24 July, 2008

Consumptive Diaries Part 17: I HATE BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES

I went to the Public Health Centre as requested today.
Thought i'd get more answers & know more clearly what'll happen next, but i completely forgot that this is Bureacracyland and nothing can be that simple.

They told me that my test was positive (which they'd already told me on the phone)
And that i wasn't borderline positive - i am completely & utterly positive. Well, if i'm going to have it, i should have it properly, eh?
And then i had another x-ray to make sure that it hadn't suddenly turned active (it hasn't).
Then they told me that i would probably have to take antibiotics for 6 months (knew that already)
They then went onto the "you-have-to-take-you-medication-everyday-even-if-you-feel-fine-and-healthy" lecture, which was swiftly followed by the "just-because-you-do-not-have-active-TB-it-does-not-mean-that-you-won't-get-it" lecture.
Then she asked if i could visualise taking medication everyday for 6 months (yup, been taking the Pill for years)
Then she told me that the Public Health Centre doesn't actually take care of the medication side of things. I have to go to a doctor for that. Have decided to go to the same hospital as K was in because a) they speak some English and b) they're the best in japan.
So, will go there on Monday morning for another dose of random lectures about TB and taking medication.

And that's not all of the bureaucratic crap...

Once i go to the doctor, i have to get some pieces of paper which i take back to the Public Health Centre, so i can qualify for subsidized medicine. So, no, it's not free for me. You have to be really REALLY sick to get it free. If you just want to prevent yourself from getting really sick, you have to pay for the privilege.
To be fair, with the subsidies, i'll only have to pay 5%. Don't how much the drugs are though...

Will, once again, keep you posted.

Am a bit ranty today - am so tired of people giving me lectures about things i either know about or have already been lectured about.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

just anti-biotics then? no being shut up in prison? well, it could be worse then smiler - stay positive!!

arumanda said...

fuck me. i just got to the net after about a months absence and caught up on your life. crap miss sin. you made me cry.

my heart is with you and youre constantly in my thoughts. please take care of yourself.

arumanda xo