I had to go to the ER day before yesterday for an unrelated condition (ridiculously bad gout flare, literally could not walk). They did more blood work, and put me on YET ANOTHER antibiotic, this one in addition to the cipro primary doc gave me. This after taking two blood cultures and a couple vials to test white count and uric acid count (both 11.4k) and utterly failing to hit a vein the first time while I sat there and hyperventilated while watching them dig around with the needle. Newly discovered phobia: Needles.

As for the pain meds, primary doc has me on tramadol. She said she can't put me on anything stronger because of me fitting the demographic - bearing in mind that anything much stronger actually IS starting to edge into opioid territory. Regardless, I will be bringing this up with her next time I actually get to speak with her for more than a minute at a time (she has the habit of poking her head into the room and telling a nurse to take care of whatever the obvious problem is, without ever really stopping to speak to me...)