sting of unshed tears

For a solid week, my eyes have been burning.
I can actually smell and taste the overload of saline.
This time, though, the tears are not flowing.
They wait, for... perhaps the dropping of the other shoe?
The resolution of my thwarted love play for the running bear?
Some word from the physicist about his new home?
A sign that Tony's birthday event will be a success?
Some progress on the industrial patent or website for my invention?
The obituary to mark the end of a friend's life?
To be swept into the arms of a new love and be soundly kissed?
I don't know.
Any one of those would be a step in the right direction for my peace of mind.
Sigh.

Then again, perhaps my lack of levothyroxine is the reason for my depression.
I blame Susan Barker at the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center here in Savannah.
Susan Barker is the nurse practitioner acting as my primary care physician.
I had called on the 10th of this month when I discovered that my prescription had expired and I would not be able to refill it online as I normally did. I had explained that I had seven pills left and needed Susan Barker to renew my prescription and order the refill for me. I had been assured that a note would be left for her to do so.
However, she did neither.
How do I know?
I went online Monday night to check that the medication was on its way.
It was not. Nor had the prescription been renewed so I could order it myself.
I called the VA After Hours Care Center and spoke to Tara.
I was in a panic. After all, I had been skipping doses to stretch out what I had, just in case of this very thing of Susan Barker not tending to my medical needs.
Tara verified that Susan Barker had been remiss with her responsibilities to me. Tara assured me that she had just sent an urgent email to Susan Barker and that the problem would be remedied on Tuesday.
No such thing occurred. Still no medication ordered or renewed, as I discovered when I checked on Tuesday evening. I called the VA After Hours Care Center and spoke to someone who decided I needed to speak with another person. No resolution of my problem transpired.
Wednesday, between class and lab at Savannah Tech and class and lab at Armstrong, I drove over to the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center in Savannah. I was intent to cause a scene and get that medication ordered.
Thanks to the help of Passious, who hand-delivered the message to Susan Barker, my medication was finally ordered. Passious even called me to confirm that the order had been placed.
Now, I continue to wait.
I take my last pill tomorrow morning.

Here is what I have had to deal with this past week, and what I will continue to deal with in the days to come, thanks to the incompetence of Susan Barker of the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center in Savannah.


Fatigue
Weight gain
A puffy face
Cold intolerance
Joint and muscle pain
Constipation
Dry skin
Dry, thinning hair
Decreased sweating
Depression
Slowed heart rate


I will definitely be calling the VA Patient Advocate team about this.