As those who talk to me daily may know (or those that follow my shenanigans on Twitter have read), I've been very sick the past few days. Not coughing sick, but my stomach has been hurting like crazy, headaches, throwing up, and the lovely "loose motions." It all started Friday night, and I spent the weekend mostly in my bed or in the bathroom. I have a 2,000 word essay exam thing due tomorrow and I haven't been able to write it because I just can't focus with all the endless nausea and tummyaches. Anyway, my dad suggested I go see the clinic on campus, and I agreed, I mean since we are paying like $19 a week for some type of medical coverage.
So I went there today. It's in what looks like a tiny, tiny building near the bottom of campus. When you walk in the main entrance, there's a round desk with 4 ladies inside the perimeter, facing different directions. I went up to the nearest and asked her about scheduling me an appointment, and she nicely pointed me over to the next lady, who helped me make an appointment for the same day at 4:45. I figured I might be one of the last appointments, but that's the only one that worked with my schedule so that's fine. I was so glad that the appointment lady spoke very good English, because that is certainly an issue I experience interacting with employees (minus professors) on campus. I noted the appointment on my phone calendar, and went about my day which was mainly meeting with a professor about a group project, then hitting up Tina to discuss our Cambodia itinerary (!!!).
I came back to the clinic around 4:35pm, and went back to the appointment lady to sign in. She then directed me to a third lady who apparently checks people in. I provided her with my name and student ID, and she handed me a folder with some demographic data questions on it - typical doctor visit forms. Again, great English. It surprised me that nowhere on that form did it ask me the reason for my visit. I visit the clinic frequently at UT (okay, whenever I'm sick, and also because it's so cheap and awesome), and there is always a pre-visit questionnaire you must fill out before your appointment, and after you check in but before the doctor sees you, a nurse or student volunteer will take your vitals and record them. However, none of this happened here. After I turned in the folder with my age and birthdate and contact info (that's literally all they asked), I was given a receipt with the number 789 on it. The lady at the desk explained, while directing my attention towards a TV on the wall, that when this number appears in that box over there on the TV, it's my turn to see a doctor. She also gave me a surgical mask to wear while I waited in the waiting room. I thought this was really interesting that a TV was supposed to let me know when I could see the doctor by showing my "number." I felt like I had ordered food at a cafe or something. Anyway, the wait was about 10 minutes: my number was shown on the screen around 4:57pm, and my appointment was for 4:45. Not bad at all, I think, because I am so used to waiting two hours at a time after my appointment time to see my family doctor. When 789 appears on the TV, it actually appears under a numbered heading which is what room you are supposed to enter. I was to enter room 7.
When I opened the door, I was surprised to find how colorful and cozy the room was. It was not at all white and sterile-looking like every single other doctor's office I've been to. It seems like someone had placed a hospital bed in a normal corner office, decorated with family pictures, plants, and cute wall art. At the desk (yes there was a desk in the room) sat a cute old Asian lady with very British English. She sat me down on a chair next to her desk, and her first words were, "So tell me dear, what troubles you today?" I told her, and within 17 seconds from the moment I started talking, she nodded and said, "Ah my dear, you have gastroenteritis," and then drew a quick sketch of a stomach on a scratch sheet of paper. She went on the explain how the mucous lining gets irritated and then begins to reject everything. She actually explained the whole situation in great detail, and I really felt like I could understand clearly what was going on in my body. She also prescribed a strict diet for me, which is no food for 24 hours, only liquids, and then start with only carbs, then progress to easily digestable proteins like tofu, then onto harder proteins, then finally a normal diet. No dairy for a week, though! She also said she would prescribe a few medications for me, for all my symptoms. "The medicine will help you out and do half the work, but the other half of the work is yours," she said. I loved the way she explained everything clearly and carefully, it was more like a reassuring aunt than a doctor.
She handed me my prescription, and waved me goodbye. Luckily the dispensary is only a few feet away in the same building. I handed my prescription slip to the pharmacist and within 5 minutes, he had all my medication labelled and ready to go. It's four different medications: two for abdominal pain, one for stomach discomfort, and one for electrolyte replenishment. And I think it was all free! I didn't have to pay for anything at the counter anyway, but I'll see if a charge pops up online on my student account.
