The Absolutely Hysterical FDA

So, as the story goes, I took Andrew into the doctor on a Saturday for wheezing.  It is September, after all, and in Oklahoma, that means ragweed and winds.  Add the summer drought and it means that everything is in the air for our delicate little noses to freak out about.

Side note.  I understand the purpose of allergy shots - you basically inflict your body with the things it is allergic to every week and your body finally gives up its sensitivity to said things.  I don't recall having much luck as a child with them, but bygones.  My point of contention here is that in Oklahoma?  It's like being exposed to allergens 365 days out of the year and you'd think that after 38 years of this, I'd have a great set of allergen-free sinuses.  Tis not the case, so perhaps allergy shots should be tried again.  

Additional side note.  Since my health insurance scoffs at my pleas to control my allergies and asthma (see: pre-existing conditions), this will be a true test of the so called Obamacare.  Mr. President, if you can get me allergy shots and inhalers for a decent copay and not just chuckle at me, I will salute you and your universal healthcare system.

BACK TO THE STORY. Ahem.

So I take Andrew in for his September wheezing, and the doc on call does the whole routine examination of the upper respiratory orifices, including a strep test.  Since I'm used to pediatricians checking every little thing in their efforts to reassure me that my child is indeed well or sick.  They know how to deal with moms.

Please note too that Andrew is always sick.  As in, always has a stomachache, always has a headache, sometimes his knee hurts or his elbow or sometimes it's this really weird spot and "mom, what is this right here on my arm?"  It's called a freckle, kid, now knock it off.  Point is, living with an mildly OCD and anxiety-ridden child for 9 years has taught me to pat him on the head and reassure him that he is not dying on a regular basis.  He does get the canker sores all the time, hence one of the tangible reasons he is in counseling (more on that another time).

Doctor insists on a breathing treatment and as soon as it's done, he loudly announces that Andrew has strep throat.  Well, OF COURSE he does.  We got an antibiotic (with a coupon!!!!) and inhalers and were sent on our way.

The pharmacy tried to charge me $420 for the antibiotic, to which I loudly protested "I have a coupon!!!  $25!!!"  They ran the coupon through and then came back to tell me that my insurance doesn't want to pay for the antibiotic, because it's new, and even with the coupon, it's still over $400.  I stared her down for a moment and she started giggling and said something about how she would call my insurance and see what she could do.  

Ten minutes later, I had a $25 dollar antibiotic.

Now, before we get to the photo part of this ramble, let me explain what my doctor told me years ago about strep throat.  Apparently, strep is so common that as it gets passed around and all these little kidlets go to the doctor, the strep virus supposedly mutates around the popular antibiotics.  Like good ol' amoxicillin.  Apparently, it's just not that effective anymore against strep because strep declared war and won.  Hence the use a new antibiotic.

Here's the fan-badbadword-tastic warning label from it.

Weeks to months of this side effect?  MONTHS?
 
Luckily, after 9 years of living with Andrew, I knew better than to read that aloud.  Can you imagine what an anxiety driven child would have done with that?  Might as well have cancelled 4th grade.  

Well played, strep.  Well played.