Monday, Tuesday, sun day, blues day

Monday was beautiful. Liezle and I met and rode bikes for about an hour. Then we went grocery shopping and put our baskets in use. I did not realize that putting a thing of laundry detergent in the front would effect the steering so much, but it was ok. I almost lost a bottle of water jumping a curb, but it landed back in the basket. After bikes, I did laundry and straightened up a tad. Then I went to work. The older kids have a big test coming up in school, so are pretty much done for the rest of the semester. One class on Monday was totally empty, so I just had another planning period, except that I ended up giving a final to 2 kids who were absent the previous week. When I got home, I did dishes and watched "The Eagle" with Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell. It was ok, kinda lame.

I woke up again at 6:30 on Tuesday morning (I really have to get out of that habit) and couldn't open my left eye. I was pretty sure it was pink eye, but checked in the mirror to make sure and tada - bright red. Awesome. So then I debated on my doctor strategy. I know pink eye is contagious and easily treated and won't go away unless you get drops etc., so I knew I would have to go to a doctor. The question was, should I go to the doctor that I saw on Saturday, who is an ENT, or should I try a family medicine place that might have someone who speaks English. I decided to go for door number one.

I showed up at the doctor's office just after 10 and was the only person there. The receptionist recognized me and "Lion Hangman" was in buisness. There were some phone calls and a bunch of talking going on, which I later found out was discussions about whether I had insurance. I told the doctor the only reason I came was because of my eye. He told me to continue with the medicine he gave me and to go to an optomotrist who has an office over the Dunkin' Donuts and that he wouldn't charge me for the visit.

So off I went to DD's and the eye doctor. I found the office pretty well, but nobody there spoke English so there was lots of staring at each other. The "Ryan Hackman" v. "Lion Hangman" name game started again, but they eventually found me in the system. I went into the exam room and tried to call my boss, but he was at the doctor's too and my doctor was looking annoyed so I hung up. He looked in my eyes and poked around a bit. Then he asked if I spoke any Korean - nope. So in gestures and limited English, he told me I had conjunctivitis (knew that much) caused by my cold (I showed him my pill packet). I was told to rest (not going to happen that much as I have work, a meeting, work and my mom and vacation coming up this week) and to come back in 2 days. I told him I would be gone until next week and he said to come back then. His nurse brought me out to the waiting room, put a drop of something in each eye, told me to close my eyes and turned me towards a heating lamp. I have never done anything like that in the US, so I have no idea what they put in there. Then they gave me a perscription and I went downstairs to fill it.

I will have to say that it's nice having a pharmacy directly under the doctor's office - 1 stop shopping as it were. And CVS can't hold a candle to these places. I was 4th in line and handed over my paper. My butt had just hit the bench to wait when I was called back up and given instructions on my eye drops (2 bottles). So now I have 2 eye drops, 4 pills and a cough syrup. This cold better go the heck away before Friday!