Whirlwind Day

Cameron came home from school yesterday with a note from the school nurse saying he might possibly have poison ivy. I call our doctors office and they tell me we cannot be seen until Thursday because their schedule is so full (I will deal with this at a later date) and they suggest to call the nurse's hotline to see about which urgent care facility our insurance allows us to go to. I call and finally speak to someone and answer their fifty questions and tell them my life story. She transfers me to the nurses hotline. I finally speak to someone there and she asks the same fifty questions. Except she irritates me further by REPEATING every one of my answers. Really. Here's an example:

What is the child's name? Cameron. C-A-M-E-R-O-N.

His last name? Gautreaux. G-A-U-T-R-E-A-U-X.

When is his birthday? 8-22-98. So that's August 22, 1998.

This goes on for every dang question she asks and takes twice as long and goes from humerous to darn irritating about four questions into it. Not to mention, it should all be right there on the screen, she is just verifying the information. I'm not applying for anything and we are no longer using the pen and paper system. She transfers me to speak to the actual nurse. Now this woman can ask some questions, the lady before was just warming me up. Two hundred questions and 20 minutes later, she got an ear full from me. We start with the same questions - my name, child's name, phone number, address, policy number, blah blah blah. This is when the real fun starts, and these are just a few of the questions....

Is the rash red? Yes. Purple? No. White? No. Clear? No.

Blood color? No. Are they the size of quarters? No. Nickels? No.

Dimes? No. Pencil eraser? No. Pen tip? Sure.

Do they itch? Yes. Are they swollen? Cameron, come here. No.

Has he taken any new meds? No. Are you sure? YES!

Has he eaten anything different or unusual? No. Are you sure? YES!!

How long has he had this rash? I don't know, he started to complain

about it today, maybe a few days. So you don't know how long the rash has been there? Well, if he doesnt tell me about it then no I do not. Are you pregnant? No. (Irritation is in full force now!).

Seriously, after 20 minutes of badgering, she tells me I need to call my doctor. I literally laughed out loud and said something like, "Are you serious? I've been on the phone with you this entire time so you can tell me to call my doctor? That's not why I'm calling you! I've already called. They can't see us until Thursday. I need to know which urgency care facility I can take him to! I'm not stupid, I know he needs to be seen!" She goes on to tell me she doesnt have that information and that it would be okay to wait until Thursday. I hung up the phone. She can go ahead and let her child's poison ivy spread all over their bodies, but I'm not doing that to my child (it's already on his face!!).

So we just went on to CVS' Minute Clinic. We have never been there before but heard good things, it was close to my Mom's house and since she offered to cook dinner for us since clearly I was not going to have time now, that's where we headed. LOVE these people - nice, helpful, very precise and timely. My kind of people!

While waiting though, Cameron tells me that when he was in the nurses office she told him that morning, "Your mother should have taken care of this at home." Problem - you went this morning and no one called me? Another problem - she said what?

I totally understand that bonehead parents send their kids to school sick. I'm not one of them and didnt know my child had a spreading rash. But, NEVER will you belittle or speak unkind words about me to my children. Never. Her job is to simply take care of my children and see to their medical needs when I am away. It is definitely not to comment or critique my job as a parent. Children have things come up while at school, she needs to simply take care of them. I could continue to curse this lady and her comment but I will leave it alone and off my blog. This I will deal with today.

To add humor to my fun day, I go to pick up Cameron's Rx at the CVS counter and realize I left his insurance card on the counter at home. At the same time I realize I had spilled my 20oz bottle of water in my purse. Ugh. This honestly didnt make me mad any more than I already was, I just laughed and smiled. Picture it friends, I held my cool and let it roll of my shoulder! Ah!!

I did complete the evening with my dearest friends. We all read a book together and then met for dessert (I mean, to discuss the book, that's right!). I ordered a Chocolate Tallcake with ice cream, and I needed every bit of the chocolate that was in each bite.

PS - I later found out that Cameron had told Jason about this rash last Thursday and thought then it was poison ivy. {thorat clear} Did anyone not find it necessary to tell me then? How does a man's brain work anyway? lol.