So I have a knee that has been hurting me for awhile, mostly when I would go running. This started before I left for Germany, but I decided to wait so I might be able to take advantage of my 100% health coverage from the PPP program. I waited to get settled in my new area here before I went because I expected some complications in explaining what was wrong. I finally felt that it was time to go and finally see the doctor. I asked the people at the InWent office where I should go, and they recommended a doctor's office for me. So I went to the doctor's office that was recommended to me. It was pretty packed and I waited at the end of a long line and finally I made it to the receptionist's desk and in simple German I described my problem "Ich habe ein probleme mit meine Knie. Es tut mir weh wenn ich laufe. Ich möchte der Artzt sehen." That's pretty basic explaination. All I said was "I have a problem with my knee, it hurts when i run and so I would like to see the doctor." The receptionist repsonded, "Haben Sie __________". That is all I could understand. I had no idea what she was asking for really. I knew she was asking for something, but what exactly I didn't know. So I guessed she wanted to see my insurance. So I had all the papers that InWent had given me my first day. I dug out some form and a letter explaining that I was an exchange program and the response was a big "Nein." She looked at the letter a little bit and then went to ask the doctor what to do. She came back was said that none of it worked and so I would need "Bargeld". EH? I knew Geld meant money, but what was this Bargeld? Was it special money, a term used when talking about insurance? So many questions. I asked her to maybe write it down and so I could ask the folks at InWent just what the hell I would have to do. She refused I simply needed Bargeld, and I so I had to ask, "Was ist Bargeld?" "Euros." I heard snickers in the background, the poor stupid American didn't know that she meant cash. I mean if she had just said Geld.... Thoroughly embarassed and frustrated, all I could was meekly say "Danke" and left promptly. I went to the InWent office and explained what happened. They ladies there were confused as to why there was a problem and asked if I had the insurance papers they ahd given us on the first day. I showed them what I had shown the lady at the doctor's office. Apparently I had something else that I was supposed to give her, not what I tried showing her. ACH SO! Finally I figured out what I needed to do. I felt foolish i had forgotten, but it was on the first day and I was already trying to remember so much I had really not thought about it much.
So second round, I went back to the same doctor's office and tried once more. I walked up to the receptionist's desk and handed her the right information. She looked at me as though I was kidding and skeptically took my insurance papers, with a look that I could tell she was going to look very very hard and find that one thing that will keep me from getting to see the doctor. It is a distinctly German bureaucratic look, I believe. One that says, "You don't have everything, I know it, and I am going to find it." She scoured the form for a minute and AHA! She found it. She asked me if I could read German, i humbly replied that, yes I could read some. And she pointed out my huge huge mistake, this insurance is only for necessary medicine and not for general practice. Scheisse! I couldn't believe that it made a difference. Necessary (notwendig) medicine? Well, my knee hurts, it is not like I had elected for this problem to happen. But she had a place to send me, the Klinikum all the way across town (incidentally, I believe that is where they send most of the foreigners. Excuse me for not hearing the word Bargeld before...)
So made the trek across town to the Klinikum to see the doctor. I was determined to get it done today, and I was prepared this time, not insurance paper mistakes this time. So I entered the building and told the lady at the front desk, "Ich habe eine Probleme mit meinem Knie und möchte der Artzt sehen." Pretty much the same phrase I used earlier. She pointed me to the Notfallzenturm- the emergency central. I didn't really know that at first and assumed that it would be good. I talked to the receptionist there, using the same sentence again, "Ich habe eine Probleme mit meine Knie, es tut mir weh wenn ich laufe. I che möchte der Atrzt sehen." She asked me how long has this hurt and I replied that it had been hurting when I run for awhile. So she looked at my insurance papers, said that it would work, ABER (BUT), I would have to wait for one hour and then go upstairs to the Allgemeine (or general practice, which was where I went to the first place I was only beginning to figure this out). So great! I finally get to the see the doctor, I can wait an hour. I had no classes that day and so could dedicate all the time I needed to doing this. No problem with that.
So I waited in the Klinik for an hour and went upstairs and found what she had described to me. I went into the receptionist's office there and explained, "Ich habe eine Probleme mit meine Knie, es tut mir weh wenn ich laufe. Ich möchte der Artzt sehen." Well we can't help you the lady replied..... What? I was a bit stunned, Why? I couldn't get the question out of my mouth (and what good would it have done? I would have gotten what would be a very long and incomprehensible answer, and if I was to ask to repeat it again she would stare at me as though I was asking what Bargeld meant.) She told me that I must got Unfall (which means accidents) and they can look at it. Okay, I don't know this German bureaucracy, maybe she's right. So I make my way across the building to Unfall. I was a bit fuming, Unfall had better have the best Knie doctors that could twist my knee three ways and pat me on the back tell that was all and I would run and skip for joy out of this freaking hospital.... I walk up to the desk there and state once more, "Ich habe eine Probleme mit meine Knie, es tut mir weh wenn ich laufe. Ich möchte der Artzt sehen." Well we can't help you at all. (Almost to predictable at this point, but regardless) WHAT????!!!! Who in this town actually looks at knees and can tell why it hurts to run???? It was the all I could ask. The lady this time took pity i believe and told me to follow her and she would show who could. She walked me to the lobby of the Klinik pointed "Go straight ahead and a sign says Notfall..." "ICH WAR SCHON DA! (I WAS ALREADY THERE)" I quickly responded. I recounted how I was supposed to go upstairs after that and then I was supposed to go to Unfall after that. Maybe all this walked was a german test of my knee to figure out how bad it really hurt....
A doctor came by that she worked with and asked him what I could do. He asked if it had been hurting or happened recently. I said no. Unfortunately we can't help you then, We're for emergencies.... By this time, exasperated and defeated by this German bureaucratic runaround, I turned to the nurse and asked her what I should do. She told me to wait for a second and came back with a card for a doctor's office that dealt with Sport injuries and such. Perfect, that was all I ever wanted to @#$%ing know. What was even better is that is was right down the street from my apartment.
I thanked her and realized that i would have to give up for today and try again the next day. I had my tutor call and make sure I was wasting my time. She called me and told me that I would have to go very early, like 7 am.
So I arose early and walked to the office that was so close. I almost didn't believe I was in the right place. I described the problem one more time- my knee hurts when I run, please let me see the doctor, please! (well without the please but i was pleading on the inside for them not to ask me a bunch of questions.) They took my insurance, no questions asked and told me to wait. i waited for a little while and finally they called my name, though it was mangled, I think they thought it was spanish, the nurses kept saying "uno momento". Egal- the doctor saw me, got some x-rays, told me to go and get a knee brace and have an MRI set up.
The problem is apparently some of the cartilege in my knee is gone and bone was rubbing together causing the pain. Now I hope that is all I need to get fixed- my right hip has hurt a little but lately......
