A month through our international move and my son gets the flu.
(Warning: This is partly a rant blog entry...)
6AM
My son caught a cold. I just hope this isn't any special virus. I've given way and put off going to the doctor for a few days but this has gotten too long already. I'll find a way to bring him to a doctor today. Husband or no husband.
He started coughing last week but we didn't take him to the doctor right away as most other parents would. We thought that it was just a common cough and cold. And we know that that there is no real cure for cold.
We were surprised when he had fever Sunday night so he skipped school on Monday. Since he didn't have any fever anymore that night, his father insisted that he go to school. I, on the hand, was having second thoughts that he'd better visit the doctor for his strenuous coughing and stay home to rest. But off he went, even attending his taekwondo class.
He runs a fever again on Tuesday night. We can't put it off anymore. Another night of fever is going to spell worst scenarios. He is over due for a visit to the doctor.
8 AM.
We finally headed to the "pyeongeon" (literally translated as hospital although it is really just a clinic) as they refer to it around here. We got there around past nine in the morning and there were already enough people to fill up the small waiting area. I figured that it is a bit far off place and this seems to be the only clinic in the immediate area. This is also a general clinic that covers patients of all ages, from children to adult. In fact, half of the patients waiting were young children. There were two middle/high school students, an old man and thirty something one too. But it was mostly mothers with their tots in tow. Good thing is that there is a small play room, as well as a small bookcase filled with interesting books (90% Korean), 2 pcs. of newspapers, and 3 or 4 Step into Reading English storybooks.
I had my chance to observe the set up in the clinic as we sat waiting. There were three nurses in pink uniforms; 20 something, 30 something and middle-aged one. The 30s N acts as the information/registration clerk and cashier, the20s N is at hand assisting the doctor in the consultation room and the oldest one is in charge with the the test kits process. At first, I thought that they might have some fancy medical laboratory somewhere but since the "nostril" test came out quick, I figured that it was just a simple, quick lab procedure.
Basic information that is needed is the following: name, Social ID number (most likely an ACR card for foreigners). The nurse checks the weight and other pertinent medical information. Waiting time. Patient's name is called to seat at the "green seats" :) by the consultation room as the next ones to get in while waiting for the present ones to get out.
If your case involves a possible flu and may need a nostril swab, be ready! Kids would cry aloud, a bit older ones would take it in with a few involuntary tears of pain and adults will probably be more embarrassed if they make a big fuss. As painful as it may sound, I think that the test kits is way better that have the doctor second guessing the patient's symptoms. One would know if it was a flu or not in just a few minutes. I haven't seen that in my small hometown yet.
When the result is out, the nurse usher's the patient back in the room again as the doctor gives the diagnosis and prescription. That being done, and we settle our bills with the info/cashier lady. My dear husband forgot to bring his wallet (of course @@). Good thing is I didn't change coats today and found my wallet and the debit (a.k.a check) card still in my coat pocket. They do accept cards, luckily, as most places here do.
After swiping and signing, we head down to the pharmacy located just downstairs. You'll have no other choice basically. hahaha..
Hubby gives the prescription to the pharmacist and we wait for a couple of minutes since there were also other people in queue, almost the same ones from the clinic earlier. Here are the medicines prescribed by the doctor for the flu. 3 kinds of medicine prepared by the pharmacist to be taken once after breakfast and dinner. It includes cough medicine ibuprofen as far as my Korean deciphering can tell. There is also a small bottle for fever and a box of Tamiflu. Oh boy, oh boy. It looks like the big guns against the flu is out for my son. Poor thing. It seems unavoidable now. He had to take this for 5 days, and stay home for the rest of the week. He sure wants to go to school even though he coughing so much. Good thing the doctor actually advised the father and son to stay put at home.
We head home at half past 10 am. to start our isolation week. My son now feels bad in missing the mango pudding for the school lunch today. Who says cafeteria food is not good? :D (That's for another blog entry.)
