I was up late talking to a couple friends online, and both had just said that
I really should log off and call it a night, when there was a rather creepy knock
at my door. In Chinese, I called out to ask who it was and only heard a raspy noise as a reply.
Going to the door, I said it again, with the same response, only this time in amidst the
weak raspy voice I heard my name.
Can you say SPOOKY?! I can! And I did! I nearly didn't open the door!
Pretending more bravery than I felt at 2 in the morning, I opened the door only to be met
by the slumped over form of a new arrival. She has only been
at our school for about a weeks time, and it was evident
she was not doing well. I was the only one she knew, so she came across
the hall to tell me she was extremely sick and had been for hours.
"I need to go to the hospital and I have to have a Chinese speaker with me.
Earlier today when I told a new friend that I was sick, she said
it wouldn't be possible for me to go by myself." She explained.
Even at this early hour, it became quickly apparent that she was under
the misguided understanding that *I* could be that person.
Reaching for my cell phone, I told her to head back to her room and I would
call my boss to see about getting help sent to us.
Though I myself would probably have 'toughed it out' and
not wanted to go to the hospital/clinic at 2 in the morning
she was insistent that I get her to some sort of Emergency care.
My boss' phone said it was busy, nor did she answer her text messages, so I
grabbed a hoodie and went to get the front door opened.
Our first stop was the clinic on campus. When I had walked all through that place looking for help
I resorted to calling the teacher in charge of student affairs. {This student does not fall
under his care, for all I can tell, it is my office' responsibility.} He told me
to call look for a number posted around there somewhere to call the
nurse. {I love the confidence of those around me in my speaking
ability at 2 am! Often I am not making full sense in English at such an hour
let along a language in which I am still in deep study!}
The nurse told me that there was no one there that would
be able to help her and if she really needed attention, then we would
need to get a taxi at the front gate and go downtown to the hospital.
And so off we were. Two pajama clad ladies walking down the PITCH BLACK streets of
the SIAS campus. Through my own fear and trepidation I had to laugh. This feeling
of joy in midst of trial stuck with me for the entire ordeal to be honest!
We got a taxi, the driver of which was very confused as to why we would want
to go to the hospital at such an hour as his fee would be double the days price. {"During the day you can go there for 5RMB, it is going to be 10RMB at this time of night, You sure you don't want to wait a few hours?" he asked me}
He chatted with me the entire trip, and inquired as to how we expected to be able
to cope at the hospital with no translator! I will admit that at first his desire
to keep a running conversation with me was a bit annoying, but I was later very thankful
as it seemed to help get my mind in the right setting to be talking in so much Chinese.
Talking about silly things like where I was from, the fact that I was
a student not a teacher, that I was in fact 31 and yes still only a student
{we arrived before he had a chance to ask if I was single}
all of these little things and the banter that I held with him, served to put me at a bit
more ease though at first I was tensed by it.
We arrived at the hospital and the driver told me which door to
take her into. They knew, at first sight, we must be from SIAS and also seemed to
be a bit taken aback that we were not accompanied by an actual Chinese speaker.
I explained to them that I was in fact that one on this trip meant to be the go between.
And so it began.
Thankfully their triage and admittance system is very different
than that which I am use to in my homeland, as I have no idea how to translate
most of what would be needed had we been in America!
In reality I only needed to provide them with her name and age,
I tried to tell them where she is from but I don't know how to say
Jamaica in Chinese, and since I was being listed as the contact info,
they just put my phone number and nationality down.
They showed me to the room where R {The patient} could lie down, and
then proceeded to explain procedure to me. The doc had already been in and
didn't examine her in the least, but listened to my explanation of the symptoms
and saw that she was in distress, so he wrote up a mile long list of meds.
His expression told me that while he was not exactly put out by
our being there at such an hour, he wasn't very worried and seemed
to think this was the normal travelers gut. {R mused later that she was
worried she had one of the horrible cases that use all the numbers and
letters as their names....I don't want to type it. But anyway. She was convinced she
was dying, and that had she not come to get me, we would have found her lifeless
body this morning. You may be able to tell from my speech that I myself
am under no such conviction, but I do understand her fears given the situation.}
Once she was settled into the room, they gave me
her new 'hospital card' with strong, specific instructions NOT to lose it,
as this would be needed should she ever need to return.
My task was now to go across the parking lot to the main portion of the
out patient building to pay the fees and get her meds.
Both at the cashier and pharmacy, they were able to scan that card
and up popped R's new patient record.
They gave me two bags full of tiny glass vials, IV bottles,
powders and pills, before I returned to the nurses with my loot.
They mixed all the different glass vials and loaded up needles and
the IV bottles {It wasn't the IV bags I am use to in the States, these are
a bit different, some being made of glass while others are plastic.}
{We were not the only ones there at such an insane hour of the day!}
R was very afraid of needled and was not liking the idea of them
trying to get an IV into the back of her hand, as she said that in every
other hospital she has ever been to they are unable to find the veins there. She had me translate
that they should put it in the crook of her elbow, near the top, in the only visible vein.
