Getting Sick While Travelling

My husband and I were on a Mexican Riviera cruise in 2009 when I got sick.  I was with colds and coughs and one morning, I woke up with a very bad asthma attack and I asked my husband to bring me to the ship's doctor.  I was seen by the resident doctor immediately, x-ray was taken, some more test were done and I was diagnosed with COPD = Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.  I was given oxygen and a bed.  More tests were taken and when the doctor was confident that my oxygen level was close to normal, one hour later, he released me from his care with antibiotics and Ventolin puff.  He emphasized this instruction that I should go the the ER immediately  (hospital ER on land) if I had another bout of breathing difficulty.  This happened on the morning of our last day on the cruise ship which means it was check-out time.  We were actually hurriedly delivered to the customs check-out area, I on a wheel chair, Customs Officer waiting, we were his last clients from the ship.  Our bill from the ship's hospital was US$500 plus.

This month here in Europe was my second experience being sick while away from home.  My whole right arm was painful day and night for a few days already and one morning, I had a severe spasm on my neck and I can't get up from bed.  I was already taking paracetamol for my painful arm but we knew we needed the right medicine for me to get better.  We went to a pharmacy in Middelburg, Netherlands and explained my medical problem and asked for the right medicine for stiff neck.  She can't give me anything other than paracetamol and suggested we see a doctor whose office was nearby.  We went and ask at the reception to see the doctor.  We were told he has a full schedule but he can see me tomorrow.  We agreed and so I was seen by the doctor and was given strong meds which was obviously highly regulated.  The pharmacist needed to ask for my full name and address and record it on her computer before she sold us the drugs.  We spent Euros 25 doctor's fee and Euros 25 for 10 days of medication for a grand total of Euros 50.  Huge but pleasant surprise was the price of paracetamol - 50 pcs. 500 mg. is only Euros 0.95.

It was funny though because I was happy to be given a "pain-killer med" which some people are addicted to so I was waiting for the "addictive effect" which I expected to be all positive meaning a "high" or a generally happy feeling.  Nothing of the sort happened.  I slowly got better though.