavance with your doctor's vacation schedule to make certain he or she will be in the office that week so you can set up an appointment with little hassle.
posted by Jono @ 3:02 PM
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