2:23 a.m. - 2003-09-12
Medicine Woman
The sun was just beginning to peek through the clouds when I went to catch the bus this morning. Grey, backlit by pink and deep indigo. Smoke still smelling strong in the air. All the regulars seemed to be on the first bus of the morning. Clothing spoke of surrendering summer. A little more fabric and little heavier weave. Dry hacking coughs from a lot of people, myself included, as the wind blew in from the southwest. Chinook arch in that direction. By the time I got to my stop one could see the brilliant blue dome of wind welling up against the clouds that forms the signature arch. Fine fall morning all in all.
I was up early so I could see my doctor. With all the illnesses going around right now and the state of my hip, I wanted to be out of his waiting room before the daily rush hit. 7 am and the doors to the mall weren't even unlocked. One of the men waiting with me pulled out his cell and called a co-worker inside. Those things do come in handy sometimes.
I wanted to renew my prescriptions - one for heart and one for asthma. I explained to my doctor that I'd dropped my heart med into a pan of water inadvertently and so had come up short. With the inhaler, I noted that all the over the counter meds and herbals I prefer to use have disappeared from the shelves. Therefore, use of the inhaler has become my only, although least preferred, option. None of the staff in any of the stores seem to know when more product might be coming in, if at all. He wanted to switch me from a beta blocker to a cortico-steroid, but I saw what cortisone did to people when I worked in the hospital. It causes ulceration of the soft tissue treated. It should only be used as a last resort. I'll hunt down the ocd drugs and herbs I use to support the inhaler rather than risk that kind of damage.
My doctor, looking exhausted himself, noted that the emergency rooms and most doctors' offices in the city have been swamped with people with breathing problems ever since the forest fires began in June. He told me of a number of patients, like me, who hadn't had to use inhalers for a decade - that the poor air quality levels were dangerously elevated all summer. So why is the media saying otherwise? Shouldn't the local health authority issue an advisory with instructions on what people should do if they begin to experience breathing difficulties. How are inexperienced parents supposed to be able to realize that a child might be at risk. Too often respiratory problems are shrugged off as not important - usually by people who have never experienced what it is like to not be able to breathe.
My doctor said the worst time of day for severe reactions has been in the early mornings when all the chilled (?) air had sunk to ground level. I confirmed that that was the worst time of day for me. He also said he estimated that it would be another two weeks before the air quality returned to normal. Not good news. Oh yes, Mars, astrologically the planet of war, fire, and surgery among other things, goes direct in two weeks. What a coincidence.
The doctor seemed a little puzzled about my not coming to him about my hip earlier. It's just that I took physiotherapy and worked in a physical rehab unit for a while. In addition, my ex and four of my sons have all opted to compete in different combinations of "mangler" sports - you know, football, rugby, and wrestling. I can deal with this kind of injury in my sleep. I also couldn't face sitting for hours in medical facilities waiting for examinations ad nauseum and x-rays. That in itself would have increased the damage and pain fourfold. My nice little bed was a much smarter choice. RICE is the standard treatment protocol for muscle damage. Rest - Ice - Care - Exercise - I can manage that without help. Did I want pain killers? No. If you can't feel the pain signals then you can't tell where the problems are. If you don't know where the problems are you can't care for them and might make them worse.
Popped into the pharmacy later because they're not open at the crack of dawn. Ended up the pharmacist tried to alter my inhaler prescription (without permission) too. What's up with that? They're not supposed to do that without advising you and without checking with the doctor first too;usage and dosage can vary greatly. Neither of those actions were taken. The drug she tried to substitute doesn't work as well for me and this is not the time to be playing around with it either. Wait until atmospheric conditions aren't so severe. I got the old "they're the same thing only different names" response. Not. They tried to do the same thing to my Mom with the arthritis meds she was prescribed. Whiskey and wine are both forms of alcohol but no one would suggest they are the same. Drugs are no different and they are considerably more dangerous to be tampering with. I'll be glad when Chiron (symbolizing the wounded healer) goes direct on the 17th and Mercury goes direct on the 20th. Communication right now is like trying to wade through treacle.
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