Info Desk [Paperwork, ordering, wait times, procedures, booklets, prescriptions...]

Quick question...
I use an asthma inhaler on occasion. I need one right now, but I can't get a hold of my doctor for the life of me—trying to reach them by phone is basically mission impossible.

Is there any way to buy one without a prescription? I know you can sometimes bring the script in later, but with the holidays going on, who knows when I’ll actually see him. I really don't want to put a third party in an awkward spot, so I’d honestly rather just pay full price and be done with it.
Thanks in advance.

I suppose if you have the prescription for the pump from the pharmacy, there shouldn't be much of an issue, I guess.

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I wonder if most general practices are running on a shortened schedule tomorrow? My doctor's office is actually open tomorrow afternoon, but I have this nagging feeling they might just be closed anyway... I was planning on giving them a ring to see if they could send over my referral for
ENT, but honestly, it can probably wait until Monday.

Does anyone know if I can get an ergometry test done without having to deal with a COVID test first, or is everyone out there making a negative result mandatory before they'll even let you through the door for testing?

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Amanda White82 said:Is there any way to get an exercise stress test done without a COVID test, or is a negative result mandatory everywhere before they'll even see you?

I suppose I don't know for sure—I'm not a doctor, after all—but it seems logical that they'd require a negative test. I mean, just think about it; a stress test isn't exactly something you do while wearing a mask, so you're dealing with a massive amount of aerosols in that clinical setting.
Maybe it might be better to just opt for a Holter monitor instead? You could just run around for a few minutes and essentially get the same data as the stress test. It’s probably a more comprehensive look at things anyway—and I'm fairly certain it wouldn't require a COVID test.

Does anyone have some solid info on the dermatology clinics? They’ve moved from Salad Street over to Rib. Do they actually stay open in the afternoons? I'm wondering if they'll see urgent cases if you already have a referral in hand.
Thanks so much for the help!

As far as I can tell, they operate during the afternoon hours as well. Though, as for the exact number of patients or their specific conditions, I suppose I couldn't say for certain.

cosmicwalker17 said:Can anyone give me some solid info regarding the dermatology clinics? (They’ve moved from their old spot over on Salad to the Rib location now). Do they actually have afternoon hours? Even if it's just for urgent cases with a referral?
Thanks so much for any help

They are open in the afternoons—but there isn't such a thing as "urgent care" dermatology there. It's all by appointment only, I guess.

I just picked up some dental drops, and the instructions say "4x2 every six hours." I am a bit stumped—what does that actually mean in practice? Could someone please lend me a hand with this?

neonsailor26 said:I just picked up some drops for my toothache, and the instructions say "4x2 every six hours." Does anyone actually know what that's supposed to mean? I could really use a little help deciphering this before I try anything.

So, where did you pick up those drops? I was just trying to wrap my head around what "4x2" actually implies—my assumption is that it means four times a day with two drops each time. Usually, when it’s for something like an eye or ear infection, they’ll specify the exact ratio on the box, whether it's 3x3, 4x4, or 3x4, so I just want to make sure I'm not overcomplicating the math here.
Just to clear up any confusion on how to read this: the first number always indicates how many times a day you're dosing, while the second one tells you exactly how many drops to take per dose.

wanderingpanther68 said:Who did you get those drops from? If it says 4x2, that usually means four times a day with two drops each—I know how it goes when you're dealing with an eye or ear issue, they always scribble those instructions like 3x3, 4x4, or 3x4 right on the box...
The first number is always how many times a day, and the second is just how many drops per dose.

Thanks so much, my friend 🙂. Honestly, my tooth is absolutely killing me, and since my regular dentist isn't available, I just headed over to the local CVS to see if they could help. It was total chaos there—just a massive rush—so nobody really had a spare second to explain anything, let alone give me any advice. The pharmacist basically just said, "Here are your drops, that'll be $X, have a nice day," and that was that! Thanks again for looking out for me!

neonsailor26 said:Thanks so much, my friend 🙂. Honestly, I’ve been dealing with this nagging toothache, and since my regular dentist is out of town, I ended up wandering into a local pharmacy hoping for some relief. It was absolute chaos in there—just total madness—so nobody had a spare second to actually explain anything to me. The pharmacist basically just handed me some liquid drops, told me to pay up, and waved me away. Thanks again for the help!

