misssara11 | Blargh.

So, I don't get really sick beyond the occasional cold or flu very often. I go to the doctor even less often. I don't even have a regular doctor, that's how little I go (don't try to convince it's better if I go and all that jazz, I won't listen). So, when I do it, I do it right.

A few years ago my right ear started hurting. Specifically the ear canal. I caved and went to the doctor at a local urgent care center, because they took my insurance and was much cheaper than the ER. He told me I had an outer ear skin infection. He prescribed me drops that cost $75.00 with insurance. My ear hasn't been right since. The wax never really hardened and it itched all the time.

Yesterday it started hurting like it did those years ago. So, back to the Readimed for me. I forgot to take something to do and waited for a half hour. But once I got in, I was happy to see I weighed what I thought (too much, I'm aware but hey, it could have been higher). My blood pressure was fine but I'm running a temperature.

The PA (which I'm fine with) came in, looked at both ears, told me the right ear canal was red and inflamed (duh) and that I had fluid behind the ear drum. The last bit was news to me. I was officially diagnosed with otitis externa and serous otitis media. Basically, my ear is messed up.

Got prescriptions and was off to the pharmacy. I got the generic versions of everything, gave my insurance (which normally is good, when I had to get pain killers after getting a tooth pulled a couple of years ago, I paid like a buck for it) and still paid $104 in medication.

The pharmacist agreed, it was ridiculous. So, I have an antibiotic by mouth, ibuprofen cold and sinus, and ear drops.