Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Spring!

Spring is great... I am graduating with my library degree and can finally call myself a librarian, I am enjoying warm weather. On the other hand, last week was pretty miserable because the evil tree and grass pollen was giving me a very painful headache despite the claritin I was taking. Then, I took sudafed to relieve my stuffiness and boy was that a mistake... I didn't sleep for two nights and ended up feeling like a cracked out zombie at work on Saturday.

I waited all weekend to see a doctor since there are virtually no urgent care facilities in New Brunswick, which by the way calls itself the "healthcare city." Then on Monday after several extremely annoying encouters with an answering service I made an appointment with an allergist because his office was the only one answering their phone at 9 am on a Monday. I went to the allergist, started signing in, and was informed that I needed a referral from my primary care physician (would have been nice if she'd asked me if I had one when I made the appointment!).

Unfortunately, my PCP would not give me a referral since I had never been to see him, and he didn't have any appointments until Wednesday. My only option was to go through the entire list of doctors covered by my insurance in the area and find someone who had an opening, then change them to my primary care physician. Since I hadn't been to them before, most of them wouldn't see me. I probably called 20 places before I found a kind receptionist who fit me in. Three hours of work missed just to GET the doctor's appointment! Now I have flonase and all is well. I have to say, for what is supposedly good insurance, this was the most trouble I've ever had getting access to healthcare, and in the "healthcare city" no less.

Okay, I'm done ranting. I am enjoying many things about spring, like the freesia and peonies I have on the kitchen table and the flowering trees outside (they aren't the evil allergy causing ones-- they aren't wind-pollenated). I also am finally able to drive our new car with some degree of success-- It's a manual transmission. And I have two more evenings and my weekends free now because I don't ever have to go to class again-- ever! Really! After 18 consecutive years of school I will live without homework. Halleluja.