Josiah visits the big city doctor

My dearest Nora, wherever thou mayst roam,

I broke down and went. Glad I did, but I was cringing the whole time in the waiting room, just hoping that it's just not some crazy flu virus. Sounds funny, doesn't it?

Within three high-speed minutes, I was diagnosed with sinusitis, given a prescription for a whopping dose of amoxicillin, and sent on me way.

Before this tale reaches its conclusion, let me back up and officially state my amazement at the device with which the nurse took my temperature. All I've ever personally experienced has been those colour-coded strips one slaps upon their forehead (for home use), and the standard, "Keep this under your tongue for an eternity" contraption. Luckily, I've avoided the one utilised in a person's backside, and I have some knowledge of the gadget that takes one's temperature through the ear. I thought I'd seen all there was to see.

I thought wrong.

The nurse swiped some crazy thing clear across my forehead and then back behind my ear for a second. And that was it.

I couldn't help myself. To her, I expressed my amazement with the invention. Remarkable. Right then and there, I wanted to know all there was to know about the device, but the conversation unfortunately did not carry on past my expression of delight.

The doc caught me studying some flashcards I'd made for physiology (make-up exam very soon... not at all ready) when he came swaggering in. We discussed my academic life briefly, he grinned and gave me best wishes of luck on gaining entrance to medical school...and on my exam. Nice guy, thorough, and as previously mentioned, swift.

Ol' Josiah's now going to share an embarrassing fear he's had for several years, mostly rooted in slivers of truth and a whole lot of ignorance, but with some other psychological reasons (had a bad episode some years ago, to be vague and dismissive). Ah, here goes.

Each time I introduce a medication to my body (with the exception of the allergy pills I've routinely taken for years), I do so with a good bit of fear that something will go awry, even if I've had the medication before. I tell myself I won't read the list of potential side-effects, but I do it anyway, and that only makes things worse. It's not until after the second dose that I start to relax. It's embarrassing and I know I haven't any reason to worry. But I do it anyway, with my mouth shut.

There were two times today that I'm sure I gave the, "WHATDIDYOUSAY!?OHNO!" kind of look. The first was when the doctor said, "We'll put you on a megadose of amoxicillin..." I felt my eyes go wide that time, but corrected it within seconds. In my ignorance, megadose = mega-increased likelihood of complications. Second time was at the pharmacy. "This'll probably upset your stomach..." Oh, how lovely. I have a bit of a weak stomach naturally. I have to take one in a moment with dinner, and then another in a few hours before bed. I can imagine little sleep and a raw backside tonight, the night before my exam...that I'm not at all prepared for.

However, and I'll leave you on this upswing, I went and procured myself several tins of soup for the days ahead. As I headed down the "ethnic" part of the aisle, what did catch my eye but a package of chocolate oranges! ...and Ripple bars! They also had some PG Tips newly for sale, but it can be found for less elsewhere. I was all a-tingle with excitement. In the surrounding plots on the shelf were "COMING SOON!" labels for all sorts of food from the UK! My experience has not been a varied one, so I'm looking forward to seeing what else is out there.

May the grace of He keep you always,

J.O. Morris