Andrew J. Lederer

when it became clear things were only going to get worse.

my temporarily permanent roommate recommended i go to st. vincent's, at least in part because it specializes in helping poor people who "aren't skels." (yea! i'm not a skel!)

however, i ended up going to methodist because the first train that came was going in that direction, there would be less stairways if i went that way (when it hurts to walk, this is a major consideration -- i almost opted for the bus instead of the subway for this reason, but also 'cause it was a nice day and the bus would have kept me outside), and finally because my cousin is a big exec in the chain that owns methodist, so if for some reason i needed backup, i might've been able to call him.

they've really fixed up the emergency area at methodist since the time i went there with a cold. (they mocked me for it but i didn't know. i thought it was something bacterial that could kill me.) everyone was nice and nobody made me feel bad about anything. (and there weren't any skels.)

while i waited to be seen my foot grew worse, fast. i was glad i hadn't stopped at smiling pizza to eat and read the paper as i had seriously considered doing when i got out of the subway. i had taken the laces out of my shoes so i could tolerate wearing them on the way over but now i had to take off my right shoe and hold it in my hand.

yet when i got to the treatment area, they wouldn't give me the cortisone shot that had fixed me within an hour the last time i was afflicted. apparently, it isn't protocol. (last time, i went to a regular doctor's office.)

the woman who was treating me said maybe it was because steroids require follow-up that an emergency room doesn't do. so, she gave me a shot of some anti-inflammatory.

but no magic bullet.

and on top of that, there was no social worker around to arrange for me to get poor people's freebie drugs.

so, i was told to come back today to get the medicine i really needed. in the meantime, she sent me home with motrin (ordinary ibuprofen) to take when the shot she gave me wore off in maybe 6 hours.

thanks for the help, sister. (ok. i know the omissions were not her fault.)

actually, the limited service did help. i still haven't needed to take a motrin even though it's a lot more than 6 hours since the shot was given.

still, i'm gonna take some motrin, though the pain is quite tolerable and barely pain right now, 'cause it's an anti-inflammatory and clearly i am still inflamed.

but what seemed on the precipice of becoming a multi-day-robbing emergency has become workable thanks to the fine service at new york methodist hospital of park slope.