I know it's been three months since I posted. I'm sorry. I didn't really know how to follow up climbing Mt. Fuji, so I just kept putting it off. This post still won't really measure up to the last, but at least it's something, right? I'll try to keep a more regular schedule, too, from here on.

Sunday night, my throat started hurting. I figured it would go away, and tried to ignore it as best I could, but didn't get much sleep.

I woke up and it was still hurting, but I went to school anything, thinking it would go away. I get a little under the weather all the time, and I thought this would be the same. Sooo not the case. I maintain that the 35 min walk is what did me in, but I went to class, and started feeling really dizzy. I was in the back of the classroom while the JTE was scolding kids in the hallway and leaned on the cabinets. I felt really faint and my ears started ringing and my vision blacked out a little, and then I threw up a little. Well. That decided that. I went out to the hallway and told my JTE I was feeling sick, so he looked concerned and told me to go to the teacher's room.

I went to the bathroom first to clean my hands and mouth and just sort of hang on to the sink. Then I went to my desk and explained what happened to the other ALT, since she didn't have class. My JTE came back a little later and asked what happened and told me not to worry. He called Interac, who called me and told me I should probably go home. They asked if I wanted to go to the clinic, but I said no, because I figured it would pass and I just needed to sleep it off. And I just don't like going to doctors.

Well then the branch head called and said I really should go to the clinic to make sure it's not anything serious. So I can't really argue with him, and tell him I'll go. The other English teachers come talk to me, along with the nurse, and the vice principal and tell me to just rest and go home and not to worry about classes. And if I need to take the next day off, to please do and not worry.

About 20 minutes later, an IC (someone from Interac who helps translate and takes employees places) came to pick me up. First stop is the clinic which is actually fairly near my apartment. It's about halfway between my school and my apartment.

It's just a walk-in clinic, I think, so my IC gave them my Health Card and we got a number. We waited maybe 20 minutes, which I didn't think was that bad. Once that was over, we went into this a small curtained off room, and there was like 5 nurses just kind of hovering. I have no idea why half of them were there. Also, they didn't wear scrubs, but the skirt, stockings and little hat combo that women wore in the 50s in the US.

Anyway, the doctor didn't really speak English, and my IC didn't really know medical terms, so that part was fun. She had her dictionary, so we basically got things figured out. The doctor just asked a few basic questions and poked at my stomach and looked at my throat and decided I just had a cold. I didn't have a fever. He prescribed me some medicine and that was pretty much it.

The visit cost 1070 yen and the medicine cost 380 yen (roughly about $11 and $4). I have to take it three times a day before each meal for the next three days. It's just a tiny pill, so it's not bad. I have no idea what it actually is.

After that, my IC was nice enough to take me to the grocery store because I have no food at my apartment. Then she took me home, and I fell asleep watching some dorama.

I ended up sleeping most of the day and then this morning, I was still feeling not so great, so I called in. I had hoped to recover enough by the end of the day to go in to Mito to get my re-entry visa for when I leave the country in a month, but I somehow fell asleep and stayed asleep all day.

I'm feeling mostly better now, though my throat still aches a little and I'm kind of drowsy. I'll head back to school tomorrow, and hopefully make it through the day in one piece.