My Experience with Telehealth (and Why It Actually Helped) by Anushka Bhatt

 My Experience with Telehealth (and Why It Actually Helped)

by Anushka Bhatt

I used to roll my eyes when friends raved about “seeing the doctor on a laptop.” How could anyone get a real diagnosis through Wi-Fi? Then last winter a brutal fever, clogged sinuses, and a cough straight out of a horror movie pinned me to my bed. The idea of trudging to urgent care— and maybe infecting half the waiting room— felt impossible, so I booked a video visit.
Within two hours my phone lit up: a friendly physician popped onto my screen, asked pointed questions, had me tilt the camera so she could peek at my tonsils (flashlight hack: phone-in-mirror), and listened while I described the cough. Fifteen minutes later she’d e-prescribed antibiotics and texted a PDF with “sick-day tips” (hydration hacks I still use). The pharmacy drive-thru was my only outing; otherwise, I stayed burrito-wrapped in blankets.
Since then I’ve used telehealth for a lingering rash and an anxiety check-in. Is it perfect? Nope—you still need in-person care for labs or anything hands-on. But for routine issues it saves time, gas, and stress, and I don’t have to haunt sticky waiting-room chairs. Rating: 4.5 / 5—highly recommend, especially if you’re living in hoodie-and-blanket mode.