It's no fun being sick

It started as a sore throat on Saturday, kinda went away on Sunday, but became a fever and sinus-something as soon as I walked into the office on Monday and I had to take half the day off. Didn't feel better on Tuesday - it was like I'd hit my head into the wall and was walking around in a fog. It felt like a mild fever would creep up every now and again but wouldn't really "break".

Felt much better yesterday and as much as I love all E! True Hollywood Stories, I couldn't really lie on the couch watching anymore E! anyway, so I went back into the office. Bad idea. Within a couple of hours I started fading again. My boss is down with the same thing as is my Production Assistant, and being in an air-con office with 6 floors of windows that are sealed shut can't exactly be good for you. By the time 5pm came, the head-fog was back along with the fever chills. ARGHH!

This morning, not only did I have a bleeding nose along with a fever and runny nose, my eyes were BOTH blood-shot red with icky, gunky stuff in it. Dammit! Finally hauled my ass to the doctor who diagnosed "upper respiratory infection that has spread to the eyes". How gross is that?! "Yes, I can see your middle ear and ear drums are very inflamed too." Double gross.

Interestingly, it's my first visit to a medical doctor since being here, and I'm amazed that you have call to make an appointment before you can see anyone.
Receptionist: "Hello, Dr. Wolhuter's office?"
Me: *koff* "Hi, I need to see the doctor"
Receptionist: "Dr. Wolhuter's next available appointment is 3.15pm"
Me: "HAR? But it's 8am now and my head's about to explode and you're telling me I have to wait more than 6 hours to see the doctor?!" (what kind of fascist regime is this?!) (...of course I didn't really say this - was just thinking it)

The receptionist then booked me in with the other doctor whose next available appointment was a more acceptable 9am.

I'm now on antibiotics, cortizone, antibiotic eye drops, with a nasal spray thrown in for good measure. Oh, doctors here don't dispense medication either. You have to take the prescription to the nearest pharmacy to have it filled (no, there wasn't one next door - I had to drive to the nearest mall to find one). Leh-cheh.

The total cost of this (Doctor's consultation + medication from pharmacy) was about R520... almost S$100! Daaaaaamn. Healthcare back home is cheap - my visits to Raffles Medical Clinic never cost more than S$40 including all medication dispensed. On-the-spot! (would've uploaded a picture of my eyes too, but they're so hideous I couldn't even look at the photo much less upload it)