Domo Arigato Mr. Doctor

Sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog this week. I am still battling my cold. I finally admitted defeat and went to the doctor this past Wednesday. Partly, because I know I can't be sick when my parents arrive next Friday. Below is the magic combo that is healing me (one for my nose, two for my throat, and one for my cough, and all in Japanese).

My trip to the doctor was interesting. Even though I am in a rich, developed country, some facilities here cause me to wonder if I wasn't teleported somewhere else in my sleep. The hospital was one such example.

I asked one of the Japanese teachers to take me to the doctor and help translate. We went to the hospital that was next to the train station (tucked in between an arcade and an comic/Internet cafe); they had a walk-in clinic at the hospital. The place was old and had a definite state-owned/cold-war feel to it, with the exception of the large, flatscreen television mounted on the wall in the waiting area (it reminded me of UHS at the UW). The nurses all wore pink uniforms that looked like the nurse uniforms from 40 years ago paired with strappy dress sandals and little white socks. The motions of the appointment itself were pretty similar to an appointment in the States, but everything was conducted in Japanese (with some translation). After two hours, I learned that I was going to live and just had a really bad cold. The doctor gave a lengthy explanation of my x-rays and condition, that was reduced to "your lungs are fine, you have a bad cold, and you will take medicine" after translation.

The most amazing part of the visit was the bill though! My total bill was $140 (for the visit, 2 chest x-rays, and four medications). And this was 200% of what a Japanese person would have been charged, since I am not part of the Japanese social insurance system. I'm sure an equivalent visit in the US would have been nearing $300, easily. Why does health care in America cost so much?

On a brighter note, here is a little bit of Wisconsin in Tokyo. For all of you wondering what my weather is like over here, it is starting to warm up and turn to spring. :) I found some tulips in Shibuya the other day. They made me think of the tulips around the Capitol.