hospital malls

I have never been to the hospital or doctor or clinic so much in my life.  Granted, I don't go to the doctor normally, going in itself is a new experience for me.  Just before my last insurance ran out in 2008 I crammed in regular check ups from all types of doctors as a last hoo-rah - so that totaled about eight or nine visits, and two surgeries (I'm counting a mole removal as "surgery") - and that really was the first time I took initiative to even see a doctor.  

This past year I have been to the OBGYN for over 20 visits, the Pediatrist 7 times, the orthopedist 3 times, and the dentist 3 times.  I have had so many blood tests and ultrasounds.  Tolga has been going monthly as well for prescription refills and checkup for his hair infections/cysts.

It's kind of like going to a medical mall.  We are at the hospital at least once a month, and we try to schedule all our appointments in order to save some trips.  That's the convenience of going to the hospital for a regular check-up - all your doctors in one place, most of the labs are right there.  

Even a dentist and eye doctor is there - but my experience with the dentist was he looked at my teeth - said they looked fine and I could go.  

"Go where?"

"You're finished."

"But you didn't do anything."

"Your teeth look fine."

"I figured they were fine, but aren't you going to at least clean them?  Or X-ray for cavities?"

"No.  Plus your breastfeeding so we shouldn't X-ray."

"Tell that to the orthopedist."

"Huh?"

"Nevermind."

I highly doubted that X-Rays were a contraindication to breastfeeding, but I didn't fight him on it because if he believed that, than I didn't want him working on my teeth anyhow.

All three of us have government insurance.  Tolga and I also have private insurance.  His pays everything, mine pays 70% - minus pregnancy related visits.  (How's that for discrimination against women?)  We pay cash for Teoman's private doctor.  The government health office in my neighborhood calls me regularly to be sure I've completed Teoman's checkups - which is and interesting conversation that I try to hold in Turkish, reporting  his weight, height, length and shots received.  

Medical services at a private hospital are about 1/4 of the cost of what they would be in America.  My labor and delivery cost 4300 turkish lire (about $2400), and that was expensive compared to other private hospitals.  

I had to get an MRI as well for my shoulder.  In America it cost about $1400.  I know because I had one on my knee.  They first accepted my insurance, and then later rejected it because it was a New York insurance rather than New Jersey.  Here it cost about 500 TL (about $280).

I went to the hospital with Tolga for the MRI.  I didn't think it was really necessary as I was no longer in pain, but decided since I'd dislocated my shoulder so many times, it might be good to have it looked at.  

I had forgotten how scary those machines were.  All the same emotions came back to me when I was preparing to go into the machine as they had when I had my knee done.  The same emotions, that is, wild images of some hidden piece of metal in my body being superheated and sucked through my skin.  I can't help it. I see it on TV, an episode of House or something, and all I can think of is, did a doctor put metal in my body?  Maybe they did and I didn't know?  Can I get sucked across the room by the clasp on my bra strap?  They said no, but I'm not so sure.  Come to think of it, this isn't really necessary at all - I've changed my mind, I don't need an MRI.

And then there's the noise.  Because it was my shoulder this time, the machine was right over my head.  If I panicked I wouldn't have been able to get out because of the contraption on me - they had all sorts of fittings for different limbs and joints.  They played music over large earphones, but the jack-hammering of the machine drowned everything out.  Even my panic.  I couldn't even think.

The end result was without incident.  We saw an orthopedist who said they can fix my shoulder with surgery.  I didn't believe my shoulder could be fixed and said as much.  I don't know one person who has only needed one surgery because that's how unsuccessful shoulder surgeries tend to be.  But technology is always improving, and he says it can be done now - less invasive, faster recovery, higher success rates.  My injury isn't urgent, so when I'm done breastfeeding - we could have it done.  

But the doctor spent most of the time talking about all the places he's been over the world, the famous people he's worked with, and apparently his kids go to school where I teach.

Blah. Blah. Blah.

What I really wanted was the doctor to write me a standing prescription titled, "How to put this shoulder back in" so I could give it to any doctor and not have to suffer through all of their attempts.  

The doctor was unsympathetic, saying, "It's the risk you'll have to take until the surgery.  But here's my card - I always knock my patients out."

Great.