So, my little UTI seems better, but not COMPLETELY cleared up. I have already taken the full course of antibiotics that I was prescribed. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that last Thursday I eneded up breaking down and seeing a physician. The natural remedies seemed to be helping, but just when I thought things were clearing up, I'd have raging symptoms again. I was afraid of letting it get out of control. The doc gave me 3 days of an antibiotic called Macrobid and told me to keep chugging the fluids, yada, yada. She also said that if it didn't seem cleared up after that, to call back.

I called the doc's office @ 8:00 yesterday morning to let her know that it didn't seem completely cleared up and was wondering if she wanted to refill my antibiotic or put me on something different. Her nurse finally called me back at around 2:30, but I don't think she had really listened to my message because I had to explain everything to her again. Then, she said she'd get with the doctor and call me back. Grrrr.... I think it was a little after 4:00 when she called back to tell me that the doctor said I would need to come in as early in the morning as possible so they could collect a good concentrated urine sample and see where to go from there. (Last time, I had been drinking so many fluids, my urine was diluted and it was difficult to tell how bad the bacteria was)

The only problem with that was....my my 4th appointment with the midwife was scheduled for today @ 10:00 and I didn't think I could get to the doctor's office to pee in a cup when they opened and still make it on time to my midwife apointment (she's almost 2 hrs away). Then the nurse proceded to tell me that my midwife should be able to check my urine at her office and that I should just have it done there. I told her that I'm not sure if she has the facilities to do that.....and the nurse said "I would be seriously worried about her if she didn't." By this time, my head was spinning. I wanted to say, "Would somebody just PLEASE help me with this infection?????" ....but instead, I said, "Okay, I'll see if she can do that."

Oh yes, did I mention that I felt like the doctor had acted a little stand-off-ish when I told her that I am seeing a midwife and another doctor for my prenatal care? I wasn't going to say anything because I know that some docs can be a little strange about midwives....but she asked me, so I told her.

Meanwhile, I'm going a day and a half with a lingering infection and lapsed antibiotics. I'm no professional, but I'm pretty sure that it's bad to treat an infection half-way w/ antibiotics and then several days later, start treating it again. Seems like it would give the bacteria time to bounce back. But what do I know???

At that point I was really confused. I KNOW that my midwife doesn't have a LAB in her office. Sure, she can use the little dip-stick things to check my protein and whatnot, but I don't think she has the capabilities to check for bacterial infections......AND even if she did, she doesn't have a license to prescribe medication! I called my midwife to find out if I could come in a little later for my appointment so I could get my urine checked @ the doc's office first thing in the morning. She was perfectly fine with that. I tried to call the doc's office back to let the nurse know that I could come in to give a sample in the morning, but by this time it was 4:30 and the only choice I had was to leave the nurse a message. Of course, she didn't call back. The front desk told me to just come on in.

So.....this morning I go to the doc's office and explain things to the receptionist. I swear that she looked at me like I was speaking Chinese. She called the doc's nurse and told her I was there to give a urine sample, yada, yada. I could tell by the receptionist's reaction that the nurse acted confused. Suddenly, no one knew what was going on or what I was there for. I was not on the schedule and I could tell that I was stressing them out. I was asked to sit down and wait until the nurse could come out and talk to me.

Meanwhile, I'm getting nervous that I'm going to be even later for my appointment with the midwife than expected. AND I overheard the receptionist tell someone that their lab is CLOSED today. WHAT?????? I was seriously considering walking out. After a half hour, I went back up to the front desk and apologized for being a bother, but I was under the impression that I would just need to give a urine sample so the doc's nurse could determine what kind of antibiotic she needed to call in for me. (Keep in mind that at this point, I hadn't peed since 6:00 am and I was READY to give my specimen) She said the nurse would be out in a little while. I asked if I had heard correctly about the lab being closed and she said "yes". Bewildered, I sat back down. Just then, my midwife called and told me that she needed to cancel because of a family emergency. We rescheduled for next Tuesday. Not that I was happy about the family emergency, but it worked out well that I did not have to keep the appointment - it was looking like I might be at the doctor's office for a WHILE.

They finally call my name and a medical assistant (not the doc's personal nurse I talked to on the phone) proceeds to weigh me and take my vitals. I told her that I was confused. I didn't need to see the doctor....I was just there because I need a prescription refilled or new prescription written out and that the nurse had told me to come in and give some early moring urine so they can check it before I get anymore meds. I must have been speaking Chinese again. The confused girl takes me back to an exam room. The nurse that talked to me on the phone comes in and tells me to pee in a cup and the doctor would be in to see me in a little while. I told her that I'm sorry I'm confused, but I didn't know I was supposed to see the doctor again. She said it was necessary. She also seemed surprised that my midwife can't prescribe medicine. (Apparently, this nurse knows nothing about midwifery and the fact that midwives can't go around writing scripts for meds.....maybe Certified Nurse Midwives can, I dunno, but my midwife is a Licensed Midwife) When I mentioned what the front desk said about the lab being closed, she said that it is, but the doc could just test my urine herself. Doc looks at my urine then spends all of maybe 10 seconds in the room with me. She says that the infection looks like it's on its way out (what she said on Thursday!) and wrote me a different prescription. And she wasn't very friendly AT ALL. Bye-bye. That'll be ANOTHER $60, please.

So I have to pay for ANOTHER office visit because she did not prescribe a long enough course of antibiotics for me??? WHAT A CROCK. This round of antibiotics cost $50. Great. (We don't have insurance right now because the benefits at DH's new job do not kick in until January)

This infection had better CLEAR UP because I am not going back to a physician's office that is run by monkeys. In case you're wondering why I did not see my birth back-up doc for this problem, she is also almost 2 hours away. When I called THAT office when this infection first started, they advised me to see my primary care physician.....which would've been fine, if I had a competant one.

Alright. Now that's over with, wanna see pics of my 18 week belly?

Labels: health, pregnancy whining