Adding insult to injury

I mentioned that Nick caught strep a couple of weeks ago, and then passed it on to my mom.

What I didn't mention was that I was sure I was gonna get it too. All I have to do is hear a rumor of somebody somewhere getting it, and I will catch it. Add up all the times my family (parents, brothers, husband, children) have caught it, and you probably won't even equal half the times I have.

Seriously.

I've been sucking down the Emergen-C like it's my favorite drink in the whole wide world.

After two weeks I thought I was in the clear. Surprised, but really happy about it.

And then- I woke up Thursday morning with a sore throat and an ear ache. "It's just a cold" I optimistically told myself as I popped some Ibuprofen and Sudafed. And as the day progressed I felt worse and worse. Headache, body aches, swollen glands, and finally a fever and chills.

I couldn't drive so I asked John to take me to the Urgent Care down the street.

I walked in the door in my pajamas, thick socks, and my warmest fleece jacket. I was freezing.

"Hi, how can we help you?"

"I have strep throat."

"Oh. Well then why are you here?"

I bit my tongue, but what I wanted to say, was "because you have the drugs. I might be able to diagnose myself on the rare occasion, because you know, I've been through this before, several times in fact, but I'm pretty certain any fungus I might be able to grow in my fridge is not the medicinal kind."

I'm probably making a bigger deal out of this, but seriously "Why are you here?" ?!?!

Does it really bother medical personnel that much when people like me with no medical training diagnose themselves? And do they have to be snotty about it?

They couldn't just humor me, and say something patronizing like "you won't mind if we have a real doctor confirm that with a strep culture will you?" Did they have to be rude about it?

And then they wanted me to fill out their information form, only instead of paper, they gave me a mini computer thing, kind of like a chunky ipad. It took some time for me to convince them that I wasn't going to steal it, but I really just wanted to stand outside in the glorious 110 degree heat (I never thought I would prefer the Arizona heat in July to air-conditioning, but the day had come) because my fleece jacket was no match for their air-conditioned waiting room.

I don't know, maybe I looked like some junkie off the street. (I looked pretty bad) I did leave my wallet at home, and therefore had no ID with me (John had to run home and get it) but still, when you've got a girl who's strongest desire at that moment is to lay on the sidewalk that's been soaking up that hot Arizona summer sun, could you try to be nice to her, or at least not so rude?

That's all I'm asking for. Oh and drugs. Anti-biotics at the very least. And I wouldn't say no to some painkillers either. Percocet is my fave.

(PS in the end, the medical staff that actually treated me were very nice and professional, but I have no desire to be BFF's with the girl at the front desk any time soon)

(PPS- and I was so right. It was strep. But I am feeling much better now.)