Notes From the Road, 2

THE ANSWER TO WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU'RE sick and traveling far from home.....

I AWOKE in St. Charles, MO west of Saint Louis Wednesday morning sick, knowing I needed to see a doctor and get on antibiotics before this sinus infection got worse. My home doctor was out-of-town and anyway it would have taken hours if not days to hear back from his nurse. By then I'd be in Kansas City or Hays, KS.

So what could I do? I considered finding a nearby emergency room, a doctor's office or even asking if there was a doctor at the motel where I was staying. But none of them felt right. As I packed my car I mulled my options, then suddenly I got an idea: don't many drugstores like CVS and Walgreens now have Minute and Take Care clinics for people just like me? I'd had a flu shot at Walgreens last year but that was the extent of my experience with these so-called clinics. Still it seemed worth a try.



I went to the motel front desk and asked where the nearest drugstore was. The man said there was a Walgreens three blocks away. Overjoyed, I jumped in my car. When I got there and asked the pharmacist told me there was not one there but gave good directions to the nearest clinic and nurse.

I was off again and this time walked into Walgreen's fully staffed Take Care clinic where I was warmly greeted and directed to a computer screen to fill out a simply form. From there I went into an examining room where the nurse's assistant took a little more history and my vital signs.

Then I went in to meet the nurse named Suzanne. She's been a nurse for 38 years and was as good if not better than a doctor in my book. She had a great sense of humor.

Thirty minutes later she had prescribed a Z-pac, cleaned out my ears and sent me on my way after we had laughed in between everything else.

Total cost for the clinic visit: $89. Cost of Z-pack: $42.99.

Time and money truly well spent.

Wonderful to get diagnosed, treated and get the prescription in the same location. Within 45 minutes I had taken two tablets and was back on I-70 on my way to Denver! Sure I still didn't feel great, but I knew I would in a few days. I'm so grateful for this healthcare innovation that makes access to care so easy, quick and affordable.

As far as I'm now concerned, I'll use these clinics for most everything----they give vaccines of all kinds, physicals, screenings, manage blood pressure, diabetes etc., treat all kinds of infections from sinus, ear and bladder even to early Lyme disease and finally treat many skin conditions from athlete's foot, acne to tick and insect bites. WOW!

I'm now in Boulder, CO resting before traveling to Grand Junction Saturday. This morning I took my third antibiotic and am starting to feel like a 65% human being again. The best part is they called me from the clinic in St. Charles to see how I am doing! What a nice touch!

This is American business innovation at its best. I'm grateful and will avail myself of this service when and if I need it again. So much easier than all the alternatives I could think of! And finding a convenient parking place is the best part of all!