I sat up abruptly in bed and started coughing into the mountain of tissues I now routinely kept on my nightstand. My partner rolled over sleepily and started patting my back. Once I stopped coughing and had caught my breath, he said sternly “You’re going to the doctor.”
This was day 30 of what I had deemed a bad cold. I had given every excuse in the book for why I didn’t need to go into the doctor:
“It’ll pass in a week”
“It’s not that bad”
Up until this point in my life, I had never been seriously sick while not living under my parents’ roof. When I was living with them, they decided when to take me to see someone. That would usually be triggered by me not being able to get out of bed (a bad cold) or speak (multiple cases of strep throat) or crying while covering my ears (more ear infections than I care to count when I was young).
But now I was an adult and it was my decision when I went to the doctor. I didn’t feel as bad as those times I couldn’t get out of bed. I was still going into work (we didn’t have any sick leave, my PTO was all spoken for and if I took unpaid leave I was afraid I would look weak when I didn’t even feel that bad). Unlike other times when I was seriously ill, I didn’t look like death warmed over.
So I resisted going to the doctor. For a whole month of being unable to breathe at night and having random coughing fits. I told myself this wasn’t bad enough to risk going to the doctor and paying who knows what (ughgh American healthcare). So I did what I could at home – I drank a lot of tea and nommed on cough drops.
But that night, a month into my sickness, my partner put his foot down. As I’ve mentioned we’re very independent people and do not interfere in each others lives. We let each person make their own decisions and if that decision impacts both of us we make it together. But in this moment my partner overrode our usual rule. He told me to go to the doctor and I listened.
Trying to see a doctor quickly without going to the expensive expensive ER was surprisingly difficult. I called everyone in Seattle that took my insurance and was told that the wait was between several weeks and months. I texted friends asking what I should do and one of them responded that they had been to a few urgent care clinics in situations like this. I had never heard of them.
Apparently some have really shady reputations and are worse than actual doctor’s offices in terms of wait times (my friend had to sit there sick for 4 hours after her appointment time to see the healthcare specialist). But some clinics seem to have even better reputations than regular doctor’s offices.
Luckily with my friend’s guidance, I found a good one: ZOOM Care. I had never noticed before, but they’re all over the city and for $150 you can see a healthcare specialist immediately. At the time, they didn’t take my insurance, but it appears that these days (this was a few years ago) they take all the regular insurance providers – amazing! They also make the process of setting an appointment painless. I logged onto their website, picked a time that morning and had a confirmation email in my inbox in seconds.
Then I wrapped myself in a silly amount of sweaters and walked 30 minutes to the clinic (I didn’t want to spend $2.50 for a 10 minute bus ride…yes I was being a stubborn silly person). When I arrived, the clinic was deserted except for a stand with a variety of teas and honey – what luxury!
I settled into a seat and immediately a receptionist came out to sign me in and said they would be with me in a moment. By the time I finished my tea (mere minutes) I was whisked back to an examination room where a nurse practitioner had a look at me and listened to my lungs.
It turns out…I had walking pneumonia. And my first dumbass thought was “Shit! My partner is never going to let me live this down” (and he hasn’t). I checked out of the clinic, paid my $150 (which would now be $0!!) and headed to the pharmacy next door with a prescription in hand.
When I got up to the counter I asked the pharmacist how much this medicine would cost before I decided to buy it (if I could talk to my former self I would both shake her for being so careful with money when health is on the line and give a slight nod of respect for her thinking of these things while almost dying).
The pharmacist responded “Two Fifty.” To which I replied “$250 or $2.50?” It turns out it was only $2.50. I bought the medicine and decided to walk home (dumbass) while calling my boss to tell her I had to work from home because I had pneumonia and might be contagious. I worked from home for about a week, took my medicine and started feeling better. My hacking cough went away and we were able to sleep through the night again.
All of this to say: Don’t be like my dumbass past self. There’s being prudent (clarifying a prescription cost) and then being stupid (enduring a month of agony because I was stubborn). If something is wrong, have it checked out. Even if you’re not 100% sure.
For example, my partner burned his hand searing steaks recently. In a role reversal, he said he was fine that night – and I told him that second degree burns look like his hand right now. Luckily I won in the end and he went to the same ZOOM Care.
They confirmed that he did in fact have second degree burns and they were going to have to remove them so that there wouldn’t be scarring that could constrict his movements..and he’s a programmer so that wouldn’t be ideal! He’s now on the mend and expressed gratitude that I pushed him to get it checked out (though he claims he would have come to that conclusion on this own lol…).
Please don’t play fast and loose with your health like I did. The uncertainty of American healthcare costs is very scary, but that shouldn’t stop you from shelling out $150 for an hour clinic visit that could save your life.
Have you ever resisted seeking medical help when you shouldn’t have? Let’s learn from each other’s mistakes!
