Sunday, August 31, 2008

Not an Infomercial, much

Update on the sick kid:

Ten took a TWO HOUR NAP today and woke up with a fever. He didn't want to eat lunch, he just wanted to sit around curled up in a blanket and
shiver and moan about his headache, earache, stuffy and sniffly nose .

You guessed it. We piled in the old Camry and headed back to CVS. I still heart Minute Clinic.

We waited for less than five minutes. Total. You know how when you go to your regular doctor's office you wait in the waiting room for the length of, oh, say the Democratic National Convention (and, dear Lord, that was LONG--not that I watched it or anything, EUW), and then you're finally shown back to the smaller room, the exam room, where you tell all your symptoms and problems and list the meds you're taking to the nurse. Then you wait another short eternity until the doctor finally graces you with his presence and you have to completely repeat everything you already told the nurse. What's the point of that, anyway? Then he goes away to write the prescription and a nurse brings it back to you, as if the All Mighty Doc is far too important to hand you the little piece of paper he scribbled his illegible signature on. Am I bitter? Maybe a little.

Because, at the Minute Clinic, there's none of that hoopla. For the same co-pay that I pay at my doctor's office, I waited less than five minutes before I was shown into the little room by the actual person who would be giving my kid the drugs to make him better. I didn't have to repeat anything. She didn't have to go away to write the scrip, but looked it up on the computer right there in front of me. Then I walked ten feet to the pharmacy counter and picked up his meds. Could that possibly be easier?

I realize that there's a time and place for seeing your regular doctor. In fact, my doctor used to be the Main Head Honcho Guy over that location of Minute Clinic. (In fact, I'm pretty sure that was the title printed on his ID card. MHHG for short.) If illnesses keep occurring then the patient's condition needs to be addressed more agressively. If there's a more serious illness then you need to see your regular doc. But a sinus/ear infection on a holiday weekend? Um, yeah. I'm loving the Minute Clinic so much right now.

Now, I do not own stock in CVS or Minute Clinic. But I kinda wish I did.

Seven is doing much better today. Now Ten has antibiotics, ear drops, tussin CF, and gallons of Gatorade so he should be on the mend soon too. Oh, and chocolate chip cookies. He's my kid after all and chocolate always makes me feel better.

1 comment:

Shelly Conn said...

Sorry your little guys haven't been feeling very good. Hope they are all better today! :)