Auto"Blog"raphy of a Waitress & Mom: Too Close For Comfort

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Too Close For Comfort

I started feeling bad well over a week ago. I attributed it to the fact I work too much, don't eat enough and have terrible sleeping habits. Last week on my day off I took a six hour nap on the living room sofa and woke up feeling not so much refreshed as more exhausted. My next day off I spent the entire day taking a nap with about the same results.

I'm my own worst enemy.

Finally made it through my Sunday day shift and collapsed into bed before six PM still wearing my work clothes. I told my daughter I was going to get up early and go to the doctor before work on Monday afternoon. I had a sinus headache the size of Texas, cold chills that wouldn't go away and my ears had started to hurt too. Not good signs.

I had to force myself out of bed Monday morning, changed out of my work clothes into jeans and a heavy sweater ( 75 degrees outside) and drove to the Minute Clinic run by Emory at the local CVS. I thought about trying to get in to see my own doctor but "Minute Clinic" sounded a lot quicker and accepted insurance.

Only one of the four little chairs were occupied so took that as a sign I'd made the right choice and sat in one, shivering. I sat and sat and sat. Guessed whoever was currently behind the door must be having open heart surgery or a lobotomy but forty five minutes later emerged just looking like an old dude in overalls. The nurse practitioner looked at me, asked my name, looked at her list and asked if I had signed in on the computer around the corner?

CRAP!

I went around the corner to wait behind a man who had come in thirty minutes after I had and put my name on the list. The nurse said I had nine people in front of me and called out three names. No one answered. She called out three more with the same non response. I considered that good luck except for that sneaky dude who already knew about the computer sign in. The one lady next to me went in next and sneaky dude went off shopping in the store with his wife. After the lady came out thirty minutes later another woman showed back up just as her named was called. The nurse said if no one else showed back up I'd be next. The woman going in patted me on my back and said "I won't take long at all, honey."

One hour later she emerged and felt like asking her how her hip replacement had gone? She did at least apologize for taking so long. I said I was just glad she hadn't gone in telling me "This may take a while."

Sneaky dude was still shopping for bargains with his wife I suppose and finally after well over two hours got my turn behind the (operating room) door. My temp was over 101, not pleasant for an adult. My blood pressure was only slightly elevated (duh) and heart rate was good. Bad news was bronchitis, a sinus infection, ear infection and throat appeared to have the signs on oncoming strep.

Good news was I have excellent health insurance now. The office visit cost me twenty five bucks, three prescriptions and an inhaler cost me forty. I almost felt lucky to be sick!

By this time I had already called out for my shift which was just about to start so got my prescriptions filled and went home, not undressing again and tumbled back into bed. I sweated for twenty four hours straight, hacked my head off for at least eight but just felt better knowing I would eventually be better now. I was off the next day and planned on picking up a shift. Not the best plan.

I had to take the next day off too. I wanted to go to work but for the life of me couldn't lift my matted head off the sweat soaked pillow. I consoled myself with the fact my paycheck was already pending in my bank account and was a pretty hefty one. I work where some people call out for no reason other than they can . I've worked there for almost two years and haven't called out once. I figured I was due.

I didn't feel human again until late this afternoon. My sheets were disgusting. My side was covered in dried sweat and the other side in dog hair where one pup was always in attendance to make mama feel better.

My comforter is in the dryer and sheets in the washer. The kids were awesome at bringing me something to eat every time I had to take the powerful antibiotic and can see remnants of every meal in the sink traps in the kitchen sink. It doesn't rattle when I breathe anymore, my ears stopped hurting and think I'll be just fine by the time I go in for a day shift tomorrow.