Just Say Yes!

Okay, so after the initial doctor debacle, I saw a different doctor yesterday afternoon. One who made looks of shock as I explained my story—and I even told it without trying to sound biased or perturbed, so I could get an honest reaction. Her reaction was to give me drugs.

I’ve known her for several years, and it’s a given for her and me that viral infections don’t wreak this kind of havoc on my sugars. She also believes that shining a light somewhere vaguely near my throat does not constitute an exam, and that poking my forehead between my eyes is not a complete sinus evaluation—there are about seven different pressure points for sinuses and this is only one. She also thought that “riding it out” for a couple more weeks to see if my fever went away on its own was ridiculous. “We’re doing this the old-fashioned, simple way—with antibiotics.” She gave me a prescription for Azithromycin, which treats bacterial infections.

The course is to take two the first night, then one a day for four more days. I took two last night when I got home. When I woke up this morning, 12 hours later, my temperature was 98.7, the first time it was somewhere near normal in 12 days. I did a light workout on the treadmill and my fever spiked to 99.3, so obviously I need the full course of medication. But still, if the antibiotics managed to make a dent in my fever within 12 hours…

And I will point out that my printout from the pharmacy specifically states, “Azithromycin will not work for viral infections.” Hmmm…. If what I have really is a viral infection, as the good resident and her supervisor told me on Monday, then taking them wouldn’t have had any effect on my fever whatsoever. Plhhhhhhhhh! (written raspberry).

But on a less superior and triumphant mode, I did learn a very valuable lesson from all of this: If my regular doctor is unavailable, it’s better to wait an extra day than to accept service from someone who doesn’t know who I am, doesn’t know I’m not a hypochondriac, hasn’t read my file in great detail, and who only knows basic textbook knowledge of diabetes. And it’s always worth it to get a second opinion if I’m not certain I trust the first one.

Here’s to the glory of antibiotics—my future is bright and fever-free…and maybe even filled with a piece of carrot cake once my sugars settle down!

As always, more to come…