Going to the doctor.

A few weeks ago I experienced my first run with Asian Dust- dust particles from the Gobi desert in Mongolia, that pick up pollution whilst drifting over China, and then dumps it on east Asia. I was pretty laid out for a couple of days. Like a bad allergy cycle. The dust has picked up again this week and this time I got a sinus infection.

Since I also needed to get a prescription to get my allergy inhaler filled, I went to the office and told them I wanted to cancel all my classes today, except for the business English (TOEIC) class, so I could go to the doctor. The TOEIC exam is through ETS, the same company that Americans have to take tests like the SAT and GRE through, and the class is pretty structured and rigid. Plus it only meets once a week. My other classes are pretty loose. Basically, I have a text but I can do whatever the hell I want and no one checks up on me. Lucky for them I'm super conscientious, I like to teach, and I'm actually trained to do this job. Unfortunately, the office employees don't speak very good English and my Korean is still at the level of 'hello', 'thank you', and 'please hold up your fingers so I know what the amount really is'. So they canceled my TOEIC class too. Now I have to make it up in June. Boo.

I took a bus from school to downtown to where I thought the hospital was. Since it wasn't there, I went to the tourist info center at the train station and asked them (they speak English). Then I took a cab to the hospital because my head was aching and it was about a 15 minute walk. I went to the info desk at the hospital- armed with my Korean/English dictionary that already had post its on the pages for 'need' ,doctor', 'sinusitis', and 'prescription'. The receptionist smiled, took my health and alien card and entered me into the system, and then led me by the hand, literally, to the waiting area for the eyes, ears, and throat doctor. I had to wait about 2 hours, which wasn't bad, mostly because I fell asleep, and then they called me into the doctors office.

The doctor asked my symptoms, in English, sorta, I told him and showed him my prescription from the states (tipped the bottle to show him it was almost empty), and then he put a scope up my nose and looked around. Crazy. I've had sinus problems since I broke my orbital in 2001 and I've never gotten a scope before. Then he said, 'Yes, sinusitis, 1 week medicine, take it all!' and showed me the Korean version of my allergy inhalor and showed me how to push the button. Hehehe. I wonder if I impressed him by being such a quick learner.

Then a nurse took me by the hand again, checked me out at that clinic, and then led me downstairs where I payed 14,900 won (about $13) for the visit. They also gave me the prescription and held up a sign for me to read that said,' There are 4 pharmacies around the hospital, please take this prescription to one of them immediately, show them your hospital receipt also, Korean law separates medicine and prescription'. I don't know what that last part means exactly. Maybe- the doctors can't give you the drugs? A way to keep pharmaceutical companies under control?

I walked out of the hospital and crossed the street to the first pharmacy I saw and went in and handed them my prescription, receipt, and alien card. It took about 5 minutes to fill and I was handed 2 strips of medicine. The pharmacist told me to take one pack from one strip in the mornings and a pack from the other strip at night, and to make sure I took dinner, and then he made eating motions. Plus he gave me my allergy inhaler and tapped his nose.

I have no idea what is in these packs but I took the morning one 'with dinner' when I got home. I'm guessing at least one pill is an antibiotic. 2 of the pills are in both strips and the night time dose has an extra pill. I know the allergy inhalor is the same one I got at home.
How do I know this? Well, because it says so in English-
Total costs for the 4 prescriptions was 41,500 won ($37). I had to pay 12,400won ($13.25). The rest was covered by the national plan. In the US my copay was $5 per prescription. And- which would have cost me $20, and the allergy inhaler alone was $95 with out a prescription. I am pretty satisfied with the health care here so far.

I took a taxi home, got home around 1, slept all afternoon, and it's almost 6 now. I'm going to go get some fruit at the market and come home and eat leftover curry that Doug made for my birthday yesterday and blog about last weekend. Because I'm going to Seoul this weekend, sinus infection or not!