Flu season is upon us, and students around the world constantly face a high risk of getting sick. Germs spread easily on campuses and being in Scotland did not make me an exception to this.
About 3 weeks ago, I noticed I was experiencing the mild symptoms of a sore throat. I didn't think there was anything to be worried about so I just ignored it. After about a week, my throat still felt pretty raw and I noticed that my neck hurt when I pressed the right side of my throat.
The University of Stirling has a pharmacy in the Student Union, with a free walk-in clinic all day. I went there last Friday to talk to the pharmacist and see if I was going crazy or if my symptoms might add up to a diagnosis. He gave me a brief exam, taking my temperature and checking my neck for swollen lymph nodes. His advice was to keep drinking lots of fluids and take ibuprofen to help with the pain and swelling. Because I wasn't having any trouble swallowing, I may have the early signs of a mono virus.
By Monday, however, I was experiencing a considerable amount of pain every time I swallowed. I waited a few days to see if it got better on its own, but by Tuesday I knew I couldn't continue to ignore it. I went to the medical center on campus and was able to schedule an appointment Wednesday afternoon.
Students who study abroad in the UK for more than 6 months are able to register with the NHS for free doctors visits. Since I am only here for one semester, my appointment was considered a private consultation which costs £40 out of pocket, cash. This was the main reason that I waited so long. I wanted to make sure I didn't just have a cold before I spent that much money.
The medical center has walk-in hours every day from 9-10:30 AM. I wish I'd known this beforehand, because I got there at 11 AM and was told I'd have to comeback the next day. Luckily, when I asked if there wasn't any way I could be seen that day, the receptionist realized that there had been a cancellation and was able to fit me in then.
Back at the medical center later that day, I ended up waiting over an hour past my appointment time. I'd like to think that maybe that was an unusual occurrence, but my friend who has gone several times this semester said she has always had this same experience.
When I was finally seen by the doctor, I walked out of the room with 2 prescriptions in hand less than 10 minutes later. The doctor took one look at my throat with a light and said I have tonsillitis. Even better, the infection could have been the result of mono so she couldn't rule that out for me.
I was afraid that the medicine would end up being very expensive without insurance, but when I went to pick up my antibiotics and throat rinse the next morning, the total came out to £20. The same pharmacist that I had seen the week before gave me instructions on taking the antibiotics and gave me advice on monitoring the mono I may possibly have. I really appreciated his willingness to take the time to see what questions I may have had.
For now, my throat feels 100% better and I am not as tired as I was a week ago. I think I probably still have a low fever off and on but the medicine has helped so much that I wish I would have just gone to the medical center on Monday and avoided the 3 days of extreme discomfort.
Getting sick so far from home sucks, especially in a new healthcare system and without the insurance plan I am familiar with. I consider myself lucky to have been able to access treatment and medicine more easily than I anticipated. This experience has also motivated me to be more productive in the moments I am feeling good. With the final essays that count for 50% of my grades due in just 2 weeks, I would have been in a very bad position if the antibiotics hadn't helped so quickly. I have started working on them because I don't want to risk putting myself in a position again where I am too tired to work productively closer to their due dates.