Diagnosis-----Alaska Crud

Well, I made it in to Bethel to see a DR!!!!!! I flew out on Thursday morning, as per my local clinic's instructions. I went up to the school to make sure that I had done all the needed paperwork for me to be out for the rest of the week if necessary. If you're keeping score, that's FIVE consecutive days. Then, I came back home to wait on the call for the plane. I don't know that I have explained how the plane situation works here so I should probably do that briefly.
There are three "airlines" that serve the village, and they each have two or three flights to Bethel a day. You call the village agent for the airline of your choice and tell them when you would like to go. They write your name down--I guess it's in an appointment book of sorts--and they call you when your plane is about ten minutes out so that you can walk out to the air strip. Now, they have to call you because the flights coming in are sometimes erratic. You can't just go out and stand around and wait on your plane at the appropriate time because it might be thirty minutes to an hour later (or more) and there is absolutely NO shelter out by the strip.
Well, the village agent called and told me that I would be going out with George when he left and to be out there at 8:50. George lives in the village but flies for Hageland. So, he brings the plane here at night. Well, I walked out to me George at 8:50. No sign of George. Luckily, the Yute agent was already out there waiting on the Yute plane to come in so I hunched down behind his sled to get out of the wind until George arrived. He arrived about five minutes later and had to tow a snow machine out of the way of the plane. Then, he let me get on the plane. Now, keep in mind that it is about 6 degrees with a negative wind chill, and the wind is probably blowing about ten to fifteen miles an hour. We loaded up, he performed all his checks, and off we went. I was sitting in the co-pilot's seat which meant I couldn't see anything but instruments. I never get motion sickness on those little planes, but I had been feel a little sick at my stomach from my bug and thought about the air sick bag two or three times. On a side note, have you ever really LOOKED at one of those bags? If you are doing the "technicolor yawn" how much good is that teeny tiny little sack really going to do???? Well, we landed in Bethel without my adding any more interest to the inside of George's tiny little plane.
I got a taxi at the airport and headed over to the hospital. I went in to the area where they take appointments for the hospital clinic to see if I could see a doctor there instead of going into the actual ER. Sorry, but I don't think you should go to the ER unless it's a real EMERGENCY. I figured that I had coughed for two weeks; a couple more hours wasn't going to kill me.
I went up to the window to try to get an appointment. The guy said that he could get me a doublebook appointment at two. (It was 10:40). I asked what that meant, and he told me that the doctor had two patients scheduled for the same time period. He tried to put me in but the computer wouldn't let him. Apparently, that doctor already had six doublebooks for the day and that was the limit. Then he said he could get me an 11:00 appointment. I said, "A.M.?" He laughed. We decided I would take the 11:00 appointment. I turned around to go sit down and wait for them to call me over to one of the little registration booths to get my information. As I was sitting there I realized that I was the only white person in the waiting area. Normally, as the white people have to go to the white people clinic. I had tried to get another appointment there (I missed my first one because no planes flew) but was told that they couldn't see me until Saturday afternoon. They called me over to the booth, took my info, and directed me to the correct clinic for me. Apparently the hospital has THREE clinics inside it. I know that one is ob/gyn and pediatrics, but I don't know the difference between the other two.
I went over to my assigned clinic and calmly proceeded to read my book and wait. They called me back around 11:45 or 11:50. I went back and went through all the basic stuff: temperature, weight, medication, blah blah blah. Then, the doctor came in. I started coughing my head off right when she came in. I just knew I wasn't going to cough while I was in there just like your car never makes that noise when the mechanic is driving it to check it out. She asked me a series of questions about my symptoms. My response to every single one of her questions? YES. She told me that I had some sort of bacterial/viral infection that was rampant in the area at the time. The nurse had told me that she had suffered the same thing herself just a few weeks earlier.
She gave me a lovely shot in the rear, and I had to sit around and wait an hour to see if I would have a reaction. I DID. I almost passed out. I have a feeling I went green or white (I felt green but one never knows what other people see). I had to sit there a while longer. Finally they decided I could leave and go over to the pharmacy to get my prescriptions. When I asked how much I owed and where I should pay, she looked at me like I had said an alien was living in my snow boots. She replied, "You know, no one has ever asked about that before." So I went out to the nurses station for my clinic and asked the same question. They all just looked at each other. One finally said, "I guess they'll send you a bill."
I then headed over to the clinic to get my medication and found out it would be about an hours wait so I headed off for some lunch. I was SO HUNGRY! I went to a place called Shogun and had Mongolian Beef. Now, I had a regular-size portion with iced tea, and my ticket was $24.20. Stuff isn't cheap in Bethel. I then walked over to the grocery store (about a hundred yards away) to get some money from the ATM. I also got an ice cream sandwich ($3.17 but worth every penny). I went back over to the hospital to get my medicine and was sent into a consultation room to meet with a pharmacist. When I asked about paying for the medicine (at least my deductible) he looked at me with the same strange look the doctor did and said I would have to ask at the pharmacy window. That guy didn't know he either. He said that he guessed they would send me a bill. Does no one ever pay at this place?????
I went over to my friend's house to rest. I was told not to leave town in case I had an adverse reaction to the medicine they had given me that was similar to the reaction I had to the inhaler from the clinic. So, I hung out with my friend Sadie. I did have an adverse reaction....a BAD tummy ache. Apparently antibiotics can do that to you.
I took it easy Friday and didn't see any need to go back over to the hospital/clinic/er. Today is Saturday. I went to Saturday Market this morning and flew back into the village this evening. I had a cheeseburger and fries for lunch ($10). It was SO good. I can't remember the last time I had a good burger and fries. That's one of the big draws about going to Bethel. They actually have a few restaurants, several of which have pretty decent food.
I am back in the village now and getting ready to go to bed. Hopefully I will get some sleep tonight. I think the cough medicine I was given is keeping me from sleeping.
It is only a month until I come home. Hopefully I won't get sick again. Thanks to those of you who prayed for me.
Love
Debbie