I have been lazy about figuring out what to do should I have a medical emergency, need a checkup, or whatever. There have been too many other things to worry about. Until, last weekend when my toes mysteriously starting itching! A thought nothing of it at first, of course, but the itching worsened. It then appeared like I had blisters between my toes. I also noticed that the skin had cracked, though my skin wasn’t hard or parched at all. Mysterious. Still, I didn’t worry too much until Tuesday when, at work, my left foot suddenly started swelling like crazy. I was unable to put my shoe back on after removing it to see what was going on. The swelling was rapid and I said to myself, “OK, if that vein there vanishes because of the swelling, I’ll go to the doctor.”

It was gone within the hour! So, I had sent some emails to my expat colleagues requesting doctor referrals in Hong Kong. Bill was the only one who responded in time and he suggested I go to Peking University Hospital, or “Beijing Da Xue Yi Yuan”! I had heard horror stories of Chinese hospitals (recommended heart bypass surgery for something unrelated, fake medicine…) but I was hoping that the VIP area he told me about was indeed reliable. After all, how complicated are itchy and swollen feet?

(above) Peking University Hospital

Bill had given me basic instructions on what to do. On arriving at the sixth floor though, there were no reception desks open and it appeared everyone was waiting for the staff to return (this was around 2:15pm). I ended up sitting next to a nice Chinese man who spoke excellent English from living in Australia for ten years. He is now the CEO of a TV and video media web search company. We talked about learning Chinese for a while and then exchanged business cards with the promise to meet up later. At 2:30, the doors opened and we waited in line for the receptionist. Actually, I’m surprised at how fast it was. This was the VIP area which was more expensive, but basically more reputable. When I showed my passport, they actually pulled one of my colleagues records and asked if this was me! What a coincidence. When I told them it wasn’t and that I had never been here before, they took my insurance card and gave me a new hospital ID card. Between the nurses English and my Chinese, we were able to figure out a doctor to go see, so I hobbled along following the nurse. They curiously offered me no wheelchair or even crutches. The first doctor didn’t speak a word of English. When he saw the funny skin on my toes, he exclaimed a loud, “Oh ooooh!!!” And so they figured out the proper doctor to send me to. This doctor, a woman, spoke a good bit of English, though not great. Her examination of me was about oh…five or six…seconds and then she told me I had a fungal problem augmented by a bacterial infection (by the break in the skin, I assume). She prescribed me some cream, some pills, and some “injections”.

(above) My messed up feet – especially the left one which looks like one of those giant “Hobbit Feet” shoes the actors wore in Lord of the Rings.

But, these were not shots, these were IVs! “Dang, IVs! How serious is this?”, I thought. It turns out the IVs are standard operating procedure for China. I was told not to be alarmed. Also, I guess it wasn’t so serious after talking with the doctor and other people who say this is quite common in dirty China. My driver told me he had the same thing too. How did this happen to me, I wondered? My guess is that my bathroom wasn’t as clean as I thought (despite my maid’s cleaning…I’ve bought bleach now), which caused the fungus. Maybe that’s also how the broken skin allowed whatever bacteria in. Many people have conjectured that it was the foot massages. Maybe, but I haven’t had a foot massage in about 3 weeks. Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe I picked up the fungus somewhere in the Yunnan province. Needless to say, I will use my flip flops whenever I take a shower.

(Above) Different days, different IV sessions.

I needed to come in the following three mornings for three IVs. Each time, I followed the nurse, who was effecient in her job, past the psychology counseling room, which was always open with someone sitting on the “the sofa” right next to door. Uh, shouldn’t the door be closed?

On the third day, Bill happened to notice the my driver was waiting outside and gave me a call.

“Where are you at?”
“I’m at the hospital, up on the 6th floor!”
“Cool, me too! We’ll come find you!”

So, Bill and his wife, Tian Tian, came and chatted with me for the last five minutes of the IV. Bill then told me that my doctor was a good friend of Tian Tian’s! “Great!”, I said. That’s gotta be somewhat of it’s own insurance policy. When the doctor saw Tian Tian and I in the office, she opened up and was very attentive. Though she prescribed me three move IV sessions because I wasn’t improving fast enough. She also gave me some liquid wash. While I tried to make sense of some of the English and Chinese, it was common for other folks to barge right in and start talking to the doctor. This wasn’t only limited to nurses, but other patients and even friends.

I came in the next day, Friday, and asked about coming in on the weekend. They told me that it wouldn’t be a problem, that there was someone available to give me the IV. Well, there wasn’t. The 6th floor was desolate save two nurses who appeared to be doing administrative work. They both told me that I needed to come back on Monday. I figured I’d just blow off the remaining two IVs if my feet got much better, which they did. I went back on Monday for the final appointment and the doctor examined my feet in a record one second this time (the sock was barely off my foot!): “Oh, much better! More medicine? More cream?” “No thanks. How about some more of that wash? I’m almost out.” Somewhere around here, a boisterous Chines woman walked in and started yukking it up with the doctor. She thought it was interesting that I spoke a decent amount of simple Chinese, but…why is she in here? Anyway, the doctor prescribed that and now I’m almost recovered.

Peter has a great blog post on his impressions of the Peking University Hospital. Well worth the read!