What's Up Doc?

I came down with a cold “el gripe” a couple of weeks ago that turned into a sinus infection. And while it was a miserable two and half weeks, I did get a funny story out of it. Our school provides us with a list of preferred doctors and medical professionals, but only very few of them speak English. So I went to the one guy on the list that I knew I would be able to communicate with fully.

This certain doctor, I’ve noticed, after several visits to his office that week has a little ritual before he begins his exam. He opens up the little cabinet door in the exam room, retrieves a large rectangular glass bottle of ginger-scented cologne and rubs it on his hands and neck. He then proceeds to check your eyes, ears, and mouth – all while you are enveloped in the aroma of warm, fresh, clean ginger. It’s nice.

He took one look at me and diagnosed me with acute sinusitis. No surprise there. But rather than prescribing me antibiotics and sending me on my way as most doctors would have done, he started my treatment right away. First he gave me a breathing treatment with a bronchodilator solution. After that was finished, he sent his nurse in with a sinus irrigation bottle. Now, I’ve used a Netipot for years to flush out my sinuses and I regret not bringing it down here with me. But I have never had someone else actually operating the pot (or in this case, bottle) for me. I won’t go into graphic detail, but let’s just say that having your sinuses irrigated by a stranger is a very intimate, and extremely messy process. Once I got past the initial embarrassment, I was able to appreciate the instant relief.

And just when I thought my treatment was over, Dr. Ginger Hands repositioned the exam table and instructed me to lay down flat, face-down. Okay…this is weird, I thought. Dr. Ginger Hands walks out and now I’m alone in the exam room. A few moments later, I hear the door open again and then, much to my surprise I am being karate-chopped and slapped all up and down my back by the tiny, vigorous hands of the office cleaning lady. I am not joking, this was the same woman who was sweeping the floors and cleaning the windows when I arrived. And now she is attacking my back with a gusto and strategy. With cupped hands, she proceeds to pound and smack my back up and down, side to side. And this goes on for quite a while. Finally, she finishes working on my back and I’m allowed to sit back up. She smiles at me and leaves.

When the doctor returns, I ask him what the back-slapping was all about. He chuckles and explains that that treatment is meant to loosen all the mucus from the esophagus so that it can be swallowed and doesn’t reaming hanging on in your respiratory system. Gross. But effective.

So after an hour of treatment, I’m able to leave to pick up my antibiotics and start recovering. I do appreciate the hands-on experience as I feel it did a great deal to boost my recovery. And while I appreciate the nurse’s efforts, I think I will be bringing my own NetiPot back with me from the United States this time.