Live from Japan!

So, after my little visit to the hospital on Monday, Noguchi-sensei (Dr. Noguchi) told me to come back on Friday for a follow-up. He wanted to be able to check the wound for infection and healing and he wanted to take a better look at my shoulder, if it continued to hurt after four days.

I was really apprehensive about this trip. First of all, I wasn’t going to the emergency room like I had the first night. I was going to his office, in the orthopedic department and I had no idea where that was. Second, I had to check in at the hospital desk, and knowing just a little Japanese I had no idea how to explain that I was here to see Noguchi-sensei, I didn’t have an appointment or an appointment card. All I had was a little not he had written in my moleskin telling me to come back. (The note was written in English, and therefore, absolutely no use to the hospital staff) Third, since I was injured during my commute from work, my care was technically covered under workers compensation insurance and, therefore, I had to make sure to get that paperwork completed and processed after my visit. Ahh…workers compensation insurance.

On Thursday, my supervisor took me to the workers compensation office and hospital to get that paperwork straightened out. Once the workers compensation paperwork was processed my future care for this injury would be completely free and I would get reimbursed from the hospital for Monday nights visit as well. We went to the hospital and met with many members of the administrative staff to get everything situated. My supervisor also mentioned to them that I would come back on Friday for my appointment and to get reimbursed. They seemed to understand.

On Friday, It was pouring down rain. In addition to being the strange foreigner, I was now the strange WET foreigner since I had rode my bike to the hospital. A member of the hospital staff was waiting at the door for me. As soon as I entered, in a soggy daze, she said my name (actually something that closely resembles my name) over and over. “Danieru Raina san, Danieru Raina san.” It felt like an airport, except she didn’t have my name written on a colorful sign for all to see.

As soon as I returned from my haze, and realized that she was calling out to me. I went over to her. Actually, it is somewhat strange to me that she was calling my name. Certainly all she would have needed to do was take one look at me to know that it was surely me that she was looking for. As it turns out, she became my personal hospital assistant for the hour or so that I was there. I can only imagine that her conversation with her supervisor that morning went something like this;

Hospital Employee – What will I be doing this morning?

Supervisor – Well, we’ve got this foreigner coming in and I need you to take care of her.

Employee – Wow! A foreigner at Gifu City Hospital?? That doesn’t happen very often!

Supervisor – I know, they are such a hassle.

Employee – Does she speak Japanese?

Supervisor – No, that is why we need you.

Employee – But I don’t speak English, how will I possibly help?

Supervisor – Well, here is what she needs to do. (He says as he hands her my itinerary for the day) Take her where she needs to go and make sure those things get taken care of. Don’t leave her side, foreigners are stupid and we don’t want her getting lost in the hospital. Do you accept your mission?

Employee – Yes, I do!!

And with that, she was off. To help me and my sad, illiterate self. She walked me to the hospital desk and I checked in, she took me to the orthopedics office where I got examined (all is ok! I still have to take it a little bit easy on the shoulder), and then she took me to the billing office. I sat in a chair for a few moments, put my personal seal on a couple of official looking documents, and before you know it they handed me a refund, in cash, for the money that I had paid on Monday. I walked out of the hospital with more money than I had come with. How strange!!

And then it was over, I walked out of the hospital and into the rain. I thanked my lovely personal assistant and continued on with my day. I was thankful for her help, and I am sure she was thankful that I was gone. Certainly babysitting a foreigner was nowhere in her job description.