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Feb. 6th, 2012 10:32 pmSo this is something I don't talk about much because I don't think about it much. But since Vic and I are sick and I'm coughing all the time we were talking about cough syrup while I was taking her to dance.
I mentioned I bought cherry flavored and she told me you never buy cherry, grape or bubble gum flavored cough syrup. I said that I haven't bought cough syrup in years that wasn't prescribed and the last time I was handed a prescription for cough syrup was in 2004.
And that got me thinking about it. And talking about it.
In January 2004 I was working at Walgreens and I was the lead photo tech in all but name and pay. And that was because the new store manager didn't like me because the manager she replaced let me do things like the cash report that she felt was something that only managers should do.
Walgreens decided to get rid of the old unreliable Kodak machines they were using and start using Fuji machines. This meant that two managers and at least one photo tech, preferably the lead photo tech, had to attend classes.
I developed a major headache the week before and nothing even put a dent in the pain. Not Advil or Imitrex or napping or those patches for your forehead. But since I could still function, some what, I went to the classes. Tuesday or Wednesday of that week I called my doctor and requested an appointment for that Friday since that was my day off.
Wednesday of that week I was so ill that my father called to check on me and brought me Gatorade. By this time I was puking every time I ingested anything, even water.
Thursday I woke up to horrible abdominal cramps that left me doubled over in pain. I called in sick and got attitude from the manager who answered my call.
I was a smoker at the time but only smoked about half a pack a day. When I was sick I usually didn't smoke while home, too much effort to get up and go outside, and this time was no exception. That week I only smoked while in the car and at the class. I didn't have one at all that Thursday and when I went to the doctor's I decided to throw away the two packs I had in my purse, one just opened (I'd only had two maybe three) and one not opened, and my lighter.
The doctor, one of the partners I'd never seen before, examined me and then told me I had bronchitis. I'm not sure how he came to that diagnosis since coughing was like the only thing I didn't complain about, but, he's the doctor. He gave me a script for cough syrup and antibiotics. He also told me I couldn't work until my next scheduled day, Tuesday of that next week.
I went to Walgreens to hand in my scripts and the doctor's note stating I couldn't work for the next two days, which got me flack from the manager because I was scheduled to work front register both Saturday and Sunday. My head was killing me so bad that when my scripts were filled, I took a dose of the cough syrup without even looking at it because the doctor said it had a pain reliever in it.
When I got home, I took a nap and when I woke up I took another dose of the cough syrup because my head still hurt.
Next thing I remember is waking up Tuesday morning still lying on the couch.
When I looked at the bottle of cough syrup I noticed it contained hydrocodone. I'd had it once before and had done a face plant into my desk so knew I'd had an adverse reaction.
I was still feeling weak and light headed that next week and so called to get another appointment for the following Friday, this time with one of the PAs my mother saw on a regular basis.
She said that I was given a diagnosis of bronchitis because the other doctor probably heard crackling in my lungs (so maybe he should have said borderline bronchitis instead). She also said that I was lightheaded because my blood pressure was low (the one that's supposed to be 100 or higher was 90) and my blood pressure was low because I was dehydrated. Remember how I couldn't keep much down the week before? Yeah, that's how I got dehydrated. I now drink as much water as possible while at work, at home not so much (which I know I should).
So it now says in my medical file that I'm allergic to hydrocodone even though I'm not really because most doctors won't pay attention to a note that says 'patient doesn't like the way she reacts to [drug].' I found this out that following June when I had to have day surgery. The nurse asked if I was allergic to any meds and I mentioned hydrocodone. He asked if I really was and I admitted it was actually that I didn't like how I reacted to it. He put a bracelet on me and wrote 'NO HYDROCODONE' on it.
I also haven't had a cigarette since then, something I'm glad of because I would not be able to afford to buy any now. Plus my mother would be bitching pretty hard about the expense.
I mentioned I bought cherry flavored and she told me you never buy cherry, grape or bubble gum flavored cough syrup. I said that I haven't bought cough syrup in years that wasn't prescribed and the last time I was handed a prescription for cough syrup was in 2004.
And that got me thinking about it. And talking about it.
In January 2004 I was working at Walgreens and I was the lead photo tech in all but name and pay. And that was because the new store manager didn't like me because the manager she replaced let me do things like the cash report that she felt was something that only managers should do.
Walgreens decided to get rid of the old unreliable Kodak machines they were using and start using Fuji machines. This meant that two managers and at least one photo tech, preferably the lead photo tech, had to attend classes.
I developed a major headache the week before and nothing even put a dent in the pain. Not Advil or Imitrex or napping or those patches for your forehead. But since I could still function, some what, I went to the classes. Tuesday or Wednesday of that week I called my doctor and requested an appointment for that Friday since that was my day off.
Wednesday of that week I was so ill that my father called to check on me and brought me Gatorade. By this time I was puking every time I ingested anything, even water.
Thursday I woke up to horrible abdominal cramps that left me doubled over in pain. I called in sick and got attitude from the manager who answered my call.
I was a smoker at the time but only smoked about half a pack a day. When I was sick I usually didn't smoke while home, too much effort to get up and go outside, and this time was no exception. That week I only smoked while in the car and at the class. I didn't have one at all that Thursday and when I went to the doctor's I decided to throw away the two packs I had in my purse, one just opened (I'd only had two maybe three) and one not opened, and my lighter.
The doctor, one of the partners I'd never seen before, examined me and then told me I had bronchitis. I'm not sure how he came to that diagnosis since coughing was like the only thing I didn't complain about, but, he's the doctor. He gave me a script for cough syrup and antibiotics. He also told me I couldn't work until my next scheduled day, Tuesday of that next week.
I went to Walgreens to hand in my scripts and the doctor's note stating I couldn't work for the next two days, which got me flack from the manager because I was scheduled to work front register both Saturday and Sunday. My head was killing me so bad that when my scripts were filled, I took a dose of the cough syrup without even looking at it because the doctor said it had a pain reliever in it.
When I got home, I took a nap and when I woke up I took another dose of the cough syrup because my head still hurt.
Next thing I remember is waking up Tuesday morning still lying on the couch.
When I looked at the bottle of cough syrup I noticed it contained hydrocodone. I'd had it once before and had done a face plant into my desk so knew I'd had an adverse reaction.
I was still feeling weak and light headed that next week and so called to get another appointment for the following Friday, this time with one of the PAs my mother saw on a regular basis.
She said that I was given a diagnosis of bronchitis because the other doctor probably heard crackling in my lungs (so maybe he should have said borderline bronchitis instead). She also said that I was lightheaded because my blood pressure was low (the one that's supposed to be 100 or higher was 90) and my blood pressure was low because I was dehydrated. Remember how I couldn't keep much down the week before? Yeah, that's how I got dehydrated. I now drink as much water as possible while at work, at home not so much (which I know I should).
So it now says in my medical file that I'm allergic to hydrocodone even though I'm not really because most doctors won't pay attention to a note that says 'patient doesn't like the way she reacts to [drug].' I found this out that following June when I had to have day surgery. The nurse asked if I was allergic to any meds and I mentioned hydrocodone. He asked if I really was and I admitted it was actually that I didn't like how I reacted to it. He put a bracelet on me and wrote 'NO HYDROCODONE' on it.
I also haven't had a cigarette since then, something I'm glad of because I would not be able to afford to buy any now. Plus my mother would be bitching pretty hard about the expense.
