Recently, I was ill and suffering from a fever. My boss patted me on the shoulder and remarked that I’d actually lost weight, so you know it was bad.
As I’d taken a day off work, I was pretty much forced to go to the doctor. My company told me that the nearest one was a fifteen minute walk away and, while they didn’t take appointments, they would be expecting me.
As I got to the reception, I wondered what I was supposed to say. What I wanted to say was that my boss had told them I would be coming although I realised they didn’t do appointments and I was just getting over the flu. In the end, I managed to choke out, “I-internal medicine?” They immediately recognised that I was the foreigner they were looking for and confirmed that ‘my friend’ had rung ahead.
First of all, we had to sort out insurance. They looked at my documents and tried to decide if it would cover it or not. Then they took my ID card and wrote down the number. In less than five minutes I had my consultation.
The very first time I was ill in Japan, I worked for a massive eikaiwa (private English conversation school) who gave me a list of doctors who spoke English in Central Tokyo. I didn’t live in Central Tokyo at that time and remember being dragged through Ueno Park in order to make it to the clinic before it closed for lunch.
When I got there, I had to fill out a form and show them where my country was in an atlas. Then they shoved a 15 centimetre long stick up my nose to check for flu. I remember it well. For my first visit, I appreciated that they were used to dealing with foreigners since I had no idea of the system in place. The idea that you can just walk into any clinic you want and ask them to treat you based on their speciality still seems strange to me.
Another one I went to last year was The British Clinic in Ebisu. The doctor there is a genuine English doctor and the waiting room is filled with magazines about life in the British countryside. On the positive side, this clinic is brilliant if you have a complicated problem that you want handled with a good bedside manner. They also don’t over-prescribe. On the other hand, it’s expensive and they have a very British attitude towards colds. That is, take the day off work and deal with it.
So, anyway, I was at the nearest clinic to my home and they threatened to shove the 15 centimetre long stick up my nose again. They were very nice when I refused though and took my temperature and heartbeat instead. Afterwards, I paid and crossed the road to the pharmacist who asked me about my allergies and current medication (none) and I received three days worth of pills.
And that medicine? Remember that I’d lost weight because I’d eaten so little over the course of three days? Since I took it on an almost empty stomach, it gave me incredible hallucinations that night, with shining balls of light and spaceships flying past my bed. I finally understood what the deal was with the sixties.
Nice story. Hope that wasnt too serious or something like that. Losing weight because of an illness can be serious.
No, I’m fine now. It was mainly because I was suffering from a bad fever that I was unable to forage for food. I gained most of it back in any case!
Thanks for reading.
The current British attitude to colds – at least in my experience – is take a day off work and don’t infect your coworkers!
I’m a rather firm believer in not medicating common colds with antibiotics, although when I had a really bad cold in Oita, was also advised to avoid the local meds by a colleague working in the prefectural office (I just looked for Contac).
When it comes down to a cold that takes away my energy and leaves me unable to speak, it basically means I can’t work. And I can’t get any paid leave without a doctor’s note (which I didn’t get anyway…). So I pretty much have to go to the doctors and take whatever they suggest!
There was a blog that I used to read of an American who used to live in Japan and one of his blog entries was how the Japanese doctors were obsessed with ramming things into one’s orifices. He claimed doctors in Japan especially loved suppositories. I half expected you to say that here.
So otherwise, which medical system is better in you opinion — Japan or the U.S.?
Well, I’ve been to Japanese doctors twice now — the first stuck the stick up my nose and the second wanted to do so. I guess it’s fairly accurate then? But I’ve never been offered suppositories.
I’m actually British and have no experience with the US system. In Britain, you have a long wait for the doctor and you need a referral if you have a specific problem. At my university, the doctor would happily write sick notes for lecturers two weeks after you actually missed the seminar. But it was free.
I am not in Japan but one of my fears is getting sick when I get there. The whole language thing and very different health system makes me paranoid.
It really does depend on what you’re used to. Even on my first trip to the doctor, the language barrier wasn’t a huge problem compared to the difference in methodology. Maybe because I was a foreigner, or maybe because they’re not expected to explain what’s going on with the patient, I was not given any technical vocab to deal with, just lots of pills.
I have to admit though, I don’t have the first clue about the health system in Jamaica. I’m sure there are many American-style clinics though, since there’s a British one.
Ok, even if it’s late to post a comment here (i’ve started reading all your posts now that i’ve found your blog), i have to say, i actually thought you were kidding about that doctor sticking that thing up your nose. I mean… seriously? Well anywayz, there’s no way i could ever make a comparison between Japan’s or Britain’s health system and Romania’s. Over here, people usually treat themselves rather than go to a doctor. That’s why we have many traditional “cures” that have been passed on from previous generations. :D There are at least a dozen “cures” of this sort for the flu and they do work. I’m the living proof. :))
I welcome comments at any time. :)
The wooden stick *is* that long, but I’m fairly sure not all of it goes up your nose. Presumably the poor nurse has to hold onto something. I don’t know for sure since the one time they did it, my hands were clasped tightly in my lap and my eyes were screwed shut.
It seems people in both Japan and Britain elevate the position of doctor to a higher level than in Romania, Japan more than Britain. If I’m ill, even if I’m well enough to work, my bosses always insist I go to the doctor regardless of usefulness. I’d rather cure myself at home, if it’s possible!
Oh God, i can’t even imagine what you’d gone through even though the description was pretty detailed. :))
At my work place, me and my co-workers always joke around saying that the only way we could skip work hours would be if we were in a coma or dead. And even so, we would have to give a 15 days notice letting our boss know that we would die. :)) Well it’s not that bad, but pretty close. There’s no way a flu could be a reason for us not showing up for work.