I slumped down in front of CVS, having just thrown up two times- luckily not on myself either time. Once in a very public garbage can, and the other in a more out- of the way place...

I had just paid for frova out of pocket- waiting on preauth to come back into place- had thought it would be done by today (fun with insurance)
took one-went outside for head to clear before getting into the car.

15 minutes later, police cadets and their superiors come into the store

Oh, good, I thought. They should be able to help me up... I don't have the strength to get myself up right now.


Wrong.

I'm sitting up there, clutching my CVS bag and...- Extend a hand to one of 'em- the instructor- and ask for help. He may have thought I was asking for money... but even still...

Try again. No luck

Multiply this by like 12 attempts. I'm on the sidewalk. Next to the gum, near the ants- going marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah. I have wires on me- but they're not going to my ears- they obviously scream medical device- don't they?

Finally, I take the bag, and with all of the strength I can muster, ask the last one- "Help, please- I have a medical condition- I can't get up- but I can stand if I get help up." He reaches down and helps me up. His superiors are staring ahead- as if I wasn't a person- or if they wouldn't have instructed him to touch me... as if I were toxic. But this young cadet did help me up. I thanked him. He said "glad to help, ma'am."

What the heck. Why did this happen? Invisible illness problem? Did they think I was enjoying sitting there, reading the tabloid headlines through the CVS glass door.

I got in my car- head resolving in the next 3 minutes to the point where driving back to work was okay. But, peeved. And then, what did I see? The same cadets in their cars ahead of me on the way back to work. Laughing and talking inside their private cars... One cadet turned back to see me behind him. I know he saw me- 'cause the rest of the car turned their heads. And I saw the one who had helped me- giving me a half wave. I nodded back at him and gave the same tentative half wave.

Still. The whole experience left me with more of a bad taste in my mouth... worse than that of the original bile from the migraine.