Yes, more sick time

Not long after posting my last entry, I started to feel my ears stuffing up. I heard less and less in both ears and there was more noise (tinnitus) in both ears. It got worse that night but I went to work on Friday. I called the doctor during the day to see if I could set up an appointment. The nurse said I just needed to take some Ibuprofen for any swelling and decongestants to let the fluid drain from my ears. She didn't think coming in would help. "We can't cure the flu or a cold," she said. I was exhausted by the end of the day. Everything seemed to take so long. Everything was a struggle. I couldn't even finish my lunch.

My energy levels dropped and my hearing was getting worse throughout Saturday so my wife insisted that I go to the Emergency Room. People clogging up the emergency rooms at hospitals is supposed to be one of the problems with our health care systems and I don't like to do it but I was desperate. I had no other option but to wait and hope it got better. My doctor does not have week-end (or evening) hours. The Emergency Room did not seem to be crowded and they took me into two separate rooms for initial checking (temperature, blood pressure etc) and registration quite quickly. I was feeling terrible but hopeful. Then came the hour and a half wait. I got to watch the end of the Red Sox-Angels game (Sox won). I'd forgotten to bring a book and there were no magazines (I would have settled for a "Highlights for Children" at that point).

Finally, I was taken in (at the same time as a fellow who had been there before me!) and given a small, separate room. A doctor arrived who was very quick and efficient. In about two minutes, he found that I had a sinus infection and prescribed an antibiotic to help. I would have liked to ask a few questions but he was off to help someone else. I was just glad for the confirmation that I wasn't just acting like a baby.

The prescription only called for two pills a day and it was so late when I got to the drug store to drop off the prescription, I didn't wait for the pills that night. I was only able to take the first pill Sunday morning. Today, Monday, after taking the third pill, I'm feeling a lot better. I still can't hear very much. I hope this will improve as the rest of the conditions improve. My hearing problem may take a more involved diagnosis.

But I regret that I ruined Easter for my family. We didn't get to go to the Easter service. We didn't have a big Easter dinner. I also regret that my doctor's office didn't spend the two minutes it would have taken to discover that I had an infection. Instead, I was forced to pay $100 for the same service. As an aside - it's all well and good that insurance companies want to discourage us from going to the Emergency Room by tacking on a big co-payment - but what do you do when there's no option? Maybe my doctor's office will cover the $100 for me. Right. I hope to be back at work tomorrow. I may not be able to hear but maybe that will help me get more work done without being interrupted my people talking or phones ringing.

And we continue to wait for the results of the oncologists report of our dog Charlie's skin tumors. He got through the operation fine and he is back to his old jolly self. He doesn't have to worry. That what he has people for.