Not My Week

The past week has been a little rough for me to say the least.

Last week Aaron and I went running outside. It was a bit dark, and I tripped and skinned my knee.

Yesterday we went for a bike ride. The pavement was uneven and as I tried to move back up to the sidewalk (and out of the scary road with red buses driving by us) my tire got caught. I ended up falling and skinning my palm, elbow and toenail.

Today I woke up with an incredibly bad cold.

Let's just say the past week has not been my week. I feel like a toddler - who skins their knee and falls off their bike in the same week that isn't two years old? I'm sure the incidents looked pretty funny, but it's not quite funny yet while my wounds are still healing.

All this led to my first doctor's visit in the UK and my first experience with the UK National Healthcare Service (NHS). It was very different than in the US:

• When I made the appointment, they asked if I could just talk on the phone to a doctor instead of having to be seen
• I went to "check in" and they told me to just wait in the waiting room. I also did not have to check out at all and didn't pay any sort of a copay
• I waited for about 25 minutes past my appointment time and then only spent 5 minutes with the doctor
• The doctor did not take my temperature, blood pressure, anything. She was more concerned with my hand and elbow than my sickness

An interesting experience and just one of the many differences we've found between the UK and US. Looks like I will be exercising indoors for a while...