The Thermometer

If you've never been to a Japanese hospital, but think you might have to go someday, then this information is for you.

I walk into the hospital on Tuesday morning, having had a high fever (103.2 F) the night before, as well as having a stomachache. I do the initial paperwork (in Japanese):

What's your date of birth? January 22nd, in the 47th year of Showa.

Is this your first visit to this hospital? Yes.

What is the nature of your problem? Fever, stomachache.

Etc…

I am then directed to the waiting area in front of 内科 (naika = internal medicine). While waiting with a few other patients, the internal medicine nurse comes out with more paperwork, a pencil and a thermometer. She tells me to take my temperature, and that it should take five minutes for an accurate reading, and walks away.

Ok. I shake the thermometer, pop it in my mouth and begin deciphering the kanji on the paperwork.

Circle where it hurts – ok.

Circle any symptoms you have- ok. So far so good.

When I get to some sentences that I don’t understand at all and am relying on my trusty electronic dictionary (Canon Wordtank V80), a nice, student-looking guy walks over and offers to help. Thankfully, he reads some of the obscure kanji aloud for me, as I mumble appreciation around the thermometer. After helping me with the paperwork, he then says, “by the way, the thermometer doesn’t go in your mouth; it goes here, under your arm.”

Great! So I’ve just been sitting in the waiting room with an arm-pit thermometer in my mouth for the last five minutes! Well – it’s good to know that I’m not done learning yet!


PS – if you’re interested, it turns out that I had a kidney infection, which laid me low for a few days – but that’s gone now!