Hospital Visit

With all the craziness surrounding the swine flu in Hyogo, I was very hesitant to go to a hospital for a cold because I figured folks would overreact. Well, today I woke up, called in and was basically told to go to the doctor's for my illness and report back whatever it was. I guess my co-workers didn't appreciate me being sick in their presence.

Went to Yanase Hospital, the same place I went when I busted my finger back in August and walked up to the counter. I was sans mask, and the lady (same one who helped me back in August) actually recoiled when I told her I had a cold and didn't have a mask. She quickly provided one, and asked me if I had a fever (no), a sore throat (no), a phlegmy cough (sometimes) and a stuffy nose (hells yes). Then she poured some hand sanitizer into my hands and asked me to sit not in the waiting area, but in the genkan, the part where people take off their shoes between the entrance and the exit. Basically all that's out there are shoe cubbies that aren't being used and wheelchairs.

So I'm out here in this area by myself while old folks are walking in, and the same lady asks if she can take my temperature. I say sure, take it, and it comes out 36.6 C (around 98 F), .1 lower than it was yesterday. She takes the results and goes back inside. 4 mintues later she comes out and asks me a series of questions:

• have you done traveling recently? [Korea, Osaka and Tokyo]
  
• have you come into contact with foreigners ? [Yes, lots of them]
  
• are you hanging out with middle schoolers? [no]
  
• have you been to any big sporting events lately? [no]
  
• did I come by car today? [yes]
  

That last one kind of caught me off guard, but I obviously answered honestly. She then asked me to wait in my car because other patients were coming in and out rather frequently. WTF?

So I'm sitting in my car reading for about 5 minutes before she comes out and tells me it's probably ok to come back inside again...ok...This time a different lady takes my temperature with the same result, and asks me the EXACT SAME questions about my symptoms. After she's done, it's another 5 minute wait before I get called into the doctor's office.

The doctor seems nice and we're talking and I'm trying to describe where I've been, who I've been with, how I feel, and what kind of checks I've been through. I'm struggling to explain the thermal camera at Kansai Airport when he says "eigo no hou ga yokereba, douzo" or if English is better, go ahead. I'm a bit taken aback, but go ahead and describe the camera in English and the guy actually understands me! Apparently he lived in Cincinatti for 6 years and his son is a student at one of my schools. This kid speaks great English (basically the only one who I can have a conversation with) and now it all makes sense. He prescribes me some anti-biotics and sends me on my merry way.

The crazy thing about Japanese medicine is the volume. They give you a LOT of medication:
One of is to stop my cough, one for my nose, one to prevent/lower fever, and I think one to stop the phlegm. In fact, it's all explained here on this handy chart:
I also got an inventory and a cute book that lists all the medication you get in Japan. This is actually a great idea, because you use it not just for one hospital, but any hospital in the country. Good for folks like me who can't remember names of medication or what they were for: