Grateful Friday

I am grateful for doctors.  Specifically my eye doctors.

I had a bit of drama yesterday.

During the afternoon, my eye started hurting.  Then it started hurting more.  Then more.  Then more.  It wasn't even my problem child left eye, but my right one.

After school, I was talking to Jamie and she asked, "Are you OK?"

I said, "Yeah, I'm just having an eye problem."

She looked at me with all the concern of a mother and teacher and it felt like she was having an internal debate about what she was going to do with me.

Camie came in my room to tell me we are getting another new student and my eye was so messed up, I felt like I couldn't look at her properly.  It was this weird stabbing pain like nothing I'd ever experienced.

I said, "I'm sorry, my eye is struggling."

She said, "It looks like it!  You should go home."

It was early yet and I had the inevitable to do list and scatter of piles on my desk.

I said, "I will."

But then a little time passed and I decided I would leave early.  I was not being productive.  I saw Jamie in the hall and she said, "You'd better be going home.  Are you?"

Driving home was agony.  The sunlight made my eye way worse.  My sunglasses didn't even help that much.  I finally made it home and took my contact out, thinking that would solve the problem.  It didn't.  My eye still felt like it was being stabbed and it hurt to open it and it hurt to close it.

I realized it was still in the 4:00 hour and I called my eye doctor's office.  I explained my woes and they told me that Dr. Ward, my regular doctor, wasn't in but that Dr. Meyers was.  They said, "Come right now."

I debated about asking Nola to drive me, but I decided it was faster to just go.  Back into the stabbing sunlight I went.  I got to my doctor's office and it was dim and had the usual instrumental primary songs playing in the background which was my first indication when I went to that doctor's office for the initial time about 7 years ago that I was not in Kansas anymore.

I had never seen Dr. Meyers before, but he was very nice.  He put deadening drops in my eye which was sublime.  He looked at my problem left eye and said it was OK, then he looked at my Big Problem right eye and said, "Oh, there it is."

Then he went on to describe the bacterial infection that was "burrowing" into my cornea.

If there is an eye party to be had, I'm in, apparently.

He prescribed antibiotic eye drops.  He said we were going to be really aggressive and to take the drops every hour as soon as I got them.  He said, "You caught it early and that is good."  I thanked him and drove to Walgreens.  The deadening drops were still doing their magic and I felt like all would be well.

(Narrator:  the saga was not over.)

After waiting in line behind a woman who was not happy about the cost of her prescription and arguing with the young woman at the drive thru who obviously had nothing to do with the cost, it was finally my turn. 

They said, "We don't have anything for you.  It isn't in the system.  Maybe the doctor forgot to call it in?"

I called my doctor's office and they were closed by then--it was after 5:00.

I parked and walked inside of Walgreens, because I didn't have any better ideas and I wanted to be aggressive.  (I went to a lot of high school basketball games when I was growing up and all those cheerleaders yelling Be Aggressive!  Be Be Aggressive! had made an impact.)

I explained my conundrum to the guy behind the counter and I said, "Is there any chance it is in the system somewhere?"  (I clearly have no idea about the system, but can we check some super secret hiding place?)

He was apologetic but if there is a super secret hiding place, he didn't know it either.

My doctor's office voice mail had said that if there was a medical emergency, you could call Dr. Ward's cell phone.  I briefly debated if it was an emergency (was I dying?).  The deadening drops were wearing off and I was thinking about "burrowing into your cornea" so I decided yes, maybe I was dying.

I called the cell phone.  Dr. Ward was incredibly kind.  He has always reminded me a little of my brother Ammon.  He said the long name of the medicine and asked, "Is that what was prescribed?"

I said, "Maybe?"

He said he would call it into the Lindon Walmart, was that OK?

I said, "Yes!" and I was sure that all would be well.

(Narrator:  the saga was not over.)

I stood in a long line with my eye throbbing and watering down my face faster than I could deal with it.  It was Walmart so no one noticed or gave me a second look.  The guy at the front of the line was arguing with the woman behind the counter about the cost of his prescription and it is clear to me that the people behind the counters at pharmacies don't get paid enough.  What an awful job!

I tried to be very well mannered when it was my turn.  

Except they had no record of my prescription.  It wasn't in the system.  Maybe my doctor forgot?

I said, "He just said he would call it in."

They directed me to the other end of the pharmacy with a young woman to help me.  Her blue Walmart shirt was covered with Mickey Mouse pins and she had a bright yellow tag that read, "Tech in Training."

So clearly they hadn't given me someone more experienced to handle the problem, but less.

She clicked her keyboard for a long time and confirmed that no, I wasn't in the system. 

She said they hadn't received a fax.

I said, "He was going to call."

A grumpy lady next to my Mickey enthusiast didn't look up, but clicked a button on the phone and an automated voice said, "No new messages."

So we were at an impasse.  Then she noticed a nearby slip of paper with the information handwritten on it.  

We were in business!  All would be well.

(Narrator:  not yet.)

She said, "That should be ready in about 30 minutes."

I know when I've been beat.

I called Adam, who was on his way home.  I said, "Will you get my prescription at Walmart?"

He agreed.  Of course he did.

So I have been aggressively giving myself eye drops and I don't know if I will ever wear my contacts again.  I don't want to wear glasses, but like my dad used to tell me and like I tell my students, often:

You don't have to want to.

I am so very grateful for my kind doctors though!  My eye feels a lot better this morning!  Also, I'm grateful for Adam.  That kid is always my knight in shining armor.  He even brought home soup and bread.

I really think all will be well.