The first sharp pains started a little over a week ago. Then the fluid began the build behind my eardrum, followed by bouts of diziness. The last time I had an ear infection I had no income at all. My eardrum eventually ruptured in the middle of the night. For the next too weeks I couldn't attend school because the altitude change along the 35 mile commute made me too dizzy. Today I have a part-time job, but I still don't have the means to see my doctor.
My doctor charges $80 just for the office visit. The medicine is another $200. My check this week was only $130. Besides, there are more pressing matters at hand.
I'm graduating from my community college this year. It's time to send out my transfer applications. I'm not applying to a lot of schools, only three. But at $50 - $60 a pop, plus the cost to send transcripts, it gets expensive. None of the schools I am applying to offer fee waivers, so I have no choice but to pay these fees if I want to continue my education. The money I make from my part-time job is barely enough to cover these costs and I still have to put gas in my car.
Hopefully my ear infection will go away on its own, it happens some time. If it presists, hopefully it will hold out for at least a month so I can get past college application time. And especially hopefully it doesn't get bad enough to interupt my studies, again. My classes are the hardest yet, and I can't afford to miss even one day.
I'm not looking for sympathy, advice, or assistance, I just want people to know we're not there yet. When a person has to choose between school and health, we still have a long way to go.