What a Day I had Today!

My day started out with a bad infection in my finger near the nail. I had it a few days and I was soaking it and putting Neosporin on it and I even used the infamous Black Salve. I really thought the Black Salve would draw out the infection, but it didn't do anything for it.

I had to take my friend Nicki to her neurological appointment at Sacred Heart Hospital, so while we were there she asked her doctor to look at my finger. He then preceeded to call his nurse out to me because she used to work for a Wound Healing Center. The doctor sent us downstairs to a doctor's office and we were told to tell them that he sent us there. We got nowhere. We came back to Easton and we went to Redi-Care. That place is a joke and a half. They wouldn't see me unless I paid $75.00. We walked out of there very fast. Then we went to the clinic by Easton Hospital, but there were NO doctors working today, so she gave me a name and number to call when I got home. Meanwhile, Nicki called my State Senator's Office to see if I could get some help, being I have NO insurance. She called us back with a phone number, but as usual nobody answered, only an anwsering machine. So I left my name and number, maybe they will call me back, who knows. Nicki and I made several different calls to other Urgent Care places and the one on Easton Ave. in Bethlehem is through St. Luke's Hospital and they said the office visit is $200. I almost passed out when she told me that. What is wrong with this picture?

After taking Nicki home I went to my friend Cyndee's house, being she is a nurse, I thought she might be able to help me. She didn't realize how bad my infection was, until she saw it. She told me I had no choice I had to go to ER at Easton Hospital. Well, let me tell you what an exciting time I had. I didn't wait long until I went back to a room. But, then again, I arrived there around 3:30-4:00 and never left there until 8:30.

They took my vitals and they weren't good. My blood pressure in my left arm was 209/121 and then she took it in my right arm and it was 188/108. She said to me, do you have high blood pressure and I said yes. It is my fault, because I get so busy with my day that I forget to take my BP medicine. Well, I don't think I will forget anymore after the doctor and nurse told me what could happen to me. They gave me blood pressure medicine and took it again before I left and it came down 184/105, so I guess I have to face it that I will be on BP medicine the rest of my life.

The doctor came in and spray this liquid to freeze my finger because he had to lance it and squeeze it to help relieve the infection. He said I had no choice that no matter what I did it wouldn't have gotten better. He said it was a bacterial infection in the nail. So, now I have this huge bandage on my ring finger of my left hand (and I'm a lefty). It has to stay on for a few days then I have to soak it and put medicine on it and wrap it up again. I am on pain pill and antibiotic. Got them at Wegman's. The antibiotic was FREE, but the pain medicine was $14.00.


Now I know why I want Medical Reform, for us people that have NO insurance and are on a waiting list to get help.