Hospital visits

So far, the thing I have found most daunting is learning the medical system here.  Being from an HR background, I always know nearly exactly what the coverage is and what to expect.  Not to mention, as with most adults of my age, I've had a few visits to the doctor over time.  And then there's the surgeries and hospital time I've been so lucky to experience firsthand.

That's doing me little good here (aside from the pretty strong knowledge of knees and their various issues).

I've been having some problems with one of my knees lately and decided, a few weeks ago, it was time to go see someone about it.  Since I don't have a regular doctor, nor even a name of someone to see, I had to go to the ER in order to be seen.  I felt a bit of a fraud, since it was hardly an emergency, but Vasilis assured me this was the way to get it done.

The ER waiting room at the Naval hospital is quite small, and was also very hot on this particular day.  Sun facing room, AC was being worked on - not fun.  There really isn't anyone to check in with when you get there.  You just wait until someone comes into the waiting room to help who's next.  So you have to figure your position in "line" based on who's already there.  I waited a bit longer than I needed to, as I didn't understand what the guy said when he popped his head out to find out if anyone needed to be examined.  After the 2nd time he did it, I consulted my handy pocket dictionary and realized I needed to speak up.  Thank god I did.  Had I waited much longer they would have needed to see me for heat sickness.

So the ER evaluated me and sent me upstairs to the Orthopedic offices.  They gave me a slip of paper, directions, and sent me on my way.  This is where things get a bit weird.  The Orthopedic section doesn't have a receptionist either.  You have to hang around the entrance door until some medical looking person shows their face, and then you hand your slip to them.  It could become quite a mob at that door, as it was the only way to speak to someone in the know.  I wish I understood what the others were needing.

So I sat myself down to wait for my name to be called (see picture of waiting area above - sorry for bad quality).  Even that can be a bit stressful, as those who's names were called in the exhibited a sense of urgency to get to the door once they were called, as if there were 5.7 seconds to get there or they miss their opportunity.

Once I was called in, things were fairly straight forward.  Got a prescription for two weeks of anti-inflammatory and a second one to protect my stomach from the first one.  (1.55 Euro total - great coverage!)  Also instructions to return if I was still having problems.

Problems continued - so I returned.  This is where it got tricky.  The doctor had told me to come straight to the offices, no appointment necessary.  So I now became one of the mob at the door, waiting to tell someone I was there.  I had the added fun of figuring out how to say in Greek what I needed, once I managed to get someone's attention.  I guess I was successful in my choice of words, as I was seen fairly quickly (within 45 minutes - not bad for no appointment!). Unfortunately, they weren't able to send me for the needed MRI that day and I had to come back later.  Again, no appointment.  Fortunately this time Vasilis had called a friend with a similar knee problem (meniscus) and got the name of the Dr he saw.  Vasilis got that Dr's cell number and I was instructed to go in today (his last day before a 3 week vacation).  I repeated my successful phrase to the same nurse as before and got in quickly again.  Whew.

I had been slightly worked up about this visit, for fear the nurse would think I am just trying to buck the appointment system and tell me to bugger off.  Now that I think about it though, this is pretty much the Greek way - trying to work around things to one's own advantage.  I walked out with an order for an MRI and was able to get a same day appointment at their offices.  So that part is done.  Now just for seeing what the MRI says and what the next steps are.  

The medical system saga will continue, I'm sure.  But at least I am much more comfortable with it now.