Monday, March 1, 2010

Spring is in the Air

And so is the pollen.

The flowers on the trees are blooming, it's 60 degrees outside (just had to rub it in a little for my east coast Eskimos friends) and my 6 year old can't stop rubbing his eyes.

I mentioned last week that we had a trip to the urgent care. Yes, I took him to urgent care for his allergies. It's more of a clinic than urgent care. Anyway, I had to. The school nurse said he had pink eye.

I took my son at 7pm to the urgent care clinic. We waited for half an hour. Then a lady wearing shorts came in the room. Shorts, in February. And high heels. So high that she wobbled when she walked. And the high heeled shoes had ankle straps. She had grey hair pulled back in a pony tail. Oh, and she was wearing a white lab coat. Yes, the short-wearing, wobbling lady was the doctor.

I explained that my son has seasonal allergies and that the school nurse thought he had pink eye.

She looked at his eye and said she couldn't tell if it was allergies or pink eye, but the eye was definitely red and swollen.

Her solution? She told me to wait until the morning. If he can't open his eye because it's all crusted over, then he has pink eye. If not, he has allergies. $50 please.

Not so fast! "So what should I do if he has pink eye?"

"Oh, here's a prescription for eye drops."

"And what do I do if it's not pink eye?"

"Then he has allergies." I could here the duh tone in her voice.

"Well, the nurse won't let him back to school with red eyes."

"Ok, here's a note saying he can go back to school."

"Thanks, but is there anything else I can do for his red eyes. He's already taking Claritin and it doesn't seem to be working."

"Ok, here's another prescription for eye drops for allergies. Now $50 please."

So I left that clinic not knowing anymore than I did when I walked in. But I did have prescriptions and a note! That night I filled the prescription for the allergy eye drops, because that's what I thought was the problem.

The next morning, his eyes were still red, but not crusty. I gave him the drops and he went to school. That was almost a week ago.

This morning his eyes were hurting so bad that he woke up crying. So I thought maybe I should take him back to the doctor. Well, his normal pediatrician, not the short-wearing, high-heel-wearing, wobbly lady. But after talking with my husband we thought it might be worth just trying the other prescription that we already had.

I dropped the prescription off at the pharmacy this morning. When I picked it up the pharmacist explained how to use the ear drops. I interrupted her. "Isn't it for his eyes?" I asked. The pharmacist went in the back and I could hear some arguing. She came out and apologized for the error. Then told me that they didn't have the eye drops in stock. She called two other pharmacies for me. No place had the eye drops in stock. So she was going to order them and they would be there tomorrow.

2 hours later the pharmacy called. The lady told me that that medication doesn't actually come in eye drops. It's only available in ear drops. This only strengthens my confidence in the clinic "doctor." The pharmacist told me that she had already called the doctor's office and left a message. I thanked her. What a wonderful pharmacy I have.

I immediately called the clinic. The receptionist was very slow. She asked me four times what date my son was in the office. She took the information and said she would get back to me. She never did.

How many more weeks until winter??

12 comments:

TALON said...

Awww! Poor boy with his sore eyes! I hope you can get the proper prescription. How crazy is that? It's scary to think a doctor could make a mistake like that!

And please - bite your tongue! I'm still counting the days until Spring officially arrives here :) Of course, I don't suffer from seasonal allergies and I'm sure that would change my feelings.

Lynn said...

It sounds as if you and your son fell into a parallel universe in that clinic. That doctor doesn't even sound for real - how awful that she prescribed ear drops for his eye. No wonder it is still red. Crazy shorts wearing doctor needs to be taken to task for that.

hokgardner said...

I feel for your son. It's high allergy season here, and my oldest daughter and I are suffering terribly.

Michelle said...

Ohhh your poor boy. I can't imagine having to wake up like that. I will, however, take this as a lesson that when my doctor asks me not to go to those clinics, I won't go to those clinics ;) Here's hoping he's feeling better now!

Fire Hunt said...

we have snow here... boo

LuAnne Lizotte said...

Oh, Cookie how terrible. You talk about being a professional. Not!!! I hope your little one is getting better in spite of the "doctor" lol

Joyce-Anne said...

I hope the next time you need to go to the urgent, you get someone who is more professional. As one who also suffers from seasonal allergies, my heart goes out to you and him. I hope he feels better soon.

Jannie Funster said...

That is just fundamentally WRONG. What the heck is wrong with those people!?!? A little compassion people. A little, um. attention to detail. And perhaps a teeny smidge of professionalism could be tried.

Jeez, things like this really rile me up.


Arrrg.

Hope the little darling is better now?

Our allergies are popping out all over here.

girlytwins said...

OMGosh. I would be so livid. I cannot tolerate when Dr's mess up. I know they are human but still. You are messing with people's lives. Not cool!!

Momisodes said...

Oh geez! What a nightmare. It astounds me how incompetent people are. I am so sorry you had this runaround. I thought there was a film or paper that they can place on the eye to test for pink eye infections. :( They did that to me years ago. Stung like crazy but it worked.

I really hope your son feels better soon.

Maude Lynn said...

Is everyone sure that this so called "doctor" didn't just wander in off the street? That is scary!

imbeingheldhostage said...

wow. just wow. I guess you could be thankful she DIDN'T actually thoroughly examine your son since it's obvious she's not all there. wow.