Go Away Bacterias!

So I’ve got strep throat. Again. Apparently after years of avoiding it after getting it regularly as a kid, strep has rediscovered that my throat makes a great home.
On the positive side, it hasn’t been quite as bad this time as it was back in May, and because I recognized the signs more quickly, I’m already treating it. I started feeling a little iffy on Thursday night, and by Friday afternoon I was aching. I crashed on the couch at 8:00 Friday night and had a fever all night. 13 hours of sleep and a steady stream of Advil got rid of the fever and aches, but the sore throat has persisted.
This time around, I wasn’t really interested in waiting until Monday to see a doctor. I’ve got a sim on Tuesday that I’d rather not miss, so I was hoping to find someone who could diagnose me today and get started on antibiotics so that I’m no longer contagious on Tuesday. Christina mentioned on Twitter that I should look for a Walgreen’s or CVS clinic, and while there weren’t any of those nearby, the Walmart down on 646 did have an in-store clinic open every day. So, off we went.
I had some qualms about seeing a doctor at Walmart, of all places, but they turned out to be unfounded. The clinic there is managed by Christus, one of the big health providers in this area, and I was very impressed. It’s tiny, and they don’t take insurance, but I expected that, and it was a fairly reasonable $69 for a strep test. The nurse practitioner was able to see me right away, and gave me a rapid strep test. The test actually came up negative, to her (and my) surprise. Since a negative result on that test is only 65% accuracy and because I have all the classic symptoms — sore, swollen throat, white and red spots on my tonsils, slight fever, swollen and sore lymph nodes, but no congestion — she gave me a prescription for penicillin anyway. Overall, it was a great experience and I would recommend the Walmart clinic to anyone who needs simple treatment in a pinch, like on a weekend.
Sadly, our experience at the Walmart pharmacy could not have been more opposite from the clinic visit. I normally get my prescriptions filled at CVS but since we were right next to a pharmacy, we figured Walmart would be ok. First issue: the lady seemed utterly and completely puzzled by my insurance card. I’ve never had this issue anywhere else, and with all the NASA people down here I’m certainly not the only person in this area covered by BCBS Federal. Second issue: they told us it would be ready in an hour, while CVS has always filled my prescriptions on the spot. Ok, fine, no big deal, Walmart is a pretty busy place. Jose and I went off to get lunch.
When we came back, the lady started to ring up my prescription for $15, then remembered that she’d had trouble with my insurance. I gave her the card again, and she disappeared — for 15 minutes! She apparently had to call the insurance and was waiting for a callback. Finally, I went back up to the counter and told them I’d just pay the $15 (for reference, my prescription last time from CVS cost less than $1) — at which point she said the prescription wasn’t ready! Wasn’t ready? Then what was she about to run up 15 minutes ago? Eventually she came back and finally gave me a bottle of pills for $12. I have no idea whether she even talked to my insurance company, and at that point I didn’t really care — I just wanted to get my pills and get out of there.
If you live in the Clear Lake area and you’ve ever got a minor issue and need to be diagnosed, I’d highly recommend the Walmart clinic on 646. But once you get your prescription, do yourself a favor and take it elsewhere. It amazes me that a person can have two totally different experiences within the same store a mere 20 feet apart!