CVS Saved My Life

OK- that is an overstatement, however last night I started feeling the pains of an ear infection coming on. Now let me say that growing up I had never had an ear infection. EVER. I woke up on my 24th birthday with a little pain in my ear, and what felt like fluid in it. My boyfriend’s parents were in town visiting us, and we had plans, plus it was my birthday. Matt’s mom wanted me to go to urgent care to get it looked at, but I insisted that we weren’t doing that. We went to Mount Vernon as planned, and I faked like I was fine and having fun. I really just wanted to die. Then we came home, and they were taking me to dinner at my favorite restaurant ever, Houstons.  I almost called it off, and ordered carry out, but I really wanted my birthday dinner. Plus I had to drive home. So off to dinner I went. By the time dinner was over and I was on my way home I was in tears. I cried the whole 45 mins home, called my mom and told her to meet me at the hospital because I was sure my ear drum had burst. She told me to go home first. So I met her at home, she gave me some pain meds and laid in my bed with me all night rubbing my head so I could sleep (I like having my hair played with). The next day the pain was insane, I showered sitting down because I was dizzy from walking to the bathroom. Then my dad drove me to the dr. where I got meds and pain killers, and an order to stay in bed. I spent 4 days in bed with an ear ache and vertigo, all because I was too stubborn to have it looked at earlier.

Fast forward a year, 3 months and some days. After our adventure getting home from my parents' house last night in the leftover mess of 30+inches of snow, I collapsed on the couch to watch the super bowl. I have been fighting a chest cold all weekend but haven’t felt horrible. Last night, my right ear felt like it needed to be popped. Then it started cracking a little( its a weird sound only I hear in my head, I can’t explain it really) and I knew this wasn’t good. I took sinus meds and went to bed hoping to wake up feeling better. Well, not so much. I woke up and my ear was starting to hurt now. But not as bad as before. this time I had a plan. I don’t have a general doctor yet because I have moved, and I just haven’t put it at the top of my list of things to do. I knew that no doctors office would see me today being a new patient. But I read on someone’s blog (I wish I could remember who, I will give you credit if you let me know) about CVS Minute Clinic. Not all CVS pharmacy locations have them, but there were a couple within 15 mins. of us. We walked in, I filled out some info, and waited. I waited about 15 mins, and the DR. finished with a patient, then set up and saw me about 5 mins. later. She was an actual doctor. They take a lot of insurances, but even if they didn’t take your insurance, it was $62 to be seen. Totally worth the money to me. The told me I in fact did have an ear infection and prescribed the meds and sent them to be filled while we were finishing up.

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While I don’t see this replacing a general practitioner, it was good for a quick fix, and  if in the future I need to be seen by my doctor and they can’t get me in , I will be going to CVS again. It was just so easy.
**CVS didn’t pay me to write this post, but if they want to I won’t turn it down :-D I just know that someone blogged about this and it saved me a lot of money and time than going to the ER for an ear ache. I thought maybe this would help someone else.**