The Sanatorium

That's where I was this morning - the Hong Kong Hospital and Sanatorium. What a way to start a sunny Thursday morning in Hong Kong. I've been battling a pretty bad cold (or what I thought was a cold) for about a week now. I've neglected my health for work in the past week. No need to wag a finger at me - I know it's bad, I should have stayed home, but I didn't and so this morning I woke to another day with a fever, a clogged chest and feeling much worse than I did yesterday. I decided today was the day, I was going to finally see a doctor and maybe do something about my "cold".

I wish I could have taken pictures of the hospital, but I will do my best to describe what was a wonderful experience in health care. I entered the hospital and was immediately told to put on a mask, which I did. The hospital is very sterile, full of marble and strange cascading black and gold staircases a la Gone With the Wind. I made my way over to out patent services where I was triaged, then headed over to the Nurse's Station. This was my favourite part - not only do the nurses wear the old school nurses uniform, complete with white square hat but there are SO many of them. They buzz around with the utmost of care, but there were no other patients so I wasn't really sure what all the buzzing was about. Perhaps it was me they were buzzing about - the white, sickly giant among them. It took three of them to take my blood pressure and temperature. Then once it was ascertained that I did indeed still have a temperature I was directed to wait outside of Room 5 for the doctor. There are no cloth curtains here, no way, I waited in a leather chair outside of a proper doctor's office. Two of the nurses joined me, entered the doctors room and then directed me in. The nurses then stood behind me like guardians (or gargoyles depending on your outlook) waiting to jump at any task the doctor would assign them. The first and only task was to help me lift up my shirt so the doctor could hear me breath. Apparently I am not capable of doing this myself, but fear not - buzzing nurses were to the rescue!

The doctor was very efficient asking many questions and ruling out ailments - the diagnostic - the flu apparently, although I don't believe it for a second. I've already had the flu this year, I can't get it again! According to the doctor I did have the flu and then in moved into my chest and now I have a chest infection. I was told to go to the pharmacy and pick up my medication, but not before I was given a sick leave letter for the day (yay!).

Before I picked up my medication I had to pay. Oh yes, I forgot to mention this marble trimmed, leather decked out hospital was a private hospital - a public hospital adventure is for another day, perhaps when I am not sick. The grand total of the bill was $580 HKD, that's about $80 CDN, which included the cost of seeing the doctor, and the medication. Once the pharmacist called me, I would soon realize what a deal this actually was. I was prescribed seven different medications! SEVEN! This is a far cry from my naturopath back home, whom I was missing terribly at this point. I sort of laughed at the pharmacist and said, "Do you think I have enough medication here?". He either didn't understand or appreciate my sarcasm because he looked up for a second, make no facial expression and continued telling me what I needed to take and when. I would need an excel chart to understand how to take my medication, so I have opted to pick and choose. Congestion - check, cough - check, the others are not necessary in my opinion. Welcome to the office of Dr. Kathleen.

And then it was done. In and out of the hospital in 45 minutes. I'm home now, sipping peppermint tea and about to pop some pills and head to bed. I think what I really need is some rest.