Amerikan Hastanesi

After being almost a year in Kurdistan, where I was afriad to go to see a doctor when sick, I headed promply to the hospital yesterday when it was clear I was sick. I have had a chronic throat problem anyway, so it wouldn't be a wasted visit to go for my cold... or so I thought. I asked around and everyone seemed to think the American Hospital in Nişantaşı was the one most people recommended. I taxied there, feeling worse and worse minute by minute, but the wait at the hospital was surprising short. I went directly to the ear, nose and throat section and was seen within 15 mintutes. The doctor spoke English and seemed a little sad to inform me that he believed the American Hospital to be the best that Turkey had to offer (am I to infer that to him it was still somewhat lacking?) Anyway, it was clean and smoke free, so I was happy. I was also happy to hear that my throat problem was not an infection, nor was it cancer, but it was irritated. Unfortunately, the cause was determinted to be environmental... Meaning I need to identify whatever causes the problem and avoid it. Could it be Iraqi dust? Diesel exhaust?

The bad news of my hospital visit is that without health insurance, a 10 minute consultation with a doctor costs 140 YTL (about $120 USD). Sigh. And this was just to get a prescription for an over-the-counter cold/flue remedy and some super-strength lozenges. Anyway, I spent ALL DAY today in bed with a fever, bad cough and runny nose. Not such a nice thing when on vacation, especially since - as always - I have left all the things I really want to do till the last minutes: visit Dolmabaçe Palace and Hagia Sophia, catch some of the exhibits for the Biennale and maybe watch a movie in the cinema (there are movie theatres here!), shop for clothes (non-synthetic) and books... I think that is mostly it. Tomorrow I will go to Turkish lessons, but having missed a day and having done no homework. Should be fun. Till later, Ciao!