Momnesia

Media Frenzy Over Swine Flu Runs Out of Relevent Interview Subjects

AUGUSTA, GA - So, NBC Augusta came out to the house on Friday to interview me on the availability of children's Tamiflu... As though I have anything intelligent to say on the matter. Daughter sick. Medicine hard to find. Thank god for Hill Drug.

And while I was struggling to look and sound like a caring, intelligent mom (I know, I know; it's a stretch), I was also struggling not to throw up. I figured that I'd caught the demon flu from my child (who had been diagnosed not at her pediatrician's office, but at an prompt care facility down the street from them).

Maybe not. Now I can't hear out of my left ear and my throat is so sore I can barely swallow. So it could be an inner-ear infection gone wild.

I would LOVE to go see my primary care physician about this. I've had ENT issues since the day I was born, and it may be that I require more aggressive treatment. Tubes, perhaps. Or an ear-ectomy, since I am really frustrated with this whole recurring problem.

But my primary care physician can't see me for two weeks, just as Emmie's pediatrician couldn't see her for several days.

I'll be the first to admit that the debate over universal health care confuses me - that I'm horribly conflicted on the subject.

But boiling it down to the personal, why can't I see my doctor when I'm sick? It's a simple question, really.

I've heard doctors complain about those med kiosks in Wal-Mart and those prompt care places that have sprung up all over the nation. I've heard them say that they interrupt the completion of a full medical history. I've heard them say that they're run by under qualified nurse practitioners and physicians' assistants. I've heard them say that they're only good for people who aren't really sick enough to go to the hospital, but can't get in to see their primary care physicians.

Well... Exactly!

I know what a pain medical billing is. I know it's a labyrinthine system set up to refuse the one thing doctors and patients want done: pay for medical care. I know that a number of insurance companies effectively deny all claims the first time they are submitted, working the law of averages in the hopes that they can save a little money.

And I also know that doctors generally spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their educations, and many come out of medical school already over their heads in debt. It's a severe deterrent for many intelligent, qualified students who could - and would - go to medical school, if the situation was different.

But when PCPs refuse their patients needed care, they have to know that we'll go elsewhere to get the care that we need. They must understand that under a system such as our current one, the marketplace will drive our options.

And so, when we're sick, and can't get in to see our PCP, we'll go elsewhere. Previously, our only choice was a hospital ER. Now the marketplace has spawned a great deal of gap-filling practitioners.

And while I would prefer to have my care handled by my PCP, I also can't spend two weeks fighting fever, nausea, pain, and exhaustion. If it's swine flu, it will likely run its course - but I don't want to pass it on, and Tamiflu will alleviate the symptoms much faster. If it's an ear infection, I could lose my hearing if I wait two weeks.

So I'm thankful that when Emmie got sick, and her pediatrician couldn't see her, an urgent care place could treat her. And I'll be going back there today, because they're open on Sundays! Woohoo!

In the meantime, I'm glad I have my Crackberry to keep me company in the bed.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile