Creeping Crud

The one bad thing about having lots of green plants outside is that it is guaranteed that my youngest son will get attacked by poison ivy each year. It started out about 4 days ago as a small line of tiny blisters. It got worse than I imagined. By evening it was worse than this photo. So tonight he tells me, “You said you’d take me to the doctor if it was worse today, so can you take me to the Minute Clinic”? You see, the thing is that for us the go-to doctor has turned into the Minute Clinic down the street inside the CVS. Yes, they have seen each and every one of us. Except for me, because as the mom I am not allowed to get sick.

It started out two fall seasons ago. My husband had a bad sore throat and was aching all over and we had heard about the Minute Clinic. So off he goes and returns shortly with a diagnosis of strep throat , an antibiotic in hand, and the receipt for me showing he paid our usual copay. (Side note: if an Rx is needed it is not required to be filled at that store. If needed, go for the $4.00 generic at Walmart, Kroger or Target, or free at Publix (there are 8 types they fill for free such as amoxicillin, and Cipro). I swear this is not an ad. I do get passionate about medical savings.

Same scenario of hubs’ strep occurrence and strep management four weeks later. And again 4 months later. I couldn’t believe it the first time he received a hand-written “Hope you are feeling better” card in the mail signed by the nurse at the Minute Clinic. My two older sons have been in to the Minute Clinic for strep tests as well. And last year we had our first (and am pretty sure not our last) visit to the ER when our youngest gashed his arm open and needed 6 staples. We were told to come back in 10 days for removal. But staple removal was a service the Minute Clinic could provide as well. And the boys have received Get Well cards in the mail too.

Tonight I took my 8 year old son down the street to the Minute Clinic because the Caladryl does not seem to be working and when he has large tears dripping out of those super long lashes I want to lay on the floor and cut off my own arm if it will just make him feel better. OK, that was dramatic but this boy hardly ever cries and likes to keep up with the older guys. Which is how he got the poison ivy. Tonight I asked, “When your older brother had his (13 year old) friends over the other night and you guys were all outside playing Manhunt, were you squeezing through bushes by any chance”? And he told me that he did hide under some leaves and stuff.

We braced ourselves for perhaps a dozen people at the CVS waiting for Swine Flu diagnosis. Nope, there was no one in line and the Rx cream was ready before I could even find the oatmeal bath powder and Benadryl.

I count our blessings that we are lucky in that we’ve not needed to have many visits with doctors and specialists. I am glad that my family has choices on where to go for these types of diagnosis’, and that we’ve had success with one of those choices. And I can tell you that poison ivy and my son will meet again this summer.