german hospital.

alright. i did it. my first doctors appointment off post. we have a clinic here, so if you have a cold, your good. they can do minor stuff and write prescriptions. thats about it.

i have had a lump on my breast for about 8 months. i have not had it checked out because the only thing i had access to for the last 8 months are emergency rooms. can u imagine the look on a docs face when i say im here cause of this lump? LOL!
when i went home this summer my mom felt it- shes a nurse-and she freaked out. that IS A LUMP. a BIG ONE. so she kinda freaked me out. when i went to VA. they said i had to have a PCM to be seen, and i dont. cause ed was TDY.
so they wouldnt see me. nice huh?

i got here to germany went to my PCM and he said yes it is a lump, and yes i need to get it checked out. he put me in for a referral. after the referral is put in, u have to wait four days before going to tricare to make the appointment for off post. its a 45 minute drive to tricare, and u cant call. u have to go in.

the hospitals here are very different. u cant walk into Any emergency room and be seen. kids go to one hospital, adults another. if you have an open wound you go to a different hospital. if you have a broken leg you go to another one. chest pain- another. the good thing is u get in and out, u always have people that do nothing but what your there for, so they are sorta like specialists.

because i have tricare, in Germany it is considered private insurance, so i am only seen by the Chief of that hospital, in that speciality. so today i was seen by the chief of radiology. this is a giant hospital- that does nothing but ob care. weird right?
i agree. its not bad- its just different.

so i go in and there is a restaurant/bakery right in the front of the entrance..it smells like fresh baked bread and coffee. now i was told all hospitals have these...people Come to the hospital just to eat!
a sweet little german lady in a red vest smiled at me and started speaking german.
"klien dutch," i told her, and asked if she spoke english. she said "nein" and pointed to the front desk. when i got there i asked her the same thing: "sprecken sie englisch?"
ja.
YES!
:)
i showed her the folder i got from tricare and she said i have to go to administrative office and take a number. did that. took about 20 minutes. the put in my info and told me where i needed to go. i walked up 3 flights of stairs- hello can someone please put an elevator somewhere in this country!?!?!?!? LOL! its good exercise...

thankfully i didnt even break a sweat, and i went in and gave them my folder.
they told me to sit. and there i sat. with Ed. and i watched 6 people that came in after me, come and see the doc and Leave during the time i was still sitting there. of course the first thing im thinking- its cause im american. ha! Ed is in there getting all grumpy. i keep checking the time cause i was afraid i wouldnt have time to be home to meet the kids...then this little man comes over and shakes my hand.
i am the resident chief. come with me.
okay, and i follow him into this little room where there is a mammogram machine and an ultrasound set up with a tiny white cot nearby.
Ed follows us- he says "nein, stay in chair please." LOL!!!!
he closes the door in Ed's face and says,
"take off your clothes please. top and bra."
"okay."
and i wait.
and he waits.
and i wait.
and he waits.
and then i realize---- he isnt leaving.
so i turn around, take off my shirt, take off my bra, and then turn to him covering myself with my shirt.
he politely takes the shirt from me and says "please lie down. "
i lie down.
i cover myself with my arms. he moves them. he was very nice and gentle and not at all acting strange. i was the one acting strange! its like being in the twilight zone at this point.
then he squirts both sides and wands me. no blanket, no covering no nothing. totally normal for him. no big deal.
then he doesnt like what he sees.
he says "u need mammogram. i send someone in."
"will it hurt?" i ask him.
straight faced no smile no nothing he says, "i dont have breasts."
he was very nice and polite, but of course i was totally. just totally weirded out.
so here comes a lady. i had gotten my shirt back and was covering up with it. she comes in and takes it. first thing. she says, "nein." (no)
then we do the mammogram. i just stood there with my pants and shoes on doing what i had to do. and she did what she had to do. she did keep saying, "u do nothing." i think i may have been trying to help by turning or leaning a certain way...

the mammogram did not hurt by the way. there was pressure, but it didnt hurt. i wouldnt be scared to have another one.
so then the doc comes in and has my films. while im dressing. there was no knocking. FYI.
throws em up on the light and tells me i am fine. and goodbye. just like that! and i went home.
i dont think i can handle a papsmear. for real. sorry if this one was tmi. i just had to share!!! LOL!

i want to make clear....this is a complete cultural thing. nothing more. i heard before going that it would be like this...its just different when u experience it. for instance they do room sharing in the hospitals. male and female, and there are no sheet dividers. its the human body, and thats it. nothing sexual. i wish americans were more like that. i wish i wasnt so flippin modest and awkward. i hope to lose some of this self conscience behavior while im here. :)