Japanese Health Care: The Original ObamaCare

Can I take a moment to talk about Japanese health care?

Japanese liquid Jesus*...I mean, medicine

My Lord Jesus Christ, it's the best! My excitement for great health care ages me, but I don't care. I'll take Japanese health care over the disaster health care services we have in the United States any day.

How is that when I had a bladder infection in the United States, I was sent to a specialist where I had to make an appointment to discuss my issue, another appointment for a urine test, another appointment in a different facility for a CT scan, another appointment with the specialist for another test, and then another appointment to discuss the results of said test? Mind you, those results were inconclusive! How is it that 4 months later, I received multiple and expensive invoices?

Let's fast forward to the same issue in Japan!

I went to the clinic where they administered an exam, and since those results were extreme, they prepped the adjacent room for an ultrasound of my bladder and kidneys. After he administered the test and noted that I was cancer free, he prescribed me medicine and told me, "Drink more water. Drink so much water that you piss clear. Okinawa is hot; Miami is hotter. You're constantly dehydrated. Get well soon. kthanxbye"

Wow! Problem fixed. My bill, including medicine, was less than $20. I was expecting an invoice in the mail, but it never came because it's Japan and their health care is the bees knees.

During my time in Japan, I have gone to the doctors for ear issues resulting from my scuba certification, the flu, a bladder infection, two bouts of stomach issues, and two mandatory physicals (free), and I have never spent more than $30 for the consultation, exam, and prescribed medicine.

Just a bit of advice for JETs: Pick a clinic and stick to it. If you switch, bring your medicine so that they don't prescribe the same ineffective medicine twice. Also, print out a calendar and write down your symptoms (in Japanese), when they started, and how long they have lasted. Ask your coworkers, especially your school nurse, about their recommended doctors/hospitals/clinics!

Health care is cheap, but it's not perfect. Check out my drama with hospitals/clinics in Japan in this post!





* Jesus = "perfection." Get it? lol

Christmas Blues

 

 

Since I spent the entirety of Thanksgiving in bed with a terrible cold, I poured every last bit of yuletide energy into prepping for Christmas. I decorated my tiny faux Christmas tree, hung stockings, and displayed last year’s Christmas cards while dancing to the cheesiest Christmas music in existence.

I knew that I could not expect too much of the hyped-up holiday from my schools, but I made the most of it by teaching my 6th grade students the song, “Mi Burrito Sabanero,” a staple Venezuelan Christmas song in Miami. At first, I thought the students hated the song despite its cute hook but when I cut the music short, they protested and asked to sing the song until the very end. Success!

 As Christmas approached, my stress levels were through the roof with bad news, personal drama, end of the year festivites, and a winter vacation that would involve traveling to three countries in nine days.

The bad news came in the form of two coworkers announcing their resignation. One coworker, you all know as my pervy coworker from this post, announced that he would leave in April for the police academy in Tokyo! What! The other was my work spouse at my Tuesday/Wednesday school who would leave the school system all together to work at his father's flower nursery. The worst part was that his resignation and departure were both on a Friday, and I wasn’t told about it until end-of-the-year party when my principal pulled me aside to explain. Luckily, we were both friends on Facebook, so I swiftly and playfully cursed him out in Japanese for not saying goodbye.

Eventually life stress, late-night school parties, and the terrible decision to run a 5k in the dead cold without proper gear caused the most aggressive cold to date. My cold was so bad that I was sent home after lunch for two days and, when it worsened, called in sick the following two days. I was given medicine at the local clinic but my symptoms worsened, so I stopped the treatment in favor for some good ol’ fashioned Vitamin C. I felt well enough to attend work on Christmas, but afterwards I went straight home and continued to rest. 

Thus, I spent the entirety of Christmas, yet another holiday, in bed with a terrible cold. Maybe my Easter will be better? 頑張ります～！

My button says, "Be naughty! Save Santa the trip!" Thanks for the button, MOM! (lol)