An Illness Abroad

It's been a while since my last post because I am finally energetic enough to write something now.  My immune system is sure getting a work out while I am here!

One week ago, I was ecstatic because it was the beginning of carnival in Barcelona.  One of the other CAs (Katelyn), and I met at Placa Catalunya in Barcelona in search of some carnival festivities.  We didn't come across anything other than a few people dressed in costumes, but we had fun just walking the streets of amazing Barca.  All day long, though, my throat was giving me trouble.  I ignored it because I had been sick the previous week, and I thought that I could not possibly be sick again.

Oh how wrong I was.  The very next morning, I woke up with a fever and tonsils the size of golf balls with white spots all over them and a severe pain in my throat... plus muscle aches and fatigue.  My host family called my Spanish insurance company, and they cleared me to visit a private hospital in Barcelona (since regular doctors aren't available on Sundays).

When we arrived, they took down my info, we waited for twenty minutes, and then they called me back to the examination room.... alone.  Immediately people started asking questions in Spanish, and I told them I didn't understand a word they were saying.  So they let me bring Sonia in to translate.  After a quick look, a doctor prescribed a very strong dose of an antibiotic because my infection was so severe.

For one week, I have stayed in the house recovering. Yesterday, I went back to the hospital for a check up and to look into some unpleasant side effects I'd been experiencing from the medicine, and I had a completely different experience.  Sonia and I waited for more than 2 hours even though there was no one in the waiting room.  Then I had the most terrifying doctor in my entire life give me some extremely questionable advice.  I'd rather not post the full story here, but if you know me.... ask because it is a pretty good one.

In the end, I learned that experiences with doctors here vary a lot.  THere are public and private hospitals.  Both are good, but you use one or the other depending on your insurance.  Sometimes the wait can be hours long and sometimes you wait a few moments.  Sometimes the doctors are incredibly well educated and even better than in the states, and some are total quacks.  Of course this can happen anywhere in the world, but these are just my observations and personal experiences.

I am happy to report that I am finally feeling better and my last dose of antibiotics is for tomorrow afternoon.  I am ready to get back to school and back to a life of exploring!