Hospital Visit----not mine!!!

Yesterday Rita (the Aussie on the floor) was not feeling well at all. After sleeping all day and all night, she awoke today with incredible amounts of abdominal pain. I had slept in (I was up way too late watching 6 episodes of House----thanks for getting me addicted Kel), so I didn't know what was happening, but later in the afternoon I discovered that Rita had been taken to the hospital. When I heard the news I walked over to No. 1 hospital to check on her. The pain was better, but it was still there. The hospital was horrible. It seems like in order to be looked at by a doctor you have to have an IV. EVERYONE had an IV, including Rita. There is just one large room with comfy leather chairs that have hooks for the IV bags hanging from the ceiling. It was so strange. It was also kind of dirty, and really smelled like a hospital. I didn't even want to inhale, so I made sure she was ok and when she told me to go home I didn't argue. Marie-France and I planned on returning around 6 to help her come home (once the IV was finished she was to have been cured---interesting logic.). Just a few minutes after arriving I received a call from Rita saying the pain was even worse and she didn't know what to do. I made a few calls to some contacts at the school and went to visit her.

Since no one in the hospital spoke English and we don't speak Chinese, it was very frustrating. There was a nice young Chinese man who had been interpreting with her while I wasn't there, but I was less than impressed with what they told me upon my arrival. Since she had abdominal pain they thought she had gallstones (possible, but no proof since we couldn't see the ultrasound they took). When the Chinese boy said that if the IV didn't cure her they were planning on operating, I asked about an English hospital. In less than 5 minutes we had the address to a Chinese hospital with English speaking staff and were in a cab on the way. M-F was in the cab with Rita (holding her IV bag----oh the organisation), while I returned home to find her health insurance info (not needed, since you pay up front regardless).

After a 15 minute cab ride (still only $5), I found my way to the hospital (though I feared my poor Chinese might land me in Shanghai). The hospital was amazing!! It was big, white, clean (the floors even shined) and they spoke English---so no operations. In under an hour (after an injection of some sort and some perscriptions) Rita was in top shape. She is still at the hospital but is doing great and will be just fine.

It was a crazy day, but I am glad we now know about this hospital. It is a little far, but it is amazing! That is where I will be if I am unlucky enough to need medical attention....but don't worry, with the amount I'm watching House, the only problems I'll have will be from a lack of leaving my room.