My first experience to Grenada's walk-in clinic

So I've been having a problem lately. It started mid-August actually, but it wasn't a big deal then. It is early-November now and the condition has exacerbated. I pretty much have mucus blocking my ear and it needs to be flushed out. I already had my ears flushed out actually last year in Troonto. The procedure is simple, you just put some warm water in a syringe and apply pressure. The water will clean out everything. The solution also has some hydrogen peroxide in it. They even sell self-serve ear cleaners with a right-angle bent syringe. You need the tip of the syringe to be bent so that it doesn't go too deep in the ear canal and hit the eardrum. Anyways back to the story:

I had a 2-hour Histo lab in the morning followed by a 1-hour optional Anatomy Lab. I had problems hearing the professor the whole time. Then, I ate lunch, then went to class. I had 3 classes today: 2 Histo+1 Biochem. The problem is that my classes are 1 pm to 4 pm and the Grenada walk-in clinic closes at 4 pm! I didn't even know that clinics can close that early. Anyways, I skipped my biochem class. It was just a lecture on vitamins, something I can read myself. Biochem is the kind of course in which A+B=C and there is nothing you can learn from the professor to change it otherwise, everything is in the notes. The professor pretty much "reads" the notes.

So I went to the clinic, signed-in and wrote "ear cleaning" as the reason for visit. I waited around an hour, which is reasonable since there were other patients before me. During that hour, I read the vitamin lecture that I was missing and finished it. I got called later stating, that since it's my first visit, I need to fill some forms. No problem, done. Then, they asked, if I had insurance with the school or do I have my own insurance. When we registered, we had stated that I was going to be using my own health insurance company. Then she asked me of a form that I had sent to SGU when I registered. Obviously, I don't have that form with me. So then, she said that I would have to pay today and that she'll give me a receipt which I can get reinbursed later. Again, no problem.

I finally got called (it was hard to hear). The lady asked me why I'm here and asked why I didn't come earlier in the morning. I told her my schedule and told her that I skipped a class to come. She understood. Next, the actual doctor called me. He asked me, "Have I had any illnesses in the past?". This is the most general question I have ever heard from a doctor. Yes, of course, I have had illnesses in the past, would you like a list of all of them? Seriously, I just told him yes I did and that the only major procedure I've had was an appendectomy, but nothing related to my ears. Then, he checked my oral cavity and my breathing. This is normal since the mucus from the ear can go into the mouth and the breathing was just incase, the mucus went into the trachea in which case my breathing would be a little dyspnic. He finally said, after all of that, that I need to come another day. I asked, "Can't you just take a syringe, put some hot water and squeeze?". He said, "Yes, we can do that, but it requires more pressure". He wanted to prescribe some ear drops that would loosen the mucus and the wax in the ear so that when he puts pressurized water into it, everything would come out. This is fine, but it's not really efficient. The solution that is in the syringe has hydrogen peroxide for a reason and serves as the same function as the ear drops he was prescribing me. It would have taken him 5 mins to prepare the solution and another 5 mins to do the procedure.

So, I went then to the pharmacy, which was located in Grand Anse. I waited for the bus for 30 mins. Two Lance Epine buses came and went. (I live in Lance Epine, but I need to go to Grand Anse). I finally took the bus to Grand Anse and got to the pharmacy. I pulled out the prescription, which I couldn't even understand the handwriting since it was so bad. I gave it to the lady. I got my medication 20 mins after I gave the prescription. All 20 mins were spent looking for it, the pharmacy btw is 1/8th the pharmacy found in an avg. Wal-Mart. I got the medication and am now in Grand Anse. I'm going to get something to eat here and I might as well do some grocery shopping. This is the only good thing that came out of it.

Tomorrow is Tuesday, my worst day of the week where I"m occupied from 8-5 pm. This means, I can't get my ears flushed until Wednesday. So, basically I skipped a class, wasted an hour, just to realize that I need to come in the morning. If the nurse who was also the receptionist had seen that I wrote, "ear cleaning", she could have just told me this fact. I would have been able to go back to class. It almost makes me want to buy a syringe and do the whole thing myself. I have hydrogen peroxide in my contact lens solution too. Don't worry, I won't be not unless I can bend the tip.

Lastly, the bus that was supposed to come and pick me up at 7:20 pm from the grocery store didn't come. So, I had to take another bus back to Grand Anse campus, then wait for another bus to take me to Lance Epine.