Sick in Sweden

I rarely get sick, and I don’t even have to bother knocking on wood for that one.

But I did. It is my first time getting sick in Sweden since I came here in January 2012. Sweden is known for having amazing healthcare. You do not have to pay much to see a doctor (I’m talking $25 bucks even a private one). They also have this medical card everyone in entitled to called the ‘high cost’ card. If you reach up to around $170 in medical visits (other than hospital stay) you don’t have to pay anymore!

However, with me not knowing a lick of Swedish, the automated phone reception and I have something in common: We don’t speak the same language. I think I spent around 1 hour calling around to different clinics trying to book an appointment. Here is how it goes:

1. You call and there is a recording in Swedish. You hear the word ‘person number,’ which obviously means to type in your tax number.
2. You listen to times for them to call you back to book an appointment.
3. A real person calls you back and you book an appointment.

So…why couldn’t I just talk to a receptionist in the first place?

So I went, I saw, I paid $25, and I was diagnosed with a throat virus, and have been home from work for 3 days. Now my sickness is healing in my throat and chest, but making it’s way up to my nose and head.

I have gone through 4 rolls of toilet paper snot rags, because the super market doesn’t have Kleenex.