Coyote is working overtime today.

[athelind]

Okay. Last week, I landed an entirely acceptable data-entry job through my temp agency. It's a two-week position; I started last Tuesday afternoon.

So, naturally, after just three full days on the job, I come down with a cold. (Didn't I just have a cold last month?) I actually went in yesterday, assuming that I was mostly over it, but after an hour, I started getting hints that I was in error. The person I'm working with at the client said, "yes, go home, don't come in while you're contagious" -- which is exactly my attitude. Good call; shortly after I got home, I pretty much collapsed into Bedrest And Fluids Mode.

This morning, I was still pretty bad, so I called in to both the client and the temp agency. My rep at the temp agency asked if I could get a doctor's note, so it didn't seem that I was just flaking off an assignment.

The answer to that question, it seems, is a solid NO.

My expedition to procure said note would have had to have been substantially more productive to even make the bottom of the pointless scale.

• First urgent care: "We don't see walk-ins on Tuesday and Thursday."


• Second urgent care: "None of our doctors showed up. We can't see anyone."


• Third urgent care: "We're not an urgent care -- check across the street." (Okay, they get some slack, since it was the second Urgent Care that gave me directions.)


• Fourth urgent care: "A cold's not 'urgent', you contemptuous crybaby. We won't see you without an appointment."

At this point, I'm tempted to write my own note. "A. Stormdancer, AA, BS, ESSP."

I've got enough biotech/health care background to know that all I need is bedrest, fluids, and vitamins -- NOT DRIVING AROUND FOR AN HOUR GETTING NOT-SEEN BY NOT-DOCTORS.

Comments

[darkkdragon.livejournal.com]

Sickness always seems to show at the worst possible times.
Get lots of rest and get well soon

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Ick. Do you have any friends who are doctors who could write you a note? After all, it only takes someone with an MD who has walked past you at some point in the last two days to diagnose this, right?

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Pretty much, yeah, but my social circle doesn't include any physicians. I finally called and made an appointment with the first Urgent Care; they're gonna see me at 2:30.

I'm just glad I have really good insurance through Quel; I'd hate to actually be shelling out a hundred bucks or so just to get a note saying I was really sick. If that were my option -- well, I guess I know why people push themselves to go in even when they're highly contagious. "Hey! Maybe my MANAGEMENT will get it!"

[mavjop.livejournal.com]

It's depressing how bad access to medical care is in this country, even if you are comparatively speaking affluent and have insurance and so on. :/

I'm just glad I have a great doctor, in Palo Alto, who I have always been able to get an appointment within 24hrs with (or with one of his colleagues if he's on vacation) for whatever reason. This is very much the experience I am used to in Ireland, and sadly appears to be very different from most people's experience in this country.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, most of our local Urgent Care centers refuse to give appointments; it's first come, first serve.