How do you say "hospital" in Turkish?

(Hastahane)

Now, before everyone starts to get worried. I am fine. Despite having spent the better part of the past 2 days seeking medical attention, I am not hurt. Joost, my good friend from the Netherlands, on the other hand, is.

It all began with a KABAM! (At least that is what he says...)

After a fairly low key day, Joost arrived in my room, announcing that he had "Kabam-ed" during basketball, and that his foot hurt. After a preliminary examination using my fairly limited medical skills, I determined that a trip to the 24-hour student health center was in order. (AU kids- People here get sick outside of the hours of 9-5! It's amazing!) This would be the first of three trips to the center.

The doctor/ nurse that we "spoke" with (they=no english, and we=very limited Turkish) determined that Joost might have broken his foot, and needed x-rays at a hospital. Upon hearing this, the two of both burst out laughing. This sparked the doctor to ask us where we were from, and if we were really students.

After some discussion, it was determined that Joost would sleep on it, and return to the health center in the morning for another evaluation. At 10am Friday morning, Joost, Micol (My friend from Italy) and I arrived at the center. After a quick eval, this doctor said that Joost needed to be transported to a hospital for x-rays, and perhaps a cast. However, she said that the ambulance was busy at the moment, so we would have to return at 1:30pm for a transport. (Welcome to Turkey...)

After several hours of fighting with the European insurance company, Joost and I returned to the health center. This time, we were smart enough to bring along Haava, my next door neighbor. Her Turkish skills would later prove to be essential.

I will leave out all the details of the ambulance ride, except that by the end, I really thought I would need medical attention. Picture riding in a small back of a van-like vehicle, up and down a mountain, through a city, with no air, and Turkish traffic for 2 hours. Joost says that the story would be so much better if I actually had thrown up on him, but I insist that I like this version better.

After about 2 hours, we arrived at the American hospital. Phew, I thought. English, good doctors, and efficiency. Exactly what I need. Except not. The American hospital did not accept Joost's European insurance, nor did speak English. This meant that we all were returned to the ambulance, where we proceeded to drive to another hospital, Memorial. Arrival at Memorial hospital might have been the most reliving part of my week. After running up and down, left and right, from the ER to admitting to Radiology, and then finally to Orthopedics, it was determined that Joost would first see a doctor, before spending the time getting x-rays. (Might I add, no one here spoke English either which meant my good friend Haava was QUITE busy interpreting every word.

Finally, we got in to see a doctor, ENGLISH speaking. He immediately examined Joost, and said that hie had strained a ligament in his foot. Yepp, ladies and gentlemen, that was IT! A simple ice wrap, and script for pain and anti-inflammatory meds and we were sent on our way, no x-rays. (Might I add, this is at 5pm)

From there, we had promised to meet up with some of our friends, if Joost was feeling okay. The original plan for the day was to head to Fatih, a conservative area with the most famous religious convergence in the city. (All of the old churches, temples and mosques) Since Joost needed a trip to the hospital, that plan was out for the two of us. So, we decided instead, just to meet up with them in Taksim, the famous shopping/eating/partying district in Istanbul.

The ambulance driver offered to drive us to the nearest bus stop to Taksim, so we took him up on that. Apparently, that meant under a highway overpass. So, this meant that the three of us had to climb, yes climb, up a dirt and stone hill to reach the top of the overpass. From there, we walked along a highway for a minute or two, and then caught a bus. (Meanwhile, I was convinced Joost would fall and ACTUALLY break a bone) From the bus, we caught the metro to Taksim, and met our friends outside of a Starbucks.

From there, we grabbed dinner at a Pizza Hut (No, that is not a joke), went to a pharmacy for Joost's meds and grabbed ice cream. Then, my roommate, Duygu and her closest friends joined us. We headed into the nightlife area of Taksim, and ended up at a club where an awesome band was playing. (The drummer was the cousin of my roommate's friend). Throughout all of this, Joost's foot seemed to be doing SO much better. So well, in fact, that he managed to salsa with a girl he met at the club.

All in all, it has been some of the most entertaining days of my trip so far. I mean, after 20 consecutive hours with Joost, who wouldn't be entertained.

Stay tuned, I have lots of other stories from this week!