I hope I get better sooon! Homesickness intensifies like crazy when you're sick :(
So I went there today. It's in what looks like a tiny, tiny building near the bottom of campus. When you walk in the main entrance, there's a round desk with 4 ladies inside the perimeter, facing different directions. I went up to the nearest and asked her about scheduling me an appointment, and she nicely pointed me over to the next lady, who helped me make an appointment for the same day at 4:45. I figured I might be one of the last appointments, but that's the only one that worked with my schedule so that's fine. I was so glad that the appointment lady spoke very good English, because that is certainly an issue I experience interacting with employees (minus professors) on campus. I noted the appointment on my phone calendar, and went about my day which was mainly meeting with a professor about a group project, then hitting up Tina to discuss our Cambodia itinerary (!!!).
I came back to the clinic around 4:35pm, and went back to the appointment lady to sign in. She then directed me to a third lady who apparently checks people in. I provided her with my name and student ID, and she handed me a folder with some demographic data questions on it - typical doctor visit forms. Again, great English. It surprised me that nowhere on that form did it ask me the reason for my visit. I visit the clinic frequently at UT (okay, whenever I'm sick, and also because it's so cheap and awesome), and there is always a pre-visit questionnaire you must fill out before your appointment, and after you check in but before the doctor sees you, a nurse or student volunteer will take your vitals and record them. However, none of this happened here. After I turned in the folder with my age and birthdate and contact info (that's literally all they asked), I was given a receipt with the number 789 on it. The lady at the desk explained, while directing my attention towards a TV on the wall, that when this number appears in that box over there on the TV, it's my turn to see a doctor. She also gave me a surgical mask to wear while I waited in the waiting room. I thought this was really interesting that a TV was supposed to let me know when I could see the doctor by showing my "number." I felt like I had ordered food at a cafe or something. Anyway, the wait was about 10 minutes: my number was shown on the screen around 4:57pm, and my appointment was for 4:45. Not bad at all, I think, because I am so used to waiting two hours at a time after my appointment time to see my family doctor. When 789 appears on the TV, it actually appears under a numbered heading which is what room you are supposed to enter. I was to enter room 7.
When I opened the door, I was surprised to find how colorful and cozy the room was. It was not at all white and sterile-looking like every single other doctor's office I've been to. It seems like someone had placed a hospital bed in a normal corner office, decorated with family pictures, plants, and cute wall art. At the desk (yes there was a desk in the room) sat a cute old Asian lady with very British English. She sat me down on a chair next to her desk, and her first words were, "So tell me dear, what troubles you today?" I told her, and within 17 seconds from the moment I started talking, she nodded and said, "Ah my dear, you have gastroenteritis," and then drew a quick sketch of a stomach on a scratch sheet of paper. She went on the explain how the mucous lining gets irritated and then begins to reject everything. She actually explained the whole situation in great detail, and I really felt like I could understand clearly what was going on in my body. She also prescribed a strict diet for me, which is no food for 24 hours, only liquids, and then start with only carbs, then progress to easily digestable proteins like tofu, then onto harder proteins, then finally a normal diet. No dairy for a week, though! She also said she would prescribe a few medications for me, for all my symptoms. "The medicine will help you out and do half the work, but the other half of the work is yours," she said. I loved the way she explained everything clearly and carefully, it was more like a reassuring aunt than a doctor.
She handed me my prescription, and waved me goodbye. Luckily the dispensary is only a few feet away in the same building. I handed my prescription slip to the pharmacist and within 5 minutes, he had all my medication labelled and ready to go. It's four different medications: two for abdominal pain, one for stomach discomfort, and one for electrolyte replenishment. And I think it was all free! I didn't have to pay for anything at the counter anyway, but I'll see if a charge pops up online on my student account.
I hope I get better sooon! Homesickness intensifies like crazy when you're sick :(
