This morning I headed to the morning formation in ACUs. They do morning PT here, but anyone that has an appointment at 0830 of before comes in ACUs and then takes off after formation. I'm still figuring everything out, so my squad leader just told me to come in ACUs.
My first appointment was at 1030 which was with the social worker again. I had to fill out a lengthy sheet filled with various questions such as "Do I feel like harming myself or others". We took time to go over each of my answers. Yesterday's visit was very short, but today's was quite a bit longer and more in depth. After all was said and done, I am still considered mentally fine I guess…lol.
I then went to lunch back in our hotel room with my wife. I had another appointment with my primary care manager, which like my previous appointment was much more in depth. We went over all my issues and she did a couple basic checks on me as far as feeling my joints and listening to my breathing. The doctor also prescribed me some new medication after our talk. One was just a renewal of my muscle relaxers, the other is a pain reliever that also makes me drowsy…that will help me sleep at night, so no complaints with me. I also asked to try a stronger one called Tramadol. After speaking with a former co-worker that had a similar situation with neck pain and headaches, she said this was the only thing that helped her out. So the doctor gave me a small amount to try out. I'm willing to try about anything now to get rid of my pain.
I then had an appointment with the pharmacist who went over all the prescriptions I'm taking and she explained everything about them. The other pain reliever the doctor prescribed me to take nightly is called Amitriptyline. It is actually categorized as an antidepressant, but can be prescribed for pain. From what the pharmacist told me, it will build up over time and help with the pain in my nerve endings. The side affect is that it will make me drowsy, so I'll be taking it at night before bed. I've been having trouble sleeping, so this is a welcome side affect.
The pharmacy at Ft. Lewis is pretty crazy! The place is crowded with people in overflow seating outside of the pharmacy. A number is taken and when it is called you can stand in the line which has two people working just to make sure there are no issues with the line…like cutting or going before your number is called. I waited a little over an hour for my prescription.
I didn't get any of my actual in-processing done because of all my appointments. I'm also pretty frustrated over how busy they keep us when we first arrive. I need to find a place to live and only have this hotel for 10 days, after that I will not get reimbursed. They are giving me no time to get out and look for a place to live and it can get frustrating.
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