The long road to a prescription ...

All I needed was a couple minutes for a doctor to look at me and confirm that I was sick and write me a prescription for some antibiotics. Being sick for several weeks was getting very, very old.

It should not be this complicated.

See, I work as a full-time substitute teacher.

I do not get benefits.

I am a broke single father.

It was a Saturday afternoon.

So, I went to a place where I was a patient the day I rolled the van two years ago since it was the closest thing to a doctor I have and I was already on file. Filling out all that new patient paperwork is a drag. I talked to the receptionist and she was friendly, but honest about how expensive it would be. The bare minimum amount would be $150 for a meeting that would last at most a few minutes (but I would get 25% off if paid at time and she could not guarantee that it would be only 150$). I made some notes on a business card and left, knowing I was not going back.

Explaining that you are bargain shopping for medical circumstances at 41 years old because you are a broke single father with health insurance is the sort of thing that sounds like a campaign commercial for Universal Health care. I admit, a little socialism felt like it would be a good thing on Saturday.

The next place wasn't open ...

Frustration does not begin to describe my feelings.

I was agitated and swearing at all of my circumstances.

I had actually joked with a friend a few days earlier, "Hey you got any spare antibiotics?"

After the 2nd failure I stopped by a pharmacy to see what might be available over the counter. Only topical antibiotics are OTC. Yes, there are such things as stupid questions and this was one of them, but had to check even though I KNEW it was a stupid question.

The next morning I felt sick and it was more of the same. I decided to skip it, but ended up going after all and explaining myself again. I met another nice receptionist. She went into the back and explained me to the nice doctor that kept the cost down and wrote me an inexpensive prescription ...

It has been a few years since I took medication. I went to the pharmacist hoping inexpensive would be affordable. Eight bucks ain't bad. Then I had the Irish pharmacist explaining to me the side effects. It was hard to listen when you are giggling so much inside. Sorry, but an Irish accent explaining that you may get hives and soft bowel movements and spend a lot of time running to the toilet was funny at the time.

And it is a good thing that I did listen - and read the info on the meds included with the prescription - because after all that ...

... it turns out I am allergic to most antibiotics.

Yes, hives and all.