Woke up feeling that horrible itchy burn down there, like sat on a fire ant nest overnight. Knew exactly what it was – the yeastie beasties were back. Again. Figured I could power through like last time, dumped a whole bunch of over-the-counter cream on it. Yeah, that worked real well. Spoiler: It didn’t.
The Itch Got Real
Couple days later, forget sitting down comfortably. Walking felt like I had sandpaper in my pants. Tried soaking in a bath like some forums said. Big mistake. Made everything ten times redder and angrier. Couldn’t focus on anything except the non-stop itch and burn. Seriously thought about scratching myself raw with a hairbrush handle – pure itchy hell desperation.
Checked online, obviously. Saw some articles mentioning urgent care for yeast infections. Honestly? Was scared. Was it serious? Did I break something with all that cream?
Dragged My Butt to Urgent Care
Called the closest clinic. Guy on the phone sounded bored but said yes, they handle “vaginal concerns,” which was awkward enough. Drove over feeling sweaty and nervous, like everyone knew why I was going. Waited in a packed waiting room full of coughing people and kids with busted arms. Awesome.
- Saw a nurse first. Had to say “yeast infection” out loud. Felt super awkward.
- Then the lady doctor came in. Nice enough, but man, the questions. When did it start? How bad? Describing the burning was… charming.
- Then she did the exam. Yeah. Stirrups, the whole circus. Felt like a biology experiment.
What Actually Went Down
She looked, said yep, classic yeast fest. No magic wand, no instant fix. Just confirmed what I kinda knew but was hoping was wrong. Told me the creams I’d been using were probably making things worse by irritating everything further. Great.
- She wrote a prescription for the strong meds.
- Gave me a handout about cotton underwear and avoiding baths (way late for that).
- Told me if it didn’t start improving in like 3 days, call my regular doc or come back. Joy.
Cost Me A Whole Paycheck
Get this. The urgent care visit alone?
- Copay was $75. Just to walk in.
- Then the prescription cream? Another $45.
- Total outta pocket: $120 bucks. Plus gas. Plus lost time.
Felt like paying top dollar for someone to basically say “Yup, you have the thing.” And remind me not to drown it in cheap cream. Walked out the door feeling poorer and not much smarter than when I walked in.
The Big Takeaway
Honestly? Unless you think it’s really something worse, like an STI or something wild, urgent care for a standard yeast infection feels like using a fire truck to water a houseplant. Total overkill.
- It took hours.
- Cost way more than a doctor’s visit or even a telehealth chat.
- Super embarrassing explaining yourself surrounded by folks with the flu.
Next time? I’m calling my regular doc first thing. Or trying one of those online doctor apps where you text someone pictures (gross, but less waiting room humiliation). Save the urgent care for actual urgent stuff, not my idiot self ignoring an itch until it felt like my crotch was being attacked by bees. Lesson learned. The hard way. My pocket’s $150 lighter to prove it.
