After realizing I had a fever last week, I went to the hospital conveniently located behind my apartment complex. Not knowing which hospital to go to in the city, and the internet providing very little help, I decided with the convenient option. So, after waking up one of my roommates, we proceeded down the block to the hospital, where a nurse greeted us and almost immediately got a hold of the doctor on duty. His worry, like mine, was swine flu. So he ordered blood tests and a lung x-ray. I was not exactly thrilled about the x-ray, but there wasn’t much to be done. It was completely clear, at least. Meanwhile, the way hospitals tend to work is that you have to get everything yourself, and pay as you go. This generally means being given a prescription, sometimes vague, from the doctor, which you take to another building. There, if you don’t understand what’s going on, like my roommates and I, you find the right window to go to in order to pay. They give you another receipt, which you then take to the medicine counter. There are generally two different windows, at least, for medicine. One is for Chinese medicine and the other Western. After obtaining the medication, you then bring it back to the nurses who will administer it.

So, in this first hospital, I was brought to an “observation room,” a room with about eight beds. At four in the morning, about half of them contained sleeping occupants. They then gave me an I.V., which my roommate had obtained through the above described methods. Whenever I was seen by a doctor, (and it was a different person practically each time I saw a doctor) they would ask me where I had been, how long I had been in Kunming, where I had come from, and who I knew that was sick. They seemed not to believe me that I did not know who had given me this illness, whatever it was. But they were very worried that there was either unmonitored H1N1 somewhere in China, or that I must have known someone with it in America. It turns out I did not have the swine flu, though. After about two days in this hospital (I went home for the day and came back in the evening), I was pronounced cured and could leave.

Two days later, I was sick again. This time, we had done a little more research, and went to what seemed to be a better hospital. This one was cleaner than the first, seemed much larger, and wanted to admit me overnight for observation. I was obviously thrilled at the thought of spending the night in a hospital of any kind. They finally took me to another building, where I waited with nurses as they prepared a bed. My wonderful roommates stayed with me – Ilaria the first night and Sam the second – for which I was very grateful. The room consisted of three beds. They moved a man out of one when I moved in. I initially felt bad about this, and then he hung around for a while and was staring at us, so I was glad he was not there any more. In fact, being in the room kind of felt like being in a zoo. It has a big window looking into the hallway, and everyone looked in as they passed by. It makes me of course wonder whether they would be staring if I were Chinese. I will never know the answer, but I have a feeling being a foreigner aided with the length some people would stare. It feels very strange. Being a foreigner in China is strange in general, though. There is no feeling, at least that I see, that it is rude to stare at people, especially when they do not look Chinese. Just, in the hospital I was kind of hoping there would be some kind of understanding. Instead, there seemed to mostly be curiosity.

My time in the hospital mostly consisted of getting I.V.’s. I.V.’s are the preferred medicine of choice, here. Everyone seems to get them when they go to the hospital. In the first hospital, an older woman was there with heart trouble and was getting an I.V. In the second hospital, my days were spent lying in bed with sodium chloride and glucose solutions dripping into my hand. It kind of forces relaxation, at least. The lack of I.V. stands kind of hampers things like going to the bathroom, although I think I have finally mastered the juggling of the bags. Moving on, though. Again, this hospital worried that I had been in contact with someone with swine flu, until test results came back negative. Nevertheless, I went on antibiotics, which have hopefully gotten rid of everything by now.

On the third day in the hospital, they let me go home for the night, so I actually started getting some sleep again. The buildings do not have anything like central air, so the windows were left open, letting in tons of mosquitoes. The weather has been warm on top of this, so I was very grateful to be back in my own bed. The same day, I got a roommate. I felt kind of bad for her, because she was there all alone. Chinese hospitals do not provide things like food and water, or even toilet paper. So, people’s families usually spend a lot of time, bringing them provisions. In fact, a lot of people even stayed with their family members through the nights. My roommate seems to be getting along fine, though. There is a cafeteria right outside of the building, and I think she seems well enough to frequent it. She was very curious about us. This could have lead to interesting conversation, if it were not for the fact that she has a really thick Yunnan accent, so that I can barely understand what she’s saying most of the time. The Yunnan accent is taking a lot of getting used to. I do not have much hope of eventual comprehension at this point.

Anyway, Friday was my last day for I.V.’s at the hospital. Hopefully I am fully cured. It will be interesting to go back to school next week. At least this has been an experience…

written by  agentsarainkunming on September 19, 2009 from Kunming, China
from the travel blog: CHINA
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um well i don't have The Swine yet... i say yet since it's going around the colleges... i suppose i should get the flu shot although i heard that gives people the flu... ehhh? but way to maneuver yourself around... i wouldn't know what to do with myself. check your email, and skype meeee! mish ya!

written by  Hannah on September 20, 2009

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Hi Sara,
Nothing like the real-life adventure of getting really sick in another country... but fortunately your Powers of observation and sense of humor seem to have survived intact! What an ordeal! I hope you keep feeling better day by day and get back up to speed soon. You have amazing friends - no doubt you would do the same for any of them. This is the kind of experience you will remember forever, even if you'd like to forget it now.
Thanks so much for including me in your blog. I love it and look forward to the next one. Hope the subject matter is about more upbeat stuff - for your sake!
You may already know this, but H1N1 is the closest virus to that of the 1918 Epidemic, which is why everyone is so nervous about it, particularly with young people. People under 25 are particularly vulnerable b/c they have no "echo immunity" from the generation that survived in 1918 (your great grandparents). At school, we have antiseptic gel dispensers outside of every classroom now, and the kids 'high-five' them going in and out. Kinda bizarre, but that's life.
Take care and be well!!!
Love, Alice

written by  Alice Bissell on September 20, 2009

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L'Shanah Tovah, toosie pie!

Oi vey, just what a mother likes to hear, half a world away! I'm so happy and relieved that you are "cured"/recovered!!!!!

I echo Alice's and Hannah's comments - maintenance just installed a Purell dispenser in my room - we've been asked to have the charming children wash hands coming in and going out. We are teeming with germs (how can we not be?), and everyone is on the verge of hysteria about the potential of a Swine flu epidemic. It makes you think twice about going to school!

Thank you for keeping us all apprised of your China adventures - this last week was quite a humdinger! At least I didn't have to fly to China (or vice versa - have to fly you home!).

Stay well! Good luck with the eating thing!

XOXOXO

I love you

Yo mama

written by  Jeanne Segal on September 20, 2009

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Hi Sara,

I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better!! What a life experience you have had! I do hope you stay well and I hope your roommates are healthy also. What good friends they are.
I love to read everything you write in your blog.

XOXO,
Anna

written by  Anna Ferrigno on September 21, 2009

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