The Technology of the Future is Here

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I have heard about this technology, but this is the first time I experienced it. I would hope that one day we can access it through our own home computers. I went to the walk-in clinic on Friday to have my ear looked at. It had been aching since Tuesday night. It is the ear that is scarred from a busted ear drum some 30+ years ago. It is sensitive as a result. So once in awhile it will ache when I am rundown. I got to the clinic and it was empty. I thought "Great, in and out, no sitting among a bunch of sick people". Except that wasn't the case. The doctor hadn't come in so the clinic was closed. There is a pharmacy counter in the waiting room. I told the pharmacist all I had was an ear ache. Didn't want him thinking I had a cold or flu. He suggested contacting a doctor through the internet. I said sure. We went into a back office where there was a computer with webcam. We connected to a nurse. The pharmacist took my temperature and sent it via the chat. Then he used this camera that is attached to the app they use to take pictures of the inside of my ear and transmit them to the web doctor. There was some difficulty with this app so the pharmacist ended out emailing the pictures directly to the doctor. One picture looked pretty bad. It looked red and the pharmacist thought it was inflamed. After receiving the pictures the nurse left and I waited to be connected to a doctor. He didn't think there was anything wrong with my ear but he prescribed me antibiotics which he texted to the pharmacist. Of course the doctor asked me a bunch of questions. I explained I have fibromyalgia, that the gland on that side of my face is always swollen and if the gland on the other side gets sore and swollen then I know I am getting sick. He asked if I had a cough. I said no and then promptly got a frog in my throat prompting me to cough and clear my throat several times. I even explained to him that I had been in Mexico and that I was feeling non fibro symptoms while down there. He didn't appear concerned that I had been out of the country recently. Anyway, this technology is fabulous. I believe, maybe in the U.S., there is already a program where you can connect to a doctor online. But this ability to take pictures of my ear and send them blew me away. If only we could have these in our own homes instead of clogging up clinics. I asked the pharmacy if I had gone to another walk-in clinic (there are at least 3 more in my town) would it be busy. They said there was no question. I really lucked out. I think the nature of my "illness" prompted them to use this technology. Though there was some kinks along the way and some time wasted connecting and re-connecting, this is a fabulous new technology which would be so helpful in these times keeping sick people away from other sick people.