the Pneumonia Story.......

When you pack for a long tour you know at some point you will need to do laundry. For this, "the 24 hours to Awesome Tour," it was pack for about nine days and do laundry when we get to Austin. The hotel in Austin had no guest laundry sevices and I was either too sick or too busy going from show to show to get to a laundromat. Needless to say, heading to Tulsa, OK, I was wearing clothes that had a couple days use out of them already. The plan, make it to Tulsa early, do laundry, change clothes and head to the gig fresh as a daisy.
The drive into Oklaholma proved difficult with a lot of construction delays and backroad detours. We were all worried we might not make it to the gig on time. It was about 8 or 8:30pm when we pulled up in front of the Sound Pony hungry and ready to GET OUT OF THE VAN! Myself, I had a fever and felt worse then ever. I just laid in the van trying to sleep. At some point after the guys loaded in, Pat came out to check on me and felt my forehead. We discussed what I had already started thinking, this "cold" that I had was possibly turning into pneumonia.
Band teamwork went into action. Pat took my health insurance card to find an urgent care clinic to take me to first thing in the morning. Mike walked up the street to grab something for me to eat. I took a swig off the Robitussin bottle that was rolling around in the van while being lulled to sleep to the sounds of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, whom were playing a couple doors down. The guys set up everything while I slept. I went in and out of consciousness tripping out on Robitussin dreams. The show went well from what I know through my haze. Finn Riggins was great.
Next morning, I check into the Warren Clinic about 9:30 am. Not too long of a wait, although my oberservations of the state of healthcare and what's going on these days are planned for a blog at a later date. Dr. Christopher Sorrels comes walking in; a younger doctor, maybe mid-thirties, a cool looking guy. I tell him I'm a musician on the road, I've had a cold for about 2 weeks, a fever for about 2 days and was begining to think it might be morphing into pneumonia. "Dr. Sorrels, life on the road isn't the healthiest what with the lack of sleep, proper food or regular schedule, alcohol, drugs, women....... you know." He gets excited and starts asking questions about the band and what kind of music we play. After examining me, he sends me to XRAY to confirm pneumonia.
I head back upstairs to await results and treatment. The doctor confirms my fears are true and says a shot of antibiotics are in order followed by pills for a week. The doctor asks a couple more questions about the band and shakes my hand reassuring me that I will be feeling better in no time.
About 5 minutes later the nurse comes in smiling at me. She says playfully, "I hear you are a rock-n-roll musician?"
"I am."
"The nurses and I were drawing straws out there to see who was going to get to come in and give you your shot, " she said in the same playful tone.
All I could think was here I am, about to pull my pants down for a shot in the ass, wearing underwear that is going on it's third day now. Some prize this woman is getting.