pneumonia

Well, I'm blogging from bed, layered under at least four heavy blankets feeling worse than I ever have in my entire life. It's worse than morning sickness, worse than strep, worse than watching Alabama win on a day when Auburn lost :-)

I have pneumonia.

Yesterday, I had chest pains and it felt "cold" in my chest when I took deep breaths. At one point, my teeth were chattering so bad I was sure I was about to break them :-). Fever spiked at 103.7, so I went to the doctor this morning thinking I had the flu. Chest x-rays proved otherwise. I had to get two shots-one antibiotics and one steriod. The antibiotic shot sent me into a dizzy spell, my vision blurred, and I nearly passed out. The nurse kept saying to me, "Say something, darling, stay with me." But then she fanned me and kept a cool cloth on my face for a while and that was nice. I remember thinking, I did not sign up for this! :-)

Had a terrible experience with the doctor...I've stopped going to my General Practitioner because every time I go I have to sit through no less than a half hour of family history medical questions and it's never quicker than a two-hour ordeal; plus at the end of the visit I usually end up getting referred to some other doctor-very frustrating.

(I've asked some friends for referrals, but turns out, none of those offices are taking new patients-great :-(

Thinking I just had the flu and needed a quick prescription for Tamiflu, I took my chances at Phoenix Emergency Care where you can just walk in. I've been there before. Nothing to rave about, but nothing terrible. Well, there was a lady doctor there today, one I've never seen before. Before I got my shots, I forgot to tell her that I was still nursing Jack (bad oversight, I know, but my head was spinning so bad and I felt so awful, it just slipped my mind). Before she wrote my prescription (and after I received the shots), I asked her to make sure the Rx was safe for nursing moms. She promptly scolds me for not telling her sooner (again, I agree, she's right, but her tone is way out of line), and then she says, (and I quote), "I'm a nursing mom too, and I would never forget to tell the doctor something like that."

Seriously!?! How rude! There were three or four other things she did during the visit that I thought were bad manners for doctors, and she didn't even show up to the office until 90 minutes after they had opened (I went first thing at 8am hoping to be in and out-yeah right!) I left at 11am. 3 HOURS!

They sent me out to the waiting room to wait on my prescription, and after a half hour more of waiting, I go up to the nurses desk and ask them to check on it. I'm crying at this point, and I don't even care. I feel so awful and have had such a horrible experience -I'm fearful I won't even be able to drive home I'm so dizzy- I just want to run home to the safety of my bed. Twenty minutes after that, they finally give me the Rx. My face is red, streaked with hot tears, and I leave. They didn't even schedule a follow-up. Not that I'd ever visit that place again.

So, I'm back to square one: MUST FIND GOOD DOCTOR! I don't even feel confident in the care I received today, so I'm wondering if I should have another dr. look at me if I don't feel better soon. And I definitely want a follow-up chest x-ray in a month when this thing should be out of my chest.

So, anyone love their doctor? And I mean, LOVE. I'm through with mediocre doctors. People should give a crap about how they do their job. I can honestly say I never strived to just be a mediocre teacher-the little ones I was interacting with daily were too important for that. And doctors should feel the same way!

Sorry for the rant today. But I'm stuck in bed, I miss my kids (Jason's taking sick leave to be Mr. Mom, thank God), I've already taken two naps today, and I'm just feeling worse than I ever have before. And I won't be able to go to Bunco tomorrow night, to boot! Boo!