A bemused rant about the healthcare system

So after chatting with my army of doctors, I decided to go ahead and get the steroid injection.

For reasons I completely do not understand but expect has something to do with Medicare billing,  these shots must be done at the hospital,  in labor and delivery. My doctor made it sound so simple: I'll tell them you're coming,  just pop in this afternoon,  get the shot, come back tomorrow at the same time, get shot two all done.

I figured I was taking sick time from work anyways and in a unprecedented move had cancelled the class I was supposed to teach that night. Plus there had to be worse places to feel dreadfully sick than in a hospital. So I dragged myself out of bed, put on some clothes, and head up to the labor and delivery department of the hospital where my son, Shea, was born.

The friendly staff there immediately send me back downstairs. Turns out you have to be admitted to the hospital. To get a shot. Sigh, of course you do.

Much paperwork later, I am back in L&D, where they tell me the first step is to do a 20 minute non stress test. To get shot. Sigh, of course you do.

If I had known this, I would have chugged some juice before coming in, to give the bean a bean a little jolt. Because bean slept through the entire NST. And because we failed the test miserably, I needed to be sent for a BPP. My last one, you may recall, was the day before. Perfect score and all. Sigh again.

So they leave me hooked up to the monitor while waiting for the ultrasound and of course bean chooses that time to begin the cha cha. Good news, NST results now look great. Bad news, they've already ordered the BPP, and now can't back away from it. To get a shot. Sigh.

So I wait for my official transport because heaven forbid I walk down the hall and get my BPP. In which the ultrasound technician asks, puzzled, why are you here for decreased fetal movement? The baby is moving all over then place! Yeah, tell me about it, lady. Second perfect BPP score in two days.

Finally, the shot is given. After two hours of hospital testing, it takes all of 2 seconds. Sigh, of course it did.

I am assured the next day I will need no monitoring and can just get the shot. This, of course, was an enormousn lie. Next day, right back to the NST. Bean was apparently also fed up at this point, and decided to put on quite a show. Kicked the ass of the NST. Good bean.

All of this to get two injections with allegedly no side effects that I probably could have administered myself. And we wonder why healthcare is so expensive!

On the bright side, everyone was very nice. And my cold seems to be improving. Plus, having been basically continuously monitored for three days, I am feeling pretty confident that bean is doing just fine. 

And ending on a wistful note, the whole experience made me a little sad I won't be delivering at this hospital again (because I need to switch to one with a tertiary care NICU). Everyone there really is fantastic, and the admissions clerk proudly told me on my way out she had gone ahead and done all the pre-registration paperwork for my delivery there so I wouldn't have to worry about coming back in to do that. I didn't have the heart to tell her I wouldn't be back.