Seriously? I can get weed easier than antibiotics?

You know, getting sick sucks under any circumstances, but when you come down with something while you're away from home, it's horrible. So this sinus thing: I knew last week that it was turning into a sinus infection - there's no ignoring the building pressure and pain behind the face. Weirdly, I could breathe clearly, but it felt like someone had stuffed a terry-cloth towel behind my eyes. For several days I hoped it would clear up on its own, but when the pain above my left teeth started, I knew I was screwed. Within a few days I couldn't chew on the left, so there was nothing for it - I needed antibiotics and couldn't wait til I got home. I'd be screaming in pain upon descent and final approach, and that generally upsets the other passengers.

Thinking it was that simple, I called my doctor hoping he could just call in a prescription to Walgreens. Yeah, no it doesn't work that way. I'm out of state, the Doc can't help. I have to go through my insurance company. I call them. They say I either have to pay out of pocket or go through my medical group, so they connect me. My medical group says that's bullshit - there's nothing they can do and I have to go through my insurance. I call my insurance again and get a list of doctors in the Greenville, SC area, but the guy says I have to call a different number to find out if any of them are covered under my plan. Uh... So I call the other number and they say their system is down and I have to call back later.

I do my own research and find a walk-in urgent care center a few miles from my hotel that might take my insurance. I call my insurance back later, after lots of ibuprofen. Finally someone helpful says, by the way, that I'm not covered to see any of the doctors on the list my previous call provided. Out of state I can only go to an emergency room or urgent care center, and look, the one I found on my own is covered. Of course they're closed, so I get to wait until tomorrow.

The place was awesome - complete with blinking neon sign and abandoned shopping cart in front. But I got my prescription for antibiotics and Vicodin, only had to pay my usual co-pay, and within a day and half the pain from my left maxillary sinus went away.

Wasn't that easy? Oy.