“$250 or $2.50?” is there anything else outside healthcare in modern life so muddled cost and value wise that the price could be 100X and we simply don’t have cost transparency? As a parent I have become an internet doctor by necessity. Is my kid’s stomach pain from eating dairy or does he have a life threatening appendicitis? Did he just bonk his head and is tired from playing or is he tired from a life threatening concussion?
I can’t think of anything else honestly. It’s insane. Congratulations on your Internet Doctor certification lol! I hope both cases turned out to be from the former situation!
I would have not been shocked by either price and would have paid for either without question. lol
Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you ended up going to a clinic! Though, I can’t say I blame you for not wanting to go. I can’t imagine what my attitude towards healthcare would be if I had to pay for it (Canadian). Since I don’t have to pay for (routine) healthcare, my stumbling block is taking the time off and finding ways to make it fit into my schedule. Like you said, I don’t want to seem ‘weak’ because I’m going to the doctor. That’s a silly mindset, but one that is so tricky to change. I’m glad you’re on the mend!!
Yeah me to. I learned my lesson. And I can’t imagine what my attitude towards healthcare would be if I didn’t have to pay (a possible fortune) for it 😉 . I hear you on the taking time off obviously – it’s pretty silly that all the places working people need to go (doctor, dentist etc) are only open regular working hours. Agree that the weak part is a silly mindset that I’ve luckily shaken off….that might be part of my general DGAF attitude these days though lol. And thank you!!
i remember i got sick with something like bronchitis but i didn’t have a primary care physician due to rarely getting sick. i had health insurance for years but never went for the annual check-up because in the past i found a few of the doctors so humorless and condescending. it’s like they though “i went to medical school and am superior to you as you’re only a chemist.” guess what, doc? i could have chosen med school too and would have turned out to be a better doc than you just by knowing how to talk to people….but i digress. if you have insurance you gotta bite the bullet and get in the system with that checkup. we’ve used urgent care a couple of times in my house and one was good and another was crappy.
Ugh I’m sorry about your bronchitis. Totally agree you have to bite the bullet with insurance. I’ve learned my lesson. I should actually schedule those annual doctor’s check ups now that I think about…oops! And ugh I’m sorry you had condescending doctors – that sucks. I bet you would have been a hilarious and personable doctor 🙂 .
I struggle with that. Now that healthcare is basically free to me (thanks Obamacare!!) it’s slightly less of a struggle. But that cough thing is where I’m at – is it “bad enough” to go to a doc? Will they just tell me it’s probably seasonal allergies? Will they even refer me to get a chest xray? Do I bother with it (even ignoring the cost)?
I erred on the safe side recently and ended up getting a CT scan. Doc said everything was “mostly normal” which is good peace of mind. 🙂 I don’t regret the $300 out of pocket since if it was something severe it could have been life or death.
I’m glad even a seasoned FIRE veteran has these thoughts 🙂 it makes me feel less weird lol. Glad you erred on the safe side and that everything was mostly normal!
Great story and good thing you both got treatment! I’m famously doctor resistant as well and TFI also never lets me live it down. Her favorite one is the time I had a bike accident and didn’t want to go in. I finally gave in just because I couldn’t finish picking the gravel out of my knee without passing out. They did xrays “just in case” and it turned out I’d fractured my hand in a few places. Whoops.
For me it’s more a time and hassle thing than a money thing since we’re fortunate (for the moment) to have good health insurance through our jobs. As I get older, I need to work to overcome the reluctance because things only get worse. It’s not worth the health risks.
Haha glad we both have partners that never let us forget things like this lol. And oh my goodness I’m glad you went in – multiple fractures and knee gravel AH! You’re hardcore. And great point with the time hassle – since I started working from and switched careers from advertising to marketing it hasn’t been a problem to go to appointments, but that seems to be a big consideration for people even over the money aspect. Totally agree not going is not worth the risks!
I was just thinking this week how happy I am with my doctor. Found him years ago, and it’s nice to have an ongoing doctor/patient relationship. My healthcare system has introduced various ways to be seen – video chat with a doctor for about $50… or sending a message to the doctor’s office. Not long ago, I had a cough that lasted for six months. Fainted at work and had to go to the ER. When I lamented to an EMT friend of mine that the visit cost me $500, she said yes, but it was $500 spent to rule out anything more serious than what I had. (turns out my body’s response to intense coughing fits is to faint from lack of oxygen… not fun). But I kept that lesson with me… that sometimes it hurts to pay the bill but it could be worth it if it rules out more serious issues.
Glad your partner urged you to see a doctor and that you both found a place that’s reliable for you to visit when you need a doctor!
So awesome you found a doctor you love and that they have all those communications options! Hopefully my next primary care physician has those as well. And oh no to the coughing and fainting! I’m sorry.
Good on your EMT friend for flipping the perspective like that. I need to save that notion for the next time I complain about healthcare costs. And thank you!
