My attempt to embrace the spanish culture by playing soccer with some kids in my program and some spanish locals ended in a failure… I ended up spraining my ankle and currently have a second degree spain. It’s extremely unfortunate to have to deal with the sprain in spain. I have to use crutches to get anywhere, and the crutches here are very different than the ones in the usa. They don’t go under your armpits; they are pretty much just arm braces. Its very hard to walk in them, and go up and down the stairs. It’s even more convenient that my apartment in on the top floor of my building and that there are no elevators! So it takes me about 10 minutes to get up and down the stairs.
Today was the first day I went to class in almost a week. I was advised to stay home and rest my ankle and not put it to much use for 4 days. I have to use my crutches for 10 days – until this friday – so i’m hoping this week goes by fast! Today it took me 30 minutes to crutch to class from my house – it’s usually less than a 10 min walk. I am very exhausted and just want to be able to walk again! I have been cooped up in my apartment most of the weekend because it’s very strenuous for me to move around, so I have compared myself to Rapenzul! Luckily I have some knights in shining armor – aka some amazing friends – that have come to help me move up and down the stairs to enable me to socialize and have some fresh air! I am so thankful for all the help that my friends have given me.
When I went to the doctor’s last week, I learned a lot about the spanish health care system. I was able to go to the doctor’s without an appointment, and just have a walk in with the doctor. She didn’t examine me for very long, and then told me that I had to go get an xray to make sure my ankle wasn’t broken. We went to a walk in x-ray facility, and I waited 45 minutes to get an x-ray that took about 30 seconds! In the USA, when you get an xray they put protective robes over your body to protect you from the harmful waves, but here they didn’t give me anything. They just told me to sit on a table, snapped some shots, and after another hour of waiting for the x-rays to be developed, sent us on our way back to the doctor with the x-ray’s in hand. I thought that was awfully odd; I’m surprised that they let us – the patients – handle the x-rays. I also was surprised at how short the actual xray took. When I finally got back to the doctor’s she only held the xray above her head and used the light from the ceiling to examine my ankle, determining that I have a second degree sprain. She wrapped many bandages and gauze around my ankle, and i’m not supposed to take this contraption off for 10 days. When I shower I have to wear a plastic trashbag around my calf!
having a sprain really is a pain, but I’m trying my hardest to be positive! Obviously the positive things in my life right now outweigh the negative, but it still is discouraging to be cooped up in my house all weekend. I can’t wait to be healed so that I can start moving around again!
hasta luego
Location: Granada, Spain
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I couldn’t help but smile at the witty rhyme/alliteration of your blog post title. This fear has crossed my mind many times as I go on many hikes and play games with my friend but it should never hold us back! Of course, I wish you learned about it a different way, but it’s great that you got first-hand insight of the Spanish healthcare system.The diversity of healthcare around the world is extremely interesting! I hope you’re doing well…keep staying positive!
Also, everyone here in NZ uses those crutches too. At home, I associate them as being used by people with a long-term need for crutches and therefore was confused to see so many people had long-term physical disabilities here. I certainly felt silly upon realizing how wrong I was.
That is so unfortunate about your ankle, but I’m sure there is some blessing in disguise for it. Even if the blessing is learning something new like their healthcare system. Even though having a sprained ankle is awful, I think it would be really cool to experience something, like going to the doctor’s, in a different country. At least you have a cool story to take back home with you.
I wish you well and good luck with the rest of your semester!
Wow, that’s the complete opposite of the Dutch healthcare system. I need a special medication that I get through an IV/infusion, needless to say getting approved here has been a labyrinth of bureaucracy and hoops to jump through. I’m amazed that you could just walk in a get treatment like that, let alone have the doctor accompany you to the x-ray! I had to see a GP (like a family doctor) first, then go to the Internist/GI doctor, then get a card from the hospital (which is really more like a giant healthcare center with bits of a real hospital thrown in (like I stumbled into the ICU…?) which I’m still not sure what it is…Plus I got so lost and confused (and the Dutch are the friendliest people, so I held little hope that anyone would help me). I asked three people for directions/help, got two rude vague finger points, and finally an oncology nurse showed me where to go and actually took me there. I almost cried. Not really, but her helpfulness and kindness was so out of the ordinary here. (I also had laryngitis, which doesn’t help when your trying to speak English to people who speak it as a second or third language.)
I assume you have to do alot of walking? I can’t imagine not being able to walk properly in a city where all you can do is walk. I could use the bus here, but that would get really expensive really fast.