I had an Alice in Wonderland moment today when everything that is right is wrong and what you would expect something to be is not what you are expecting at all.

Before we moved, my insurance would not allow me to get the rest of my birth control prescription filled so I could take everything over with me, which had me in a panic because the greatest thing a woman can do in this country is pop out kids- and we all know what I think of that right now. So, I have been on my last pack biting my nails and dreading my appointment to the OBGYN because I just KNEW he or she would make me put my feet in those freakin’ stirups for the exams we all love.

My appointment was at 10:15 today and it wasn’t bad at all- it was just weird. You pay as you go at the private clinics here. You have to pay for everything up front before you can be treated or they won’t treat you. My mom’s boss was having a heart attack and had to be taken to the hospital but first had to fill out 5 pages of paper work and pay for each next step before he could move on during his crazy experience. He could be dying here! Can we please get some help!?

Anyway, so I pay for the appointment and get right in. It was a nice Kuwaiti woman which made me breathe a sigh of relief. I told her my situation and she said the magic words, “You don’t need an exam since it hasn’t been a year yet.“ Bless You! So then she whips out a pack of pills and explains them to me which made me get all confused. You DO NOT need a prescription to get birth control in Kuwait! Isn’t that SOOOO weird? Promiscuity is taboo here. Many families will make their future daughter inlaw get a validation of their virginity before they will give their son in marriage, but you can go pick up a pack of pills at the local drug store. How weird, you’d think if anything the US would do it that way and Kuwait would do it our way. Not only that, but from what I hear it is really cheap too. You can get a month of birth control for about 9 bucks- that is without insurance. How wild. The funniest thing is that if you have a flippin’ yeast infection you have to get an exam before you can get a prescription to pick up some 1 day Monistat! Now THAT would be enjoyable. That is EXACTLY what I want to do when I have a yeast infection, have a 55 year old woman exam the problem. Lovely.

Anyway, they also only have 2 different kinds- a .3 and a.15 combination pill. I took a.2 in the states so the doctor had me freaking out about going to a lower dose. I hope my body doesn’t freak out. She told me to make the switch from my current pills to the new ones a certain way, and the box said to make the switch a totally different way. Who knew taking a tiny pill would cause so much frustration!

So I’m sure you all wanted to know the dark corners of my birth control life,but it was so weird and seemed totally opposite from what I was expecting. I guess I will stock up on the pill so I’ll be ready when I come home!