Going to the Doctor (part 2)

This was just hilarious to Charmaine and I

Charmaine, and many other people here always say, "you wouldn't believe the things you see or have happen here, unless you are here experiencing it". Let me tell you, that is the truth. There are days where I am pretty sure I am living in the twilight zone. Example: One day, I have a student come up to me with a paper in his hand. He shows me the paper, which was one that we had just completed in class, and says to me, "Miss Jamie, I found this on the floor. I don't know whose paper it is." I look at the paper, and yes, it has a name on it. And whose name is on the paper? The boy who is standing there asking whose it is! I look back at him, trying not to laugh, and say, "Well, it looks like your name is on here, so I'm pretty sure it must be yours." He takes the paper back, looks at it and says, "Oh, that's my paper!", and goes back to his seat. This left me shocked and not fully sure of what had just happened. You see, strange things like this happen daily, and the kids really do say some "out there" things.

Anyways, back to the doctors visit. So, yesterday, I had to go to the hospital. I was experiencing a flare-up in my low back, so there was a lot of pain and a really bothersome nerve. I wasn't able to go to school because it was very painful, and trying to deal with 25 kids while being in pain is not easy. So, Charmaine came and took me to the hospital so that we could get it looked at, get me some medicine, and a doctor's note.

Just like any other hospital in the world, the wait was long. We sat for quite some time, 4 hours I believe. I must say, I do give the doctor credit for being creative in saying what the problem "could" be. This doctor seemed to think that maybe I have Arthritis in my back and hip. Yeah, way to make me feel like an old lady! After this Arthritis assumption, the doctor sent me to x-ray so he could have a better look at my back. So, we get to x-ray, and the lady gives me a gown to change in to. At least this gown wasn't a used gown like at the first clinic I went to. So, on the door of the changing room, and to the x-ray room, was this absolutely hysterical cartoon of a baby inside the uterus saying, "Please mum, tell them I'm here!". Charmaine and I say this and were laughing so hard that we were in tears. Something about this poster really struck us funny.

Moving onward. Here is one of those other twilight-zone type things about Bahrain. So, I finally get into the x-ray room, and the technician is standing inside. Now, in the U.S., before you ever get an x-ray, the technicians MUST ask you if you are pregnant, or if there is a possibility that you are. In the States, they probably start asking this around the age of 12, because you just never know when someone is going to be pregnant, and with many girls, it probably a possibility. This has to be asked because the x-ray can be harmful to the fetus. Now, do you think they ask you if you might be pregnant here in Bahrain? Of course not! Here, the only thing they ask you is, "Are you married?" And if you say no, then apparently you automatically are not pregnant. Amazing, right? 

Now, of course, I am not pregnant, but I just couldn't believe that the people here assume that if you aren't married, then you aren't pregnant! I can't even imagine what it would be like if they assumed such a thing back at home. Obviously, lots of girls would be getting x-rays when they aren't supposed to. I understand that the culture is totally different, and here, they REALLY don't believe in sex before marriage, but honestly, this is 2012, and it seems like there are more girls having babies before marriage than there are girls having babies that are married. 

So when all was said and done, I was finally able to leave the hospital with some Arthritis medicines and cream. I even got lucky enough to get medicine that isn't approved by the FDA! Scary right? 

Really, if something ever happens to me here where I need serious medical attention, I've already told my mom to have someone fly me home on a jet, because the medical practices here are just get a bit scary for me.