Hospital: I need rehab

For some reason, I have been associated with medical field in one way or another. I was chosen as a dental assistant in the military, worked with a couple of American dentists extracted wisdom teeth and did root canal, simple filing and crown. So I came to obtain rudimentary dental and medical knowledge and it has come in handy from time to time. Now, I can do a very superfical and quack-like dental check-up and analyze bitwings and panorax (both dental films). So if you need a free oral exam, just let me know.

Upon completion of the 26 month long service, I came back to college and started to volunteer at the hospital on campus. I volunteered at the international health clinic for about 3 years. Every friday when other college kids still slept in from last night hangover, I got up at 8 in the morning, washed up and headed down to the center. The majority of the patients was those from the American Airforce personnel in Osan, South Korea. Ironically, Osan airbase did not and still do not have state of the art medical equipment such as CT, or MRI and so referred some of their patients to the local Korean medical center. Anyway, while in charge of translation, ushering, payment and whatnot, I had many opportunities to talk to them and help them relax, knowing that some Americans simply do not trust foreign medical staffers, or anything that is not theirs at all.

And today I went to see a neurosurgeon at a local hospital to see if my injury was serious or whatnot. The doctor ordered several xrays. I was given a prescription and a painkiller shot in my ass later and was told that I need physical therapy. I spent almost an hour at the hospital and the place was full of elderly people. Then I started to think that hospitals are really scary places for some people. Thankfully, I did not go to any hospital back in the states, but I had, it would have felt pretty scary, not knowing what might happen and how much I need to pay. Consecutively, then I thought I should have been more hospital and more friendly to a myriad of the patients that I assisted back in the days. In a country that is far away from their home, they are left alone sometimes in the waiting area, not knowing when their names to be called out and how kinds of procedures they need to go through and whether doctors can speak English at all.

One time I ushered this American woman to the MRI room back at the university hosptial. Then, I handed her over the radiology guys and came back to the international health center. About 20 minutes later, I got a call from the radio-tech guys that they need me theri right now. Not knowing what was going on, I rushed back down to the MRI chamber and saw that lady sobbing like a 7 year old girl who lost her mom at the zoo. And I got down on my knee and asked her what was wrong. In response, she said she is claustrophic and would like to make a call to her husband back in the base. First, I needed to calm her down and so get her some tissues. Then, something instantaneously ran through my brain; why if she sued the hospital. This idea emerged, fully aware that American love suing in particular suing hospitals for maltreatment and whatnot. In order to foil any possibility, I did everything I could to make her feel better and not think of taking legal actions, which she DIDN'T after all. But, I felt very bad for not having asked her if she was claustrophobic. Well, I presumed that she knew what it would be like to be trapped in an MRI tube. Well, obviously I was mistaken. Since then, whenever I took patients down to the MRI room, I always asked whether they are claustrophobic.

Ok..my arms are tired and my body does not function that well today. I need rehap.