Diagnosis

For the past three months, I have been sick about as much time as I’ve been well. Congestion, headaches, coughing. I thought maybe I have bronchitis or some chronic illness requiring that I do something other than suck on lozenges. I rarely got sick in the states, so I wanted a professional opinion on what is going on.

I made an appointment with the doctor--you can get one in two or three days here (and remember, it’s free). The doc checked my lungs and throat and said everything looks fine. He said I’ve probably had three separate colds in a row. He said there’s a lot of colds going around and, because I’m on planes, trains, buses, subways a lot, I may have gotten more than my share.

Huge sigh of relief. I’m actually feeling better today--you know the way you do by the time you see your doctor.

I’ve written this before, but the system here is so clean and simple. I call for an appointment, they offered me four times today. I took 4:30. I walk into the doctors’ office at 4:25 and tap a touch screen to confirm that I’m there. I’m seen at 4:30. I’m done in about 15 minutes. I haven’t filled out a single form. I leave the building. Awesome.

It isn’t all good news. If you need to see a specialist, good luck. I’ve been trying to get a dermatology issue sorted for maybe 22 months. You wait six months to a year for your first appointment. They send you to someone else. Another six months or so. They order an allergy test. Another few months. Luckily, this is an issue that shows up only once or twice a year and lasts maybe 1 to 2 months (burning and cracked lips).

I’d say the system here is good at things that can be handled by your local doctor. And it’s good for people with Really Serious Issues (cancer, for example). But everyone in between waits a very long time for attention. People can wait years for surgeries that will improve their quality of life, but aren’t life saving. So my plan is to stay healthy.
11-2