Oi.

Ellie's fever was up this morning. As in, above the minimum that I call the doctor about. So before taking Noah to school, I called to try to secure an appointment for her at the base clinic. Only to find out that what the guy who gave me my new ID lied - I wasn't all set up and ready to go at the clinic at Tinker. They couldn't give me an appointment until after I got everything settled with Tricare. In person. With a sick baby. Ellie and I dropped Noah off at school and headed up there.

We spent far too long dealing with Tricare and Patient Administration... to be told that the only remaining appointments for the day were at 1:30 and 1:45 - far too late in the day since I had the carseats and would need to pick Noah up from school at 2:30. And a referral off-base wouldn't be given if there were appointments available. All the while, Ellie has a raging fever and a cough that scares the living crap out of me.

{{sigh.}}

We walked down to Pediatrics and I all but demanded that they either try to squeeze us in or give us a referral. Lucky for us {and them}, one of the doctors was willing to work us in. Fifteen minutes of waiting and we're called back... and wait another 20 in the room. During which time Ellie starts getting the shakes because her fever is spiking again.

({big sigh}}

Once the doctor takes a look at Ellie and declares her ears all clear, she swabs her for strep and then sends us down for blood work and a chest x-ray... she was concerned for either strep or pneumonia. We get the blood work done {torture} and three chest x-rays done after that {double torture}. Strep came back negative, but her blood work showed elevated white blood cells and the chest x-rays led her to believe that she was in the beginning stages of pneumonia. And since it was Friday and we couldn't come back in tomorrow for more tests, that's how she was going to treat it.

{{big. fat. sigh.}}

So, three prescriptions and nearly four hours later, we made it back home with just enough time to unload our things, change a diaper, and go back to pick up Brother from school.

And me? Still not feeling good. And in desperate need of some sleep.