DR NO

Ok so i've been deliberating about sharing this with you, but in the name of the blog, and providing an in-depth insight into life in Singapore i'm going to bare (bare or bear?) all and spill the beans...

Today I had my first experience of a Singaporean Doctor. Going to the doctors at home can be awkward enough, but this took the experience to a whole new level, I'd like to blame it on my non-budging British reserve and the minor language barrier, but to be honest I think I'm mostly to blame.

So you know how sometimes you just don't really know how to explain in a matter of words what is wrong when the doctor asks, so you begin a sort of long rambling way way of getting to the point, throwing in a few actions/ hand signals maybe even a diagram along the way? Well,try this, however you don't get the words, just the actions. Actions of which I chose to exaggerate just to be sure he got my point and in a loud staccato like manner emphasised what i felt were the 'key words'. I wasn't taking any chances. I can't begin to explain to you how embarrassing it was to try and express to this doctor that (please excuse the detail) I'm having trouble peeing.

After a long 1 way conversation and a lot of 'nodding but looking confused' from the doctor I was asked to "go on table" he obviously go the gist that it was the tummy area and needed to examine me this was a positive step. He then went out the room to look for help get a sample pot for me so I proceeded to get up on the examination table. Unfortunately this time it was me having trouble understanding. Dr came scurrying back in and dramatically demonstrating the international hand signal to MOVE shouted "no no no" at me to get down... Weirdo he'd only just told me to get up. 

Turns out he wanted me to sit on the bed behind the curtain, not on, what transpired to be, his filing cabinet (in my defence it was wooden a very non cabinet like) Shamed I hoped down and mounted the appropriate apparatus to be examined. (have my tummy prodded) 

What continued to be a rather awkward appointment finally came to an end with a rather frustrating diagnosis. Turns out its the old kidneys playing up (nothing serious) So have to pop along to the hospital for a test next week, that I am sure will be another experience in itself. 

To conclude I was given some pills and medicine and a bill, never thought I'd say this, but I miss the NHS, to ease the pain until my hospital appointment. I can't read the label on the medicine but it has a picture so I get the gist. The pills on the other hand I cannot read and googling the name did not help either. There is however a label on the packet that the pharmacist printed off with one line of English for my convenience. The line reads "For stomach sensitive and release of wind". OH GOD! Looks like i'll be sleeping in the spare room tonight, and I'm not entirely sure what good it'll do my kidneys?!

Treating this experience as character building.

(mum if you're reading this, I'm fine)

Speak Soon

XXX