Notes: Hubby relays to me that the doctor explained that Tamiflu might not be usually needed in most flu cases but the Korean government has made it almost mandatory for doctors to prescribe it for flu after an outbreak some four years ago. I've heard Tamiflu on the news before but never any specifics about it. It made me curious so I had to google for it. I almost didn't want to let my son take it..but I just hope that it will do him good. I got this feeling that the doctor was actually telling my hubby not to get it anymore. hahaha..I'll just keep praying then. :D
(Warning: This is partly a rant blog entry...)
6AM
My son caught a cold. I just hope this isn't any special virus. I've given way and put off going to the doctor for a few days but this has gotten too long already. I'll find a way to bring him to a doctor today. Husband or no husband.
We were surprised when he had fever Sunday night so he skipped school on Monday. Since he didn't have any fever anymore that night, his father insisted that he go to school. I, on the hand, was having second thoughts that he'd better visit the doctor for his strenuous coughing and stay home to rest. But off he went, even attending his taekwondo class.
He runs a fever again on Tuesday night. We can't put it off anymore. Another night of fever is going to spell worst scenarios. He is over due for a visit to the doctor.
8 AM.
We finally headed to the "pyeongeon" (literally translated as hospital although it is really just a clinic) as they refer to it around here. We got there around past nine in the morning and there were already enough people to fill up the small waiting area. I figured that it is a bit far off place and this seems to be the only clinic in the immediate area. This is also a general clinic that covers patients of all ages, from children to adult. In fact, half of the patients waiting were young children. There were two middle/high school students, an old man and thirty something one too. But it was mostly mothers with their tots in tow. Good thing is that there is a small play room, as well as a small bookcase filled with interesting books (90% Korean), 2 pcs. of newspapers, and 3 or 4 Step into Reading English storybooks.
I had my chance to observe the set up in the clinic as we sat waiting. There were three nurses in pink uniforms; 20 something, 30 something and middle-aged one. The 30s N acts as the information/registration clerk and cashier, the20s N is at hand assisting the doctor in the consultation room and the oldest one is in charge with the the test kits process. At first, I thought that they might have some fancy medical laboratory somewhere but since the "nostril" test came out quick, I figured that it was just a simple, quick lab procedure.
Basic information that is needed is the following: name, Social ID number (most likely an ACR card for foreigners). The nurse checks the weight and other pertinent medical information. Waiting time. Patient's name is called to seat at the "green seats" :) by the consultation room as the next ones to get in while waiting for the present ones to get out.
If your case involves a possible flu and may need a nostril swab, be ready! Kids would cry aloud, a bit older ones would take it in with a few involuntary tears of pain and adults will probably be more embarrassed if they make a big fuss. As painful as it may sound, I think that the test kits is way better that have the doctor second guessing the patient's symptoms. One would know if it was a flu or not in just a few minutes. I haven't seen that in my small hometown yet.
When the result is out, the nurse usher's the patient back in the room again as the doctor gives the diagnosis and prescription. That being done, and we settle our bills with the info/cashier lady. My dear husband forgot to bring his wallet (of course @@). Good thing is I didn't change coats today and found my wallet and the debit (a.k.a check) card still in my coat pocket. They do accept cards, luckily, as most places here do.
After swiping and signing, we head down to the pharmacy located just downstairs. You'll have no other choice basically. hahaha..
Hubby gives the prescription to the pharmacist and we wait for a couple of minutes since there were also other people in queue, almost the same ones from the clinic earlier. Here are the medicines prescribed by the doctor for the flu. 3 kinds of medicine prepared by the pharmacist to be taken once after breakfast and dinner. It includes cough medicine ibuprofen as far as my Korean deciphering can tell. There is also a small bottle for fever and a box of Tamiflu. Oh boy, oh boy. It looks like the big guns against the flu is out for my son. Poor thing. It seems unavoidable now. He had to take this for 5 days, and stay home for the rest of the week. He sure wants to go to school even though he coughing so much. Good thing the doctor actually advised the father and son to stay put at home.
We head home at half past 10 am. to start our isolation week. My son now feels bad in missing the mango pudding for the school lunch today. Who says cafeteria food is not good? :D (That's for another blog entry.)
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| My eyes and camera are busy every time we had to wait. I just like this motorbike hanging up on the ceiling of the pharmacy. |
posted from Bloggeroid
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