Don't mention it, anytime. 👍

wanderingpanther68 said:No problem at all—happy to help anytime! 👍

So, I actually picked up some eye drops as well (had an appointment with my ophthalmologist yesterday), and I haven't quite started using them yet because I'm waiting until Monday to run things by my primary doctor for a bit more clarification. Just to be extra sure, you know? See, I struggle with OCD and PTSD, so things can get a little complicated for me... My OCD really pushes me to second-guess everything and double-check every single detail over and over again. Right now, I’ve got some dental drops (until I can get my tooth fixed this coming Monday) and these other ones from the eye doctor for my eyes.

For the tooth, it's 4x2.

For the eyes, it's 3x2.

And that follows the same logic, right? Like, 3X2 means three times a day, two drops per eye (since they specifically told me to put it in every eye).

Sorry if I'm being a bit much...

This OCD is really getting to me...

Yes, three times a day, two drops each time, I suppose.

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Does anyone happen to know how the ultrasound process works over at the Petrov clinic for those of us struggling with infertility? Specifically—how long is the wait once you actually arrive? I was told to just show up without an appointment on a certain day of my cycle around 7:30 AM, but it turns out I have a conflicting appointment at another hospital that same morning. Now I’m torn—should I push back the other appointment, or should I just take the gamble and try to squeeze both in? Thanks in advance!

Are these rapid COVID-19 tests free only for Chicago residents, or does it apply to people like me who work there and need a negative result for a business trip?

My doctor is giving me a referral, so I can pay if I have to—I just want to know if I can use the free rapid ones to skip all the red tape and waiting around...

Do those tests actually count when you're crossing the border?

I’ve got to head out of town again soon for work—can I keep doing this multiple times or what..?

What exactly does that abbreviation stand for? st post Should it be placed before the diagnosis?

I would suggest that this implies a certain level of doubt regarding the diagnosis, though a definitive conclusion has not yet been reached.

St post I am looking at my specialist report, and I am utterly perplexed: how can the diagnosis listed there be issued by a specialist who isn't even practicing in that specific field?

But then again, am I even certain that my interpretation is correct?

I don't think so—the wording changes when there's actual suspicion involved (like when you suspect someone).
Google says this actually means "post-condition."

Nicholas Wells74 said:What does that abbreviation actually mean? I haven't seen any content to rewrite yet. Please provide the posts you'd like me to transform! Should it go before the diagnosis?

I’d say it basically means they're suspicious of the diagnosis, but nothing is set in stone just yet. It's still up in the air.

St post So, I was looking over my specialist report today, and I noticed something pretty weird. The diagnosis they wrote down doesn't even match the doctor's actual field of expertise. It feels like a total mismatch—kind of like asking a mechanic to fix your plumbing and then having them tell you your sink is leaking. Just feels off.

But then again, I'm not entirely sure if my take on this is even right.

That’s exactly how it felt for me after the diagnosis was confirmed, but things shifted once I went through that minor surgical procedure.
So, if that was the diagnosis written down post-op—I'm assuming it just means "status after" the procedure.
When they’re still second-guessing a diagnosis, that’s usually when you see people posting "in obs" on the forums.

Nicholas Wells74 said:What does that abbreviation actually stand for... st post Should it go before the diagnosis name...?

I would say that this suggests they are still questioning the diagnosis, though nothing has been officially confirmed just yet...

St post I noticed on my specialist report that the diagnosis listed was actually provided by a doctor who doesn't even specialize in that specific field...

But then again, I can't be entirely certain that my interpretation is correct either...

So, you would start by describing the current condition and then follow up with the specific procedure that was performed... even if it happened quite a long time ago, since that part is essential to the patient's medical history...