Being sick overseas

Stomach’s heaving, waves of nausea coming at intervals of 15 minutes, and a burgeoning fever…plus a headache squeezing the top of my head.

I left work early today and am fretting about a number of things.

Firstly, I hate getting sick in Tokyo. It’s really borne out of a paranoid fear that I have something serious and I don’t have enough language skills to approach a doctor here. A friend recommended a clinic in Roppongi Hills on the sixth floor if I ever get terribly ill and need an English-speaking doc. But it’s still cold comfort to me because he or she would still be Japanese — again, I’ve to admit I’m prejudiced. When it comes to important matters like bills, banking, and illnesses, I’d like to be able to communicate well between both parties. It’s ironic because I learned Japanese to handle such scenarios but I still fall back on English…

Secondly, I don’t have the usual meds or remedies I like to take. Mental note to myself: I need to stock up funky Chinese herbal pills and the like when I’m back next.

Lastly, I feel like I have so much work to do but I can’t seem to focus. I keep wanting to run to the loo to gag or lie down on the futon. I’m so excited about getting things going that I feel I’m missing out by steering out of the superfast lane of the Internet highway even just for one day.

But the bright side of everything blue today is that the kangaroo is in town. It sounds wussy but it sucks big time when you’re sick and alone. I don’t have any friends here whom I’m close enough to whine to about such things and who would actually come over and hang out.

No related posts.