Doctor's Visit and Attempt to Stop the Pain

Had a 4 pm appt with Dr Sands. This would be the first time I would leave my bed - and walk - othan to the bathroom a short walk away - in over a week. The pain in my left leg is excruciating. Only by lying on my belly does it subside.

Walked down the stairs, holding onto the wall, then out thru the door.

I'll go the long way, I said to Scott, who walked by my side. I wore a long skirt - much easier to put on than pants - two sweaters - and a pair of little socklets I got from Aunt Selma on my trip to Cleveland. Shoes were out, excruciating to take on and off.

Scott opened the back door of my car, I flung myself inside on my belly, and scrunched upward to the door.

I'm in, I said, bending my knees upward.

He slammed the door and we were off.

I had to tell him the easiest way to get to the dr's office, which meant hunching up on my elbows and peeking out at the world from the backseat.

How neat! I told him the special way to go...Mill Road, which got us onto Easton Road faster.

He had the handicap placard from my glove compartment swinging on the rearview meer and we parked in that blue zone.

It was a long painful wait but finally we were taken back. My bloodpressure was taken and it was normal, unlike in the ER when it was quite high. I'd lost 7 pounds in a week. Not that Scott doesn't feed me.

They also asked me when I planned to schedule my next eye appt.

Soon Dr Sands came in. He inspires confidence. His stethoscope is always wrapped in something quirky. Today it looked like a very fancy tallis or yalmulcha. He wears very comfy shoes. He's the no. 2 man in the practice under the head, Dr Morris Gross or Weiss, I forget which name.

You know what? I thought to myself this morning.

We all want to be great. Or at least, some of us do. I sure do. How do we measure greatness? I think Bill Hess is great. Visit his blog. Tell him Ruthie sent you.

Dr Sands sits w/his laptop on his lap and peers at you under his specs. He's a minor comedian. I'm looking right at him from my belly. But I'm centered at my head cuz that's where our brains our..our mind, which has taken second place to our left leg.

They keep good records on their computer at North Willow Grove Family Medicine. The results of all my phone calls are on there.

I ascertain that my regular doctor is on vacation, staying home with his little son.

He's gonna prescribe me Prednisone, which he believes will alleviate the pain. He leaves the room a moment and presto he comes back with a typed-up scrip for Prez plus sample packets of a laxative he believes will end a 6-day seige, a sort of interior Battle of the Alamo. POW POW POW!

I shuffle out, pay my $20 co-pay, go to their water fountain and drink a huge cup of water.

SUFFERING makes me thirsty.

As we drive out, we ponder what drugstore to go to..the closest.

Ah! How bout the Willow Grove Giant. So Scott fills the prescription, picks up a few groceries while waiting, and comes back to the car.

At dinnertime, I take the precious pills BUT RUTHIE FAILS TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.

I take ONE Prednisone pill instead of SIX. And claim to feel substantially better in the morning. "Placebo effect" cries Ada Fleisher correctly.

So next day, today, I take all six of em at noon, five hours ago. Am doing fine. No perceptible changes tho I haven't subjected myself to walking.

Then I read the bottle label. And realize something important. What's the schedule of the six? Three in the morning, three in the evening?

I call the Giant Pharmacy whose no. is posted very legibly on the bottle. The pharmacist assures me it's fine. I can hear him working in the background. Always working. Did they expect the Miners to work during the 33 days of their captivity?

That's where we stand. A message to all you sick people out there, including depressed sick people: You mustn't feel guilty for being sick. It's not your fault. Do what you can while you're sick. That includes eating canned chicken soup directly out of the can w/o adding extra water.

EASY does it, as us drug addicts say.