Help me help a friend, please!
May 10, 2014 4:33 AM   Subscribe

I want to help a good friend who is far away and has some weird health problems.

A very good friend of mine just started grad school last month. (She is Japanese and goes to grad school in Tokyo; I am German, but went to the same university last year until... well, see posting history.) My friend was always there for me when I felt bad last year, so I try to check in with her often to return the favour if need be. When she last messaged me, she said grad school was stressful but interesting, she took care not to overwork herself, but lately, she's had 40°C fevers and vertigo/dizziness, but when she went to see a doctor about it, they couldn't find anything that could cause this.
I know you are not doctors, but since actual doctors sometimes overlook things (seriously, I could post a lenghty rant about doctors) and the one my friend went to couldn't help her...
I told her that I tend to get fevers when I'm sleep deprived (why is that, anyway?), but never that high. I also tend to have vertigo once in a while. Just a few days ago, I almost fell off my chair because the world suddenly started revolving around me. No one ever diagnosed me with anything either (which doesn't surprise me, given the quality of doctors I've seen over the years), but of course that doesn't help my friend. She should probably go see someone else if the symptoms persist.
I want to be there for her, even if I'm far away, but what else can I do besides offer to always listen, send the occasional care package and let her know she is important to me? I wish I could solve her health problems, but of course I can't do that.
posted by LoonyLovegood to Human Relations (5 answers total)
 
Best answer: You can encourage her to see another doctor. With a 104°F temperature, something is wrong. Plus vertigo, it may be only an ear infection, but she needs to get it checked out and get antibiotics if necessary. There's no need for her to suffer through this, and that temp is high enough for an adult that it's getting dangerous.
posted by Houstonian at 5:54 AM on May 10, 2014 [1 favorite]


I agree with Houstonian. She needs to see another doctor. That's a really high fever.
posted by radioamy at 7:58 AM on May 10, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Also I'd encourage your friend to bring another friend or classmate to the appointment to act as an advocate, since she's gotten the brush-off before.

Also she should take some Tylenol (acetomenaphen/paracetamol) in the meantime to bring the fever down, but make sure to mention that to the doc so when they take her temp they know it's adjusted.
posted by radioamy at 7:59 AM on May 10, 2014


Holy cow! 40C. When I was in the hhospital for pneumonia, they started moving really fast to bring down my temp. She needs to see another doc. Maybe urgent care (don't know if those exist in Japan)? Please encourage her to go back to see another doc.
posted by kathrynm at 9:10 AM on May 10, 2014


Response by poster: She just messaged me and said she started feeling better already. I agree, though, 40°C is a lot and I remember one time I had a slight fever in Japan and my dorm nurse already wanted to send me to the hospital. (That was in 2009 when the swine flu circulated.)
Doctors are weird...
posted by LoonyLovegood at 10:22 AM on May 10, 2014


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