Life whizzes by while mine’s been a wheeze.

Can’t believe it’s almost winter already.

We were just thinking how we needed to get used to life in China, and before you know it – life throws a bunch of lemons (and bananas!) in your weeks. And like the leaves on the maple trees here – the days are gone with the wind.

The weather has been fluctuating and becoming very dry. And with that, i’ve become reconnected with a very old and familiar, much-feared tormentor of mine – my asthma.

Not sure why but I’ve been wheezing every night at around 4am. It’s been hard to sleep when you’re trying hard to breath. I know it’s got to do with the cold and dry air which constricts my air vent, and forces me to wear a surgical mask while I sleep to trap the moisture. Vincent has been of course, quick to quip that I do a Michael Jackson every night. So sexy.

Anyway, had to see a doc! My 2 trips to two separate clinics have been no less than eventful, of course.

I visited the first with a very emphatic name like ‘Ren Ai Hospital’. Purely for TJers and well, very affordable.

It was RMB 3.10. You can even claim this back if you’re Chinese with your super insurance card. (unfortunately I didn’t qualify).

Then I was shuffled into a room with 10 other old folks waiting to see my doc. They didn’t know where to ‘send’ me because i didn’t know which 科 or ‘subject’ served my illness. (the key question was internal or external?! ) Anyway, what an episode it was, and well worth the RMB 3.10 – i had 11 doctors giving me advice – one with a white coat and 10 others who were supposed to be patients. ‘You should dress more’. ‘You shouldn’t sleep with your hair wet’. ‘Boil this’. ‘Don’t eat that!’.

I thought that was cool because they were like my mum and dad!

The medication was slow to heal, so I thought – let’s go for another doc. This time- western-trained!

Consultation: RMB 200! That’s like 66x more! Must be better?

Well, the first thing that HAD to be done was blood test – another RMB 50. Then drugs – RMB 600! And only 1 doc! I bargained down the medication to RMB 150 by requesting to NO antibiotics! Meanwhile anyway, my flu started to disappear so i’m not sure which medication was better. Maybe it was just my Jackson mask-therapy?

Either way, no need to even do math to work this one out. Lots of fees to the doc, or lots of love from 11 doctors?

Meanwhile, the weather’s been acting up again, and so has my wheezing. Looks like I need more than just medication.

I think i need some of my homely humidity. I miss my mommy…