My Last Day of Twenty Eleven.

New Years Eve morning greeted me with a bawling baby boy, sitting in his high chair, who could not be consoled. Not even with food. And then I saw him grab his ear. The words "Ahhh, crap!! Not again." passed through my head as I dialed the number to his pediatricians office. They were closed for the holiday weekend. Awesome. Urgent care it is then. I've been lucky enough to avoid that place until now...so I knew it was going to be an experience.

I walk through the door to see quite a few people sitting in the waiting room. One guy was hacking up a lung in the corner. I walk up to the desk with Jack, trying really hard to avoid whatever the man in the corner has, when the nice receptionist greets me with a "Hi, how are you?" and a "Just to let you know the wait time to see the doctor is 1 1/2 to 2 hours." Well, at least she warned me right off the bat. So I filled-out the paperwork and paid the copay. Then after two hours worth of walks around the building and other desperate attempts to keep my child amused, the nurse came out and said the one thing I was so anxious to hear: Jack's name.

We were escorted to a room where his vitals were taken and we were told the doctor would be in shortly. YES! Finally what we were waiting for.

After another 10 minutes the doctor knocks and walks in.

"So what's the problem in here?" she says.

"Well, I'm pretty sure my son has an ear infection. He's had multiple this year, and he was showing symptoms of one this morning."

"OK, let's take a look."

I pick up Jack and hold him to me while she looks into his ears.

"Oh yeah" she says, "this one is pretty red. I'll go write up a prescription now."

And just like that, she was gone.
Not even five minutes with the doctor.

Needless to say, we got the antibiotics and I gave him his first of five doses that day. He had a very quiet New Years Eve night for resting. He's now fully recovered and as happy as ever.

But believe me when I tell you: I will never forget my first time in Urgent Care. And I'm praying I don't have to visit there again anytime soon.