We all slept much better last night. Mia didn't cough nearly as much. Butde's (my Mom) feeling better. And I'm on Cipro.
Almost went to the hospital yesterday - in fact, was on my way out when someone from the group offered me their antibiotic. Risky, I know. But oh so worth it. I turned right back around, put Mia Pu down for a nap, and we both slept for 3 hours.
I'd be lying if there weren't a small part of me that was kind of looking forward to the adventure of going to a Chinese hospital. Even brought my camera for the occasion. It just sounds cool to say you went to a chinese hospital. Not quite as cool as saying you went to a chinese prison, but cool nonetheless.
You know, like when I'm at my next dinner party back in the states and a group of us are in a conversation that goes like this:
Dinner Party Person #1: "Man, it seems like everyone is sick."
Whole Group: "Yeah...it's that time of year"
Dinner Party Person #2: "I had to rush my son to the hospital just last week."
Whole Group: "REALLY!"
#2: "Um Hm...and it was a horrible experience...they were so rude and made us wait so long."
Whole Group: "Oh, that's awful."
#2: "It really was."
Me: "Hmmm....reminds me of the time I was in a Chinese hospital."
Whole Group: "hmm....."
They nod unthinkingly, and then startle from their suburban malaise and say:
Whole Group: "YOU were in a Chinese hospital?"
Me: "Oh sure."
Whole Group: "For what?"
Me: "I think it's better if I don't say."
Thanks so very much for your prayers.
Friday, January 25, 2008
feeling better...
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3 comments:
Hey Dan!
Amy King just sent me the link to this site. Love it! Know that I'm praying for you guys.
~Jessica Rexroth
Glad you're feeling better but sorry that you didn't get to have the experience of visiting the hospital :-) - as a vicarious alternative I thought I'd share the experience of an American friend of mine who lives in Tianjin China and who had to go to the hospital when he hurt his hand:
This is how it went down (all this was done with the aid of my Chinese friend/translator):
* Front desk check-in/registration
* Payment for registration (different place than above, cost = $0.53, no insurance involved)
* X-ray office check-in/registration
* Payment for X-ray (back to place above, cost = $12.09, no insurance involved)
* X-ray taken
* Wait for 30 minutes for them to develop (or whatever its called)
* Met with MRI doctor for him to review and make diagnosis
* Met with orthopedic doctor for him to review and make diagnosis
* Number of doctors who looked at my hand = 4
* Years since they apparently had a foreigner as a patient = 2
* # of foreigners in entire hospital = 1 (that would be me)
* # of Chinese who stared at the foreigner = All of them
There is a Chinese word to describe a situation like this - mafan (pronounced MAH-FAN). It means hassle, or bureaucracy - often used to describe a long frustrating situation. By no means does Chinese medical care have the market on mafan, but all of this is intensified ten fold when you understand so little of the language. People in the same room are talking about you, but you have no clue as to what they are saying - Every sign, each registration slip and each written report were completely unintelligible to me. I felt like a 3 year old...they had no idea what is wrong with my hand.
Hope that's as close as you have to come to another hospital visit!
Dan that is hilarious! I'm so glad you are better!
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