I was so ill that I took every medication given to me by the doctor, plus the antibiotics I asked for, six medications in all. I was sick to my stomach, just to take these pills and syrup. But, I didn't think twice; I was too sick to think. The medications worked like a magic, my tears stopped running, my nose, too. My mouth felt funny, and only later on when I googled the medications I realized I had dry mouth. So, on the first day, I followed the instructions and took all the medicines faithfully. I was drowsy most of the time during the day, and I didn't sleep much at night. Only then, my mind started to think again: No, I could not go on taking these medications, or I may not get home (since it's a long way from Singapore to Hawaii).

I decided to get to the airport first, and then have my breakfast and medicines. The taxi arrived 10 mins earlier, and the traffic was light at 5 am. I was invited to the UA Lounge, where one can have breakfast, snacks, etc. I dared to have my mixed milk/orange juice, and had a bit of duck congee, which had too much duck meat. Then, I was ready to take my medications, again. I decided to skip Orphenadrine, which was labeled to cause drowsiness. I skip another one for sore throat, since I didn't have much pain any more. I also decided not to follow three times per day, since I was crossing time zones and the meal time was all messed up. I was lucky to have an Economy Plus seat with unlimited leg room (because the row in front of mine has A and B only, and I had 21C).

After having arrived at NRT, I went looking for UA Lounge, and ended up at the United Club. I was let in, but there wasn't anything I wanted to eat, so I snacked a little and took out my medicine bag. OMG, the syrup leaked out of the bottle, and made a big mess. (Ok, not as bad as it could have been, considering it was next to my laptop!) Another round of medication, and I started to google each medication, something I should have done first before taking any. I realized that I only had 3.3 days antibiotics, when it should last 7-10 days. So, I noted to call Kaiser after I get home. Then, I started to compare the medical systems in these two countries, based on my single visit to a doctor in Singapore.

First of all, each medication I get in the US comes with a print-out of the drug. I always read the side effects carefully, which saved my life once (another story for another time). The medication in Singapore came with a label, on 2 in by 3 in paper. It may not even tell you what this medication is for. I consider myself an educated patient, and I think I know more about medicines than most people, because I google if I don't know enough about a particular medicine. I sometimes feel it's a waste of paper to print all these pages each time even when it's a re-fill. However, I prefer such a waste (of paper) than none (as in Singapore).

This Blog is long enough for my taste. So, let me wrap up. I told my Kaiser doctor the story about having only 3.3 days of antibiotics, and he immediately said that's not enough. So, I will go pick up seven more days of amoxycillin, and be on my way to China...