I like being active. I've been introduced to lots of beautiful places to walk and explore while being here in South Africa. On the weekends, it's fun to get up early and walk/jog on the beach, over the mountain… there are so many options. The scenery and time with the Lord is breath-taking, LITERALLY.
So, my friend Meagan and I have decided to workout more. One Saturday morning in September, Meagan and I went for a jog around my house. We walked a bit, jogged a bit and then I stupidly said, 'Let's sprint!' So we took off to the goal of the next street sign. My legs and body were keeping up with me but my lungs were struggling. As a child/teen I had exercised induced asthma; when I'd play sports and run sprints, I'd usually have an episode- not being able to breathe, trying to catch my breath, lungs stinging, head throbbing, coughing between gasps. Well, that happened again this particular Saturday (not to the degree that I was about to pass out but to the degree that I continued to cough and try to take a deep breath for hours after the episode). Given that my goal is to run a 5k by the end of this year, I knew I'd need to get this checked out and then get back on the training routine.
Avril suggested a family physician in town- a man that treated both her children for asthma when they were young. So, I made an appointment and timidly went – not knowing what to expect a South African doctor's office and experience to be like. As I walked up to the door of this house-turned-doctor's-office, the security gate in front of the door was locked. I looked around confused to see how I was to enter this place. After about 3 minutes of looking foolish, I find an old-fashioned bell hanging from the ceiling of the porch; I pull the string to ting the bell, a 'zapping' noise is made from inside the house and I quickly pull the security bars hoping this opens the gate. It does and now I've got to get into one more door to reach the inside. The den of this home has been converted into the reception area- there are 3 desks- representing the various doctors in this practice. I find the desk I need, fill out minimal paper-work and wait to see the doctor while sitting on a sofa next to a fire-place. The doctor isn't in, he phones the receptionist and tells me I can go run some errands if I'd like, he's going to be about 45 min late. Well, it's raining outside, there's really no errand I need to run, so I just sit and read a magazine for the next hour as I wait for this mystery doctor to arrive.
He enters through the same complicated door I did, has a brief-case and a home-made packed lunch in hand. He goes to his office, takes a deep breath and calls me in. I walk in where he's leading and it's a room with a desk, 2 chairs and degrees hung all over the wall. He takes out my fresh, newly created file and begins taking notes as to why I'm visiting him. After the consultation, he asks me to follow him into a small room connected to his office, separated by a curtain. This room has an examining table and a small 'tool' table and that's about it- the room was the size of a tiny bathroom; this is where my blood-pressure was taken and he listened to my chest. After the brief exam, we entered back into his office.
He discussed that he thought it could be an allergy that was irritating my breathing- I'm new to South Africa, Spring has sprung in this beautiful place, and I might be allergic to the blooms here. However, because of my history of asthma and the symptoms described, he prescribed me an inhaler to take before and after exercise.
Here's the best part- he said, "Would you like me to fill this prescription?" I said, "Here? In the office?" He said, "Yes, we have a pharmacy. I can go get your prescription." I said, "Sure. Of course." He left his office and came back with the medication. He made me test the apparatus to see if I was taking the inhaler correctly, signed my file and I headed to pay the receptionist." The other amazing part- the whole visit (no insurance required) and the medication came to R300 (approx $46 US). How amazing is that?!
So, I've got refreshed lungs, am jogging/walking as often as possible- mostly on the beach and around my street – and I can say I survived my first doctor's visit in South Africa!
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