Ugh. My thumb hurts like hell (7, verging on 8), and the soonest I'll be able to get pain meds is Friday night. I'm up to five Advil at a time now. (Basically, hand therapy person said to splint it for a while, and if it doesn't feel better, go back to rheumatologist, and that I'll probably need steroid injections in the joint. It's been getting worse, even with the splint, so I called the rheumatologist. After three days of phone calls, I find out that she's on leave, and the person covering for her says to contact my primary care doctor. My primary care doctor sucks, but I contacted her anyway, and I'm waiting for a reply. But meanwhile, since my rheumatologist usually prescribes pain meds, the other doctor in her office now needs to get that prescription for me, and he can't do it until Friday. But I've got a ridiculous day at work on Friday, so the latest that I could possibly pick up the prescription at the office would be noon, and they can't guarantee that it will be ready then -- even though "ready" just means that the doctor has printed it out and signed it. So, if I can't get it Friday, then it will be available for me on Monday, but I'm flying to Boston for Passover on Sunday, and won't be back until late Tuesday, so I won't get it until next Wednesday. And I am already literally crying from the pain.)

Hil, that really sucks, I hope that the doctor's office is able to get your medicine to you as soon as they can.

I'm sorry, Hil. That sucks.

I'm so sorry, Hil. I do hope that the PCP or someone comes through quickly with something for you.

Well, my primary care doctor says I can make an appointment with her, and she'll refer me to a specialist. (I don't know why I need an appointment just to get a referral, but whatever.)

Well, the soonest that the scheduling person could get me in was two weeks from now, but she agreed with me that that was too long, so she transferred my call to a different line, and she said the people there would be able to find a way to fit me in. There were no people there, just voicemail. So, I left a message. This is now four days of calling two different offices, and no appointment scheduled.

I have an appointment for tomorrow morning! (With a different doctor at the practice, who I think is Steph's Awesome Doctor.)

Oh, good, Hil. I'm glad you have an appointment, and I hope they can resolve some of your pain issues.

Oh I hope it is Awesome Doc, or at least a responsive Doc!

I'm 90% certain that this appointment will be, "Yes, your thumb is indeed unable to bend or unbend. I will refer you to a hand specialist who can give you a steroid injection." But I'm hoping he'll be able to do the injection himself. Appointment is at 10:15, and I'm hoping that my prescription at the rheumatologist will be ready to pick up by then, because the absolute latest that I can get to work is 12:30, and I can't leave after that to pick up the prescription if it's ready in the afternoon.