Doctor

My sore ear is still giving me pain, and there is a long weekend coming up. It is never good to have a medical problem on the back burner when a long weekend is imminent.

9am. I call the clinic right on opening time of 9am, (usually 8.30am but they are starting late with its holiday hours. I wonder what half an hour does for them?) to try and get one of the cancelled appointments, which I get at 9.30am. 

"Is that too soon?" asks the receptionist.

"I'll take it," I say.

It is the best way to get an appointment with my doctors, now a days, otherwise you are looking at weeks before you can see a doctor if you book in the normal way. And at least some of the time I even get to see my own doctor.

I have a shower and leave the house.

9.30am. I am at the doctor. My sore ear is feeling kind of better, I think, as I sit in the waiting room. (That turns out to be psychosomatic) I see a doctor I haven't seen before. He seems nice enough. A fat queen with a big arse, but no judgement. (seriously, what am I like?)

He says he would only really recommend antibiotics for people who are really sick, or children. "It should just get better by itself."

"Yeah, okay, sure, I think, nervously. I get it, I understand we over prescribe antibiotics.

I get a script for antibiotics, in case my ear gets worse, with the long weekend coming up and all. 

"Just if it gets worse," says Doctor M.

"Sure," I say. I am board with that. It is kind of a safety blanket.

I get my indigestion and cholesterol scripts too, while I am there. I try not to go to the doctor as little as I can.

I get blood test paper work for my annual blood test. (He looked it up and told me it was due. It was my very next question) Cholesterol and prostate, inherited from my father. I'd already had breakfast so I’ll have to come back and get it done next week, you know, under a starvation situation.

I get him to look at lump in the corner of my eye. Oh yes, I have another one in the same spot as the one I just had cut out, on the other eye. He says it looks benign. He suggests, perhaps, its okay as it has been there for some time and hasn't changed in any way.

"If it grows, we can cut it out."

Ah, yeah, that is what I am hoping to avoid, I think. When did I last put on the two applications per day of cream, I think?

$85. Ah, what happened to universal health care, I think. Thank you 10 years of Australian conservative govts, is my next thought.

Their machine isn't working when I go to pay.

"I was going to pay with cash," I say.

"Oh," says the receptionist. "Do you have the exact amount because we don't have change."

"Oh, um, no, not the exact amount."

"It will have to be card then," she says.

"But, you just said your machine was offline."

"Yes, yes it is."

Ah, the modern world.