Health Check

I totally forgot to tell you all about my health check!!

Sit down, this is a good one.

On Monday afternoon, Laura gets a visit from Kelly who is from the Foreign Affairs Department (FAD) that I have a health check scheduled the following day. I am to be at the FAD at 7:30 and we have to go to Hangzhou (hung-jo) for the check. Bonus: I don't have to go to school. Laura informs me that it won't be much... probably draw some blood and take an x-ray.

I get to the FAD in a timely fashion and wait a few minutes as three other foreigners arrive and we all climb into the van with our driver and Kelly. I don't mean driver as 'home, James', I mean driver as this man is Chinese and thus can get us from point A ta point B. ('stick it' reference...anyone?) Okay, so the van ride is about 1.5 hours with traffic and such. (The trip to Hangzhou on the train is like 20 min... but it takes 30 to get to train station, so....)

We arrive at the clinic, walk in and Kelly has us sit down while she checks us in. There are a few other foreigners here so it's mildly reassuring. Then we get called up, give our passports to be copied and get paperwork. Then kelly sends us upstairs... What is upstairs you ask? Be patient... I'm getting there. Luckily, I'm not the first one, so I can observe and follow. The signs, thankfully, are in Chinese and English. There're two ladies sitting behind glass windows that stop about a foot above the counter. There are stool sitting next to said counters. The glass reads 'blood deposit' ... I've given blood, no biggie. First lady can't find my vein.... second lady, does. Okay - practically painless. But I feel the need to mention that they didn't give me a little red ball to squeeze. Hmphf.

After the lady is finished with the blood drawing, she hands me a cup. I've seen something like this before.... Next to the blood station is a bathroom. I've been in China for a week and a few days at this point, but I'd yet to experience the squatty-potty. Check-it off the list! This was the moment. Don't worry, it went well. Finished there, I wandered back the way I came (there was no other exit). I stood for a moment looking down the steps I'd come up, and down the hall.... Then a lady behind a counter near me made some noise and pointed... down the hall it is!

I go down here and there is a line (with one of the people I rode with) so I stand there too. Eye check, I can handle this. In china they don't use letters or characters (thank goodness) But rather its all the same symbol (it's a capital E) and the direction it points changes. Then I follow that same person to the next door. The sign outside says medical/surgury.... hmmm. I go in, lay on the table, get my arms and legs looked over, and my belly palpated. Check! Alright, doing good. Then I go across the hall.... This door says 'electrocardiogram' ... I've never had one of these before. Again, I go in and lay on the table. The lady puts a clip around my ankle and both wrists, then suction cups 6 little things to my chest. I lay still for a few moments and she removes them, staples a sheet to my paperwork and sends me out. Awesome. Then, I get real confused... the person who rode with me, that I had been following was gone. However, one other person who rode with me popped out, and he spoke Chinese I think. He pointed me to another room at the end of the hall. Weight and blood pressure... no biggie. Then he directs me to another room. This room is dark.... I go in, hand the man my paperwork, lay down and he says lift my shirt... then I get an ultrasound. Whatever for?? He checked my belly where my esophagus would be, and then around the right side of my ribs. Hmm... But he gave me check on my paperwork. Yes! Gotta be done right?? Nope. One more box to be checked. Do you remember what Laura said?? Yep, x-ray. Back down to the lobby for this, hand over my paperwork, stand on the mark...oh, take off my necklace, CLICK! and I'm all done. Back out to the car for the ride home.

I was told not to eat breakfast, but I brought a snack for the ride home. We left school at 7:30, arrived in Hangzhou around 9 and left around 10... back to school by 11:30 or so. Back in my apartment by noon. Where upon arrival I took a nap.

That's how we do it in China.

Until next time.