Gettin' a Little Miffed

If you'll remember, we were without any air conditioning for a few days and this triggered one of my dreaded sinus / allergy episodes which has now lingered on for about a week. I've been taking the only OTC medications you can get around here, since the meth lab crack down which led to umpteenzillion regulations on the good stuff. The "good stuff" would be ClairitinD, Tylenol Sinus or anything that really WORKS. When I got this creeping crud last summer, my doctor said, "It's on your chart, you get this every year. Next time, just call the office and we'll call you something in for you."

Well okay!! So the other day, I called the doctor's office and my call was directed to doc's nurse because, as ya'll know, doctors are like big celebrities and the closest you can get to talking to them on the phone is being put in touch with their "people." I told Nurse Noclue that I had a bit of the creeping crud which I get every year and that the good doc had told me to give them a call next time and they'd see to it that I could pick it up at the pharmacy.

Nurse Noclue: "What did she give you?"

Me: "I'm not sure, it was something for allergy/sinus. She said I could have it called in"

Nurse Noclue: "Well, it's not on your chart. I think you're mistaken."

Me: "No, I came in for an appointment last year when I was sick and she gave me some samples then told me I could just call and get a prescription for it if I got it again."

Nurse Noclue: "Oh, if she gave you samples it wouldn't be on your chart."

Me: "Well no, but the fact that I get this every year is on my chart. Couldn't you just ask the good doc about it?"

Nurse Noclue: "I'll put a patient note on your chart."

Me: "Ummm... does that mean it's going to be called in or not?"

Nurse Noclue (trying to get pissy with me): "It MEANS she will see that you made the request."

Me: "Okay look, I could see if I were trying to get freakin CODEINE or MORPHINE, but I'm talking about a DECONGESTANT. Do you not hear the impacted MATTER in my NASAL CAVITY???"

Nurse Noclue: "Actually, Tylenol 3 wouldn't be a problem, she's made a note here that you have joint and muscle pain. I could call you in some pain meds."

Me (trying not to explode): "Oh I am so blogging this."

With that, I accepted defeat and hung up the phone. I mulled it over for a while. If I could just score some Tylenol Sinus I'd be okay. The problem is, it's regulated here now because of the meth heads using it in their scarey little labs. True, you can go to any large pharmacy and after showing two forms of ID and signing a stack of forms, you can buy the regulated medications. But store pharmacies tend to close around sixish. I live about an hour from any big stores with pharmacies. I get off work at five. You can see my problem. I know you're thinking that if I were going to get a prescription called in to the pharmacy, I'd have the same problem getting it filled, but our local clinic has a pharmacy on site, for prescriptions only. They don't sell any OTC medications.

Then I remembered that the big grocery store up on the bypass just opened a nice, shiny new pharmacy. I called them and asked what time they closed. Six. I can be there in about thirty minutes. THERE IS HOPE!!!!

After work yesterday I made my way in the seering heat to the bypass grocery store. Sweat was running down between my boobs. My hair, which I'd attempted to put up in a clip, now had big chunks hanging out all over, due to it's short cut. My face was red, I probably stunk and I was certain I looked ALOT like a meth addict, but I was determined to score some sinus drugs. I got to the store, went inside and headed straight for the pharmacy, where I was met by a very polite, well dressed, young and quite attractive man. Things were looking up.

Me: "You keep sinus medicine behind the counter right?"

Pretty Man: "Excuse me?"

Me: "Sinus... Tylenol Sinus, ClaritinD, you know, the regulated stuff."

Pretty Man: "Ohhh no. We don't sell it at all. It's too much trouble. Have you tried Walmart?"

Me: "I live in *insert new as yet undetermined name of tiny town here*, I was trying to avoid going all the way out there."

Pretty Man: "Awwwwwww I'm sorry."

Argggghhhh. Still no sinus drugs. But I'm heading to the eeeeeeevvvvvvviiillll Walmart tomorrow night.