[sakurasake41]

About two weeks ago, I found myself with a sore throat. I had just been to karaoke, so I thought that I had simply sung too much or too loudly and that I was losing my voice from it, but days later it hadn't gone away and I had developed a cough. So I figured it was a cold, since I had been caught in the rain without an umbrella before that. I didn't have any pain, no fever, no pressure in my head, none of the "feeling like crap" stuff, just a sore throat and a cough. But since I was coughing and had a little bit of a runny nose, I figured I was sick, so I took Nyquil and cough drops and decided to tough it out, like I usually do in America. I had had my family send me American medicine so I thought it would only take a few days to go away.

My throat stopped hurting several days ago, but I still have a cough, and when I do it feels like my chest is congested. I think it's slowly, slowly getting better (I'm not coughing as much as I was yesterday, even) but I've had pneumonia twice in the past and I have a mild case of Marfan Syndrome, so I have to be very careful. I'm, so I don't want to go and just have them tell me 'sorry, you're getting better already so there's nothing we can do' like they usually do in America. But the fact that I do have a cough, even slightly, and a little chest congestion, makes me wonder if I should go just in case. Another thing is that I worry that I wouldn't be able to understand what the doctors told me even if I did go, or that I wouldn't be able to fill out the forms.

Long story short, I think I should go to the doctor. But I'm very nervous--I haven't been to the doctor here before, and my vocabulary medically basically extends to '(body part) ga itai'. I'm worried that it will be a completely useless visit, and I don't have the slightest clue how to even go about making an appointment with a doctor anyway.

Also, does anyone have any tips on how to even find a doctor's office (I live in Shimotakaido right now)? Is there anything important I should know? I have national health insurance so that shouldn't be a problem. Sorry for rambling, I just figured details would be useful!