It’s been windy, and we’ve had a lot of sand blowing all over the place.  Needless to say many of us are suffering from sinus issues.  I’ve been off balance and light headed for over a week now, but, in part, I just blamed it on end-of-term exhaustion.  Then it finally hit me.  I went to work yesterday and really, really dreaded it.  Don’t know why I thought it’d be a good idea, but silly me thought it’d help my girls get their final presentations over with (which some of them did).  Woke up this morning with a full-blown sinus infection, so I took my first real sick day.  In order to get paid for this I have to go to the doctor and get a certified letter stating yep, I’m sick, so pay me (we also have a few emergency days we can use, which don’t need a doctor’s note, so it’s not as dire as it sounds).  I went to the clinic/hospital suggested by my coworkers.

It was super easy to get to, and although it felt like forever I was there for only an hour.  That said when you’re sick and cranky and your hearing is muffled because of your sinuses revolting, you just want everything to be your version of normal, which it will never be in another country.  First off just because it says entrance over the door to the clinic doesn’t mean that entrance is meant for you — it’s meant for a shitload of worker men who are as sick and cranky as you (and looking a bit more dusty).  Luckily, the security guard escorted me to where I needed to go.

Then you go through the “no husband? no family here?” drill, so you just say hey I’m going to put my new daughter (didn’t include her title of wine) down, so now one of my neighbors is my next of kin.  If I die, she’ll be the first person to know.

Then you’re quickly told to go around the corner, take a right, find the lift, go to 1st floor and go to counter 2 — from a nice man who happens to have a very thick Indian accent.  I can’t hear well when I’m healthy — imagine listening through clouds in your head.  Luckily I found the lift, but when you get upstairs you’re in the hospital area and there is no sign that says Counter Two — but I figured it out.  yay me.  More people I don’t understand talk to me, but I sit next to a local woman who seems as dazed and confused as me — and we both get taken care of pretty quickly.  Except in my case I’m pulled into a doctor’s room where there is already a patient being examined — whoops.  Then I’m back to the ladies waiting room until I’m pulled in.  My doctor is a nice lady from Sudan, but I couldn’t decipher half of what she said to me.  All I know is I got my letter, my prescription and directions to go to next building, take lift to basement, get blood work and “skull Xrayed for sinuses.”

First I had to pay, which was only $13.  Next building is actually going through the Emergency Room across the lane, and again a security guard pointed me in right direction — love those security guards!  I found the lab easy enough, but then I was supposed to go to Xray place afterward, but I really didn’t want to wait anymore and seriously do I really want someone to X-ray my skull?  I appreciate them being so thorough, but all I wanted was to go home, sip some tea and pass out.  So, I skipped it, but shhhh don’t tell my doctor.

And here I am waiting for the theraflu to kick in, sharing my first doctor visit with you.  Overall it was pretty easy, just intimidating because it was my first time — and, well, very foreign (for me). If there’s a next time I’ll know what to do.  On the drive home I almost peed my pants because the largest dust devil I’ve ever seen popped up near a roundabout.  Here’s a link to one my cousin posted, and, obviously, not the one I saw.  Mine wasn’t that tall, but it wasn’t too much smaller girth wise.  Dust Devil video

Hope you’re all having a healthy week!  It’s now nap time for me.