The Dreaded Ear Saga - Part 2

Oh my, I'm in love.

I decided I couldn't live with my stopped up ears any more. I was going to have to break down and see the dreaded local Primary Care Physician (whom I dislike.) I called to make an appointment this morning and the receptionist said they couldn't find my patient records. That meant that even though I've been going to this doc for ten years I would be classified as a "new" patient. Oh, and he's not accepting new patients.

Well f*** me running. I can't go see the ENT without a referral from the PCP and the PCP won't see me. Watch me seethe about the f***edness of medical care f***edness in south Arkansas.

However, receptionista said that I could see the Nurse Practitioner. Yes! Yes! Will be more than happy too. Turns out I could see her this afternoon. Wow!

She was FABULOUS!!!!! Love, love, love her! She actually LISTENED to what I had to say about my own body and what was wrong. Even though my ears looked perfectly fine to her, she actually believed me when I said they were stopped up. I talked a while, she listened, she asked questions, I clarified. We discussed options, outcomes, Plan Bs. For the first time in my life I felt as though I was treated as a semi-intelligent person by a medical care provider, not just another cow in the herd that day.

I was so in love with her by the end of the visit I would have happily accepted the verdict of three months in a body cast if that's what she had recommended.

If anybody's interested, she gave me a shot of steroids in my hiney to see if that would reduce the inflammation in the eustachian tubes so they would drain. It seemed to be working at first, but now ten hours later I know it wasn't the miracle cure I was hoping for.

We shall be going to Plan B on Wednesday.

But I'm still in love.