a weird but awakening experience in a chinese hospital

I forgot to mention this, but I was hospitalized about three weeks ago. I started a really bad sore throat; worse than I ever had before. I just thought I got a really bad strep throat. So, I visited a doctor that was educated in England, and he examined me. As he was examining me, he got this extremely apprehensive look on his face. He said, "you are on your way to getting tuberculosis; at this stage, you have glandular fever." I literally freaked out. Basically it was, oh shit, the worse sickness I've had ever had. I had no idea how to react, it could actually get worse than how I felt at that point. Next thing I knew, I was being rushed to the hospital for "aggressive treatment" he called it. I was on a bed for an ultrasound to see how progressed my glandular fever was. When the nurse was doing the ultrasound, she kept getting this worried look on her face looking at the screen. Next thing, I was on a different bed getting hooked up to an IV and taking so many pills and receiving shots in my ass. Believe me, this was not comforting, especially for a first experience in a Chinese hospital.

That was when it hit me. I was actually in a hospital in China. It was the weirdest feeling ever, a little scary as well. Of course, I stayed at the hospital to rest for a while and it was just really odd. No one ever leaves you alone. A nurse sits there with you at all times. Plus, you only see the doctor for no more than five minutes at a time. Only nurses. The technology is definitely outdated. But at least I saw the needles go into me. It was definitely sterilized. I was a little worried about that. The worst part was the smells. I have no words to describe the smells. It was just terrible, like death almost. I have never smelled anything like it. My first experience in a Chinese hospital, but unfortuantly, not my last.

Today was my second experience. Franck's friend, Mathieu had gotten meningitis and we were all exposed. I just found out today that he was hospitalized for bacterial meningitis and it is very contagious. So, Franck and I ran to the hospital to get the immunizations for it and make sure it is out of our systems. Great, I thought I might get sick again and it will be even worse this time. But then, I remembered that I have already gotten a vaccination for bacterial meningitis. So, the doctor told me I was good. Franck, however was not as lucky as me. Don't worry, he is not sick, but he has to take pills for three days to make sure he doesn't get sick. I just really hope those pills can help. Christian and our friend Francesca has to take them as well. But being in the hospital was quite an experience as well. Though, I know more what the hospital is like; but it was still different. I was with all French-speaking people and Chinese doctors speaking French. A little strange considering my location right now. On top of that, all of the French people were freaking out thinking they had gotten meningitis. It was almost like a mob against the poor French-speaking Chinese doctor. "We are not leaving until we get the pills!" they said. Wow. I was the only non French-speaking person trying to make sense of everything while I see sick people going by on gurneys in the Intensive Care Unit. Of course, there were smells; but not as bad as the other hospital.

But at the same time, I was wondering about Mathieu. Will he survive? Meningitis is a pretty serious illness. It's really an awakening experience on how I come close to death often. Even when I walk in the streets of Shanghai, I have seen dead bodies on the sidewalk. Only twice though. Both times when I walked by the dead people, there was always someone next to the body praying. It's quite an experience, but in a bad way when you are very near to diseases and death. When you see Shanghai, you see more First World kind of places because of the strong Western influence in Shanghai; but you also see the Third World feel to it, the high risk of various diseases and seeing dead bodies in the street. Sure, I've learned all about the high mortality rates of countries in class when I was in college. But you don't really know anything until you've seen it for yourself. China is not the worst country to be in in terms of diseases and death. But you will never see anything like this in the US. Now I'm just realizing on a different level of what is it like to be in a non-First World country. Now I am also realizing that Africa is probably about 10 times worse. Firsthand experience with stuff like that, nothing you will ever learn in a college class.