Fearfully Fallen Into the Hands of US Healthcare, Oh, and Merry Christmas

 

For once I am not chasing down Albuterol! It was Jim that had the medical confloptions, and boy did it illustrate the huge flaws in the US healthcare system and the one we're now used to in Costa Rica!

We flew in nearly a week ago for a family Christmas. Traveling was mostly copacetic, with the exception of TSA in Charlotte. Got an extremely invasive pat down and TSA put the bin with our laptops in it back into circulation. Lost the laptops for 20 minutes. We had to run to catch our flight after the delay at the security checkpoint over the computers.

But the real fun started when we got up the next morning. Jim's cat scratch was much more infected. He could not use his hand. The swelling was hideous. So off we go to urgent care. Three hours later he is seen and told he has to have rabies shots at the local hospital. Off to the hospital we go where we....

.....wait

.....wait

.....and wait some more!

It takes six hours to be seen for the first time. This is a huge contrast with Costa Rica where he would be seen almost immediately. The poor run off his feet PA brings in a hand surgeon and they proceed to tell Jim he needs to have IV antibiotics.  I try to show them the mrsa testing along with effective antibiotics and am told that this is not mrsa. Important later.

By the time the whole shit show was over and they decided to admit him it was 4 am. I got to see the ortho PA chew out the nurses for administering the first rabies shot incorrectly, and they have to give him another dose of it in the right place. I am sure they'll bill our insurance for the wrong shot too. 

They kept him for nearly three full days, pumping him full of antibiotics and discovering via another culture that yes, mrsa is a present player, adding a different antibiotic. We have been schlepping back and forth for other rabies booster shots, and I have developed a silent uti, the only reason I thought to go get checked is that I wrote the world's rantiest email to someone I dislike and did not send it, recognizing that I had a fever, no symptoms of a uti, had not been drinking near enough water and had crazy stomach pains. 

So who was I snarping at? An obnoxious friend of Jim's that when he could not reach Jim the day after we arrived to get together he started blowing up my daughter's phone. She told him Jim was quite ill and in the hospital and this lunatic called ten local hospitals ER looking for my husband and demanding to speak to him. Daughter just ripped him a new asshole. I will too, but it needs to be face to face, he's pulled crazy stunts and inserted himself too many times during family time. Writing out what I was upset about was helpful. Not sending it was a kindness he does not deserve!

Christmas miracle of miracles Jim was released from the hospital just in time for Christmas and we had an absolutely amazing holiday together.

Today I am trying to do laundry because ain't no one needs to be wearing the new leggings I have on today. I swear a latex gimp suit would be easier to don. I thought I was going to have to lube up to get them on. Knee length sweater dress over those hideous leggings. I just don't have many cold weather clothing any longer.

Another week and I'll be home again in the glorious heat of Costa Rica and the land of affordable quick healthcare. I shudder to think what the copay bills for our little escapades will be.