This might be the healthiest text you will ever send
The pain was excruciating. With each swallow, Amanda’s throat sent up a silent scream. The scratchiness from the preceding day could be ignored but not this. Even a sip of water was agonizing.
At 3 in the morning what could the Latrobe area mother of two young kids do? A trip to the Emergency Department seemed extreme – she just needed to see a doctor, and get some medicine. She knew this feeling. She’d had it before – strep throat!
An antibiotic would be the ticket to better health. She reached for her cell phone. A simple text could start the process, even when everybody else was sleeping. She typed GETWELL and sent it to 24587. In response she received a secure Web link where she could describe her symptoms – sore throat, fever – and request an appointment. She answered the questions, hit send, and dropped into a fitful sleep.
Four hours passed in what seemed like minutes, and Amanda was awakened by the sounds of morning activity. Her sweet husband tried to keep the preschooler’s bubbling enthusiasm quiet, while their first-grader asked a million questions about the day ahead – including was mommy going to be OK. All Amanda could think of was her throbbing throat and the text message she’d sent. Did she dream it, or had she actually pressed send.
She checked her phone, and there it was – confirmation of an appointment! All she needed to do was agree! Nearly delirious with a rising temperature, she was estatic and replied YES! On the doctor’s schedule for 9 a.m., she was at the pharmacy by 10, and by lunchtime, she could already feel the improvement.
The best news, since it was Friday, she had the weekend to rest, minimizing the days off work, and the maximizing the recovery time.
While she relaxed, she reflected on another time, not so long ago, when it was her little ones who needed care quickly. It was Christmas Eve, and a Saturday! Who would possibly be available to check out her children? Excela Health’s Primary Care Weekend saved the family’s holiday, with the care team seeing the kids before noon and reassuring mom that visions of sugarplums, not tummy aches, would still dance in their heads. That was the best gift of all.
“When you’re a busy mom, you’ve got to have a plan for dealing with all of life’s uncertainties including those unexpected medical problems that pop up,” says Amanda. “Excela Health offers access, flexibility and promptness. I couldn’t ask for more.”
If you’re like Amanda, you can text GETWELL to 24587, or call the toll-free GETWELL phone number – 1-844-7-GETWELL (1-844-7-438-9355). Representatives are ready to help you GETWELL.