Yes to all of this!! After trying to tough it out for too long multiple times, I now have just allowed myself the mental okay to get checked out when I need it. I ended up going in twice in the past month for a really bad cough. And even though it wasn’t pneumonia, I was glad I got checked out. And $217 was worth it to know that I was doing everything I could to be getting healthy again!
That’s so awesome you’ve given yourself the mental ok! I’m sorry about your cough and hope you’re feeling better!
This is such an important story, thanks for sharing.
I did wait to go to the doctor once and it turned out had I waited a few more hours I might have been dead. I had bacterial meningitis and had no idea. I ended up being hospitalized for almost three months and it’s been a long road to recovery over the past decade. You think I’d have learned my lesson by now…BUT NO! I have been putting off going to the doctor about what I consider chronic pain (and a bunch of other related issues) that I’ve deemed, “not that bad.” But recently my partner pointed out that what I was dealing with wasn’t normal and you’re not supposed to be in pain all the time. Between his words and this post, it’s exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it! And oh my goodness I’m so sorry! And you haven’t learned your lesson?! Oh my goodness – please listen to your partner. I hope you get checked out and start feeling better soon. And if it helps know that your FIRE friends are here hoping you’ll take care of yourself! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Meningitis is a really long slow heal. I have been working to stay well and recover for such a long time. You certainly learn patience, limitations, and all about alternative medicines. Be gentle with yourself.
Often when we are in the grip of illness we can’t realize logically how sick we are.
I don’t know if you’re in the Puget Sound area but I am and was told that at any given time there are about 50 kinds of meningitis floating around.
At FinCon in San Diego I opted not to go to the ER the first night because it was “just” a UTI. I took some cranberry supplements and called it good. Started feeling worse very quickly. Still didn’t think to go to the doctor. (I have chronic fatigue and assumed I had just overdone it.) I missed most of FinCon because I was sick up in the room, throwing up and feeling dizzy. Turns out I’d gone septic. I spent two days in the hospital after FinCon before I could return home, all because I failed to go to the ER that first night. Idiotic.
Oh my goodness I’m so sorry – that sounds awful. I’m glad you ended up getting the treatment you needed, but wow. You’ve inspired me to open the ER as an option (it was previously strongly in the ‘no’ category). Thank you for sharing.
Oh, snap! I did exactly the same with the exactly the same result. In my defense, I went to the doctor after 4 weeks who said I had a ‘couple of crackles’ on my chest. I did take the antibiotics but they obviously didn’t work.
6 weeks later when I couldn’t actually walk up the disability ramp at a conference I decided I had to see doctor again – cue 1 month off work over Christmas and I ripped all my chest wall muscles from the extreme coughing!
Thankfully money wasn’t the delay factor being in the UK – time off work was my reason. Never again. Couldn’t exercise for 4 months without pain due to those ripped muscles.
Oh no – I’m so sorry! I didn’t even know ripping chest wall muscles by coughing was possible – AH! That is crazy. So glad you changed your mind about this stuff and so glad you’re feeling better. Thank you for sharing.
I really appreciate you telling this story as a fellow extremely frugal person. The part where you found out how cheap it really was ($2.50) triggered a memory for me.
I have had a similar experience with a dumb infected finger. I probably got the infection from washing dishes with a hangnail. Anyhow, it reached the point where it impacted my guitar playing. When I finally got it looked at, it took $20 of antibiotics to fix it and I luckily had old HSA money.
It looks like stories are pouring in about this. Great topic!
So glad you enjoyed it! And yeah I felt a little silly that the medicine I needed was so cheap. I wasn’t expecting that at all. In the grand scheme of things the clinic visit was cheap as well. It sounds we both learned a lesson 🙂
I’ve also had walking pneumonia and it’s AWFUL. I don’t know how you lived with it for a month! There were several points during the recovery process where I felt like I’d never get better. It’s not a fun illness to have.
Your post made me feel so grateful to have universal healthcare in Canada. As frugal as I am, the doctor’s fee would’ve been a huge factor in my decision to see/delay a visit. I think if I didn’t have ‘free’ healthcare, I’d get way sicker way more often!
Oh no! I’m sorry you had it too. And I’m going to say stubbornness lol? It’s definitely not a fun one and I remember also thinking “well I guess this is my life now.” I was super grateful to just feel normal when it passed though. And ah yes another Canadian – I’m so jealous! Maybe I need to look into what is required for citizenship…I’m lucky I don’t get sick basically ever since I started eating keto, but I did used to get sick pretty often and (obviously) didn’t go to the doctor. I let my budget consciousness get in the way of my health. Lesson learned – never again. Thanks for stopping by!
So glad you went to a doctor. I especially liked the line about how you were now an adult and it was your decision when you went to the doctor. I felt exactly the same way and resisted like crazy when my mom told me I needed health insurance…and then I ended up in an emergency room and a $2,500 bill. Oops!
Me too lol! And oh no – I guess my Mom was right (hate it when that happens 🙂 ). I’m sorry you had to go to the emergency room and hope you’re feeling better now!