Alright, so I found myself in that uncomfortable spot a while back, you know, the one where it feels like you’re peeing fire? Yeah, a classic UTI hitting me hard. My first thought was, ugh, gotta see a doctor.
My regular doctor’s office was booked solid for like, three days. No way I was waiting that long feeling like this. It was miserable. I was wracking my brain trying to think where else I could go, maybe an urgent care? But then I remembered there’s a Planned Parenthood clinic not too far from my place. I’d gone there years ago for something else entirely, but I wasn’t sure if they handled stuff like UTIs.
Figuring It Out
So, what did I do? I didn’t just show up. I decided to give them a quick call first. Found their number easily enough. I just called the main line for the local clinic.
When someone answered, I kept it simple. I just said something like, “Hey, I think I have a urinary tract infection, the symptoms are pretty clear. Is that something you guys can test for and treat there?”
The person on the phone was super straightforward. They said, “Yep, we definitely handle UTIs.” Huge relief right there.
Going In
They told me I could try walking in, but making an appointment was better to avoid a long wait. Since I was feeling pretty awful, I asked for the next available slot. Luckily, they had something later that same day. Perfect.
So, I went over there for my appointment time. Checked in, filled out a bit of paperwork, the usual stuff. Didn’t take too long to get called back.
- They had me give a urine sample, obviously. Standard procedure for a suspected UTI.
- A nurse or clinician talked with me about my symptoms, just to confirm things.
- They did a quick test right there on the sample.
Turns out, I was right. Definitely a UTI. No surprise there, given how I felt.
The Result
The good part? They handled it all right there. The clinician prescribed me antibiotics on the spot. They electronically sent the prescription over to my usual pharmacy, which was super convenient. I just had to swing by the pharmacy on my way home.
The cost was reasonable too. I have insurance, so it covered most of it, but even without it, they have sliding scale fees based on income, which is good to know.
So, yeah, long story short based on my trip that day: Planned Parenthood was totally able to help me out with a UTI. They did the test, confirmed it, and got me the prescription I needed pretty quickly. Saved me from waiting days to see my regular doctor while feeling terrible. It worked out great for me in that situation.
