Since I got back from China last Sunday I have had a pretty vicious sore throat. This was not helped by the really bad dust storm on Thursday either.
It did however make some of my early morning conversations quite entertaining as I was as husky as a husky dog eating husks (or should that be rusks?).
I’ve spent the last thirty or so hours of Friday wrapped up in bed or in my sleeping bag that’s rated to -30c. Sweating myself silly. Those of you who know me will know that I hate laying in bed never mind being ill.
I finally felt like getting up this am. The rain overnight gave the impression it was cold outside. I did not particularly want to spend another day suffering I decided to head to the Hospital. I had been badgered by enough people at work after all.
Why the hospital I hear you ask? Well, as strange as it sounds that is where the doctors are based. This is one of the few things that the UAE have got right.
The company supplies medical Insurance, as it is obliged to. With my ‘magic’ little medical insurance card I can then be looked after 24/7. It’s that simple. The surgeries never shut!
By the time I got to the hospital there was a queue. The guy over the counter promptly told me there was an hour and a half wait. Looking at me again he asked what was wrong (obviously picking up that I looked like shit). I mentioned flu etc… and I was promptly pointed towards the ENT (ears, nose & throat) clinic down the corridor.
“It will be a lot quicker” he stated so off I trotted.
After flashing my Med card and giving my mobile phone number I was ushered into a room for the usual height, temperature & blood pressure tests – strange really that this information is not shared between the two departments less than 300m apart.
Within five minutes I was sat at the desk of some ENT Surgeon (although his official stamp says surgen). At this point I felt a bit stupid for wasting the guys time. I mentioned my symptoms and the fact that I had just come back from China. The masks were then donned.
I was ushered to the chair where my throat, nose and ears were checked. Then it I was taken to another room to have my ear pressure checked.
It turns out from what I understood that I had picked up an infection from a cold, this had resulted in me not only feeling crap but left me suffering with negative ear pressure. In simple terms my hearing was shot. I kind of got the impression that picking this up now was a good thing.
I paid my fifty dirham (less than £10) and left the clinic, heading to the pharmacy on the way out. After another 10 minutes I was the proud owner of five different boxes of drugs. The good news is that they are all included in the fee!
On the good side I don’t have H1N1. The downside is that I cannot drink for a week and I need to eat properly. Apparently I must take some of these tablets with meals – Some you win & some you loose!
