Emergency Care Clinic

Yes, this week I was introduced to my neighborhood emergency care clinic... it wasn't an emergency, I was just hobbling along and wanted something to wrap and support my ankle - let me back up a few days...

Last week it poured while I was out walking in some open leather shoes. The shoes were drenched and chafing my feet, so at the end of the night I had a total of 8 big blisters covering my right foot, and a lesser number on my left. Not necessarily a happy day. The following day I had to go out for another long walk and wore different shoes. Despite the the change of shoes those darn blisters were really hurting - so I was walking a little gingerly, trying not to aggravate them any further.

Which mean that my balance was NOT free flowing and centered as it normally would be, and while it was raining, again, I slipped and fell in to a big crack between some cobblestones, twice, while crossing the street. That is when I think I hurt my ankle. THINK, I say, because I'm not 100% sure, but I know it started hurting then.... but being the stupid person - stupid, not stoic as I'm too much of a wimp to be stoic, I overlooked the pain for a bit and continued on with life.... until Sunday when I was aware it was really hurting, and Monday when I actually payed attention and notice my ankle and leg were a little purplish and definitely swollen.

But, at that point, I couldn't walk. I would have had to be dead to not know something was wrong.

I was slowly making my way home when the gyros guy stopped me - I get gyros from them fairly often so we have a friendly wave and a smile sort of dynamic goin on. He asked what was going on and I asked him where I could buy a wrap - at the droggerie or at the lekarana? He told me to wait 2 minutes so I did, then suddenly the other guys were kicking me out of the shop so I left... and he was out there on the street - ready to give me direction - or so I thought. Instead he started walking and I had to follow, limping and gimping along. We walked round the corner, passed my flat, round another corner and then straight on until we reached the emergency care clinic.

He took me inside, located the English speaking doctor, and handled all the translations - the doctor apparently was a holistic doctor and said she couldn't help me as she didn't have any medications and I needed x-rays - I was able to so NO X-RAYS and he let her I know I didn't want medication, just a wrap for some support. So, she checked out my ankle, wrapped it up, and sent me on my way after refusing to allow me to pay her for the wrap... to pay her anything at all, actually.

And then the gyros guy - his name is Omar, he's from Algeria - walked me back home and went round the corner and back to work.

And that is my intro to emergency care.