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January 9, 2020, Istanbul, Got Cold
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Two days after returning from Iran, nonstop rain and wind in Istanbul took their toll. On top of that, a short circuit in my home wiring and a power outage knocked out the heating system, leaving me unable to sleep until morning. By yesterday morning at work, I realized this wasn’t just a minor cold—my mouth was potentially ruined.

By noon, with severe nausea and chills, I went home and tried to self-treat with various herbal teas, but I was sure they wouldn’t work.

This morning, after insistence from my family and the company boss telling me to pull myself together, I went to the hospital. A mandatory blood test confirmed I had a cold (props to the diagnostic skills of the specialist). Eventually, with two IV drips and some medication—including an antibiotic grudgingly given to me—they issued a bill of 750 TRY including 8% tax (yes, even getting sick here is taxed). I paid and received a receipt to send to my insurance company for partial reimbursement, though I don’t have much hope for it.

As I predicted, my mouth is completely ruined. Except for a few hours after the IV where my fever subsided, I have no energy even to get up or turn off the light for sleep. What little energy I have goes to answering repeated calls from family, relatives, and acquaintances, which I have to respond to politely. The most important lesson I’ve learned from this is that the best help for a sick person is not to visit them.

Update:Even after several days, stopping the medication for even one dose brings back severe fever and chills. Similar experiences from others suggest this “mouth-ruining” illness may last up to a month.

Thursday 03:59 PM, 09 January 2020
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