Our younger nurse left the room for a moment and returned with her colleague. I again
explained the situation, both of her fear of needles and her insistence that they would be unable
to stick her hand. She sweetly said she would use the tiniest needle possible, and then
very plainly told me that she would in fact me able to get it in the hand,
and not to worry. She had R hold her hand in a certain manner, and seconds later was setting the drip to the now inserted IV, much to the surprise of the patient who was still
not sure that it had even been accomplished!
{No one has EVER gotten it, she said more than once}
'We have a different approach to things like this than other countries!"
The nurse told me.
"We treat blood in a different manner."
It was then time to settle in and wait for the first bottle to empty,
as I would then need to go inform them it needed to be changed.
After a little while, I was feeling very parched, and R was needing something to
at least wet her lips as she had not been able to eat nor drink since sometime in the afternoon
the day before.
The first time I went out to look, I returned unsuccessful.
However, there was a kind local fellow there who urged me that if I just
walked a little further, I was sure to find some store open at 4:30 in the morning
where I could obtain a bottle of water.
And so, after another IV bottle change, I once again set off in search
of the refreshments. I had to laugh {Out loud no less!}
at the sight I must have made!
"What would my Dad think of this?" I actual said out loud.
"I am out wondering around the streets of a Chinese city in my pajamas at 4:30 in the morning."
When I did find a small shop open, as you may be able to imagine,
I caused a bit of a scene!
Though they did not know I could understand what they were saying,
the local men who were out playing a game on the street were all
very astonished at this disheveled pale foreign girl walking past.
Two of them followed me into the store and stood staring at me,
moving to the end of each aisle as I looked for something to eat should
I need it later. They pondered out loud if I would even be able
to understand how much the items cost, and marveled when I
spoke up that I didn't want a plastic bag since I could just put it in my large
purse.
I'm really not sure what this contraption is, here on the left, but I have a feeling I actually don't want to know!
I was very thankful that I had made the choice to wear my new long but thin lounge pants to bed! I was kept comfy and decent during our hospital stay!
R was finished with her final IV bottle and released at about 6am.
We left in search of a return taxi, but stopped first to get some cleaning
supplies for the room back on campus that had served as her sick room before
coming to get me! The shop keeper was in about as much awe of the two of us as
the men had been hours earlier. Only he was more vocal about things.
He said he knew I was of course from SIAS, but was surprised to learn
I was a student and not a teacher.
He ended the conversation with the usual:
"You are really fat!"
I told R as we left "You have now conquered a Chinese hospital experience!
What can't you do now!"
In some ways I felt this exact way about myself.
I was thinking about how I wanted to write up this adventure
and I really didn't want it to sound like a boast piece about me and my 'skills'
with the language and all.
Instead, here are some of the things that I took out of this
1.I was so thankful that I was up at 2 in the morning talking to my friends,
as I know I would never have heard her knock had I been asleep!
2. It was amazing how even in things as tiny as what I chose to wear to bed
was a set up for what was to come! When I left my room, I had no idea
that I would be wondering the streets hours later, in search of water. But instead of my
normal apparel, I had worn things a bit more fitting for a late night stroll and ER waiting.
3. She needed someone that was able to take a moment with her
to talk to Father before the needles and meds began. Had the
teacher I got a hold of been the one to go with her,he would not have done that.
4. Aside from a little bit of uneasiness at the stares and presence of the men in the store,
I was perfectly comfortable in my surroundings! I KNEW I was at home
helping someone from another country get use to my area.
5. I had actual conversation with the nurses as we waited for the IV's to need changing. Not just
the little where are you from, how old are you, but actual conversations. I need these so!
6. If I can get through this here, I think I am ready to help my brother when he
goes through a similar experience in the future!
7. I have been battling illness ever since the APU students left. I think
I ran myself down during their visit so I was easily able to catch the
cold that is going around. It was in my head first and then moved to my chest. Two nights
ago I was having a hard time sleeping due to feeling like my lungs were going to exhume themselves during one of the many coughing fits. Yet this morning I had very little coughing!
We got back at about 6:30, and I helped her
clean her bathroom first, then hopped in the shower
before heading to get some breakfast. I got to sit in the dark classroom
a for a little while before anyone else arrived.
Not really sure how much I got out of my classes today! haha!
I was there though, that was the important part to me!
I have not missed a single class this semester for any
reason and I want to end with that perfect attendance.
{I am a tad worried that this is a bad pride issue!}
It was rough getting through my classes! The tiredness was expected
but the dizziness, nausea, and body aches weren't!
My boss had seen my text messages before class and
had told me I could take the day off from work,
so I went right up to my room at 11:40 and
almost literately passed out in my bed.
I stayed in that state until about 4:30-5.
My day was then made again when I was able to get
Skype to work in calling a land line, so I could call and surprise my Dad
at work for his birthday!
#ItsTheLittleThings
{and sometimes the scary things!}
