I think I've written about this before, but there is a book out there called "Where there is no doctor" and in our part of the world, people know this kind of resource. We live in a country where most 40 year olds did not grow up with education, paved roads, electricity or hospitals. Today, there are plenty of both but the quality of each of them varies WIDELY.
We we like to joke and say we need a book called "Where there is a doctor and you don't want to go to him/her" Things covered in this book should be as follows:
- how to respond when your doctor gives you a list of 5-6 medicines for a simple cough. How do you know what to take? What is just extra stuff they are suggesting?
- or when they tell you to get a chest x-ray.
- how to respond to the category of folk lore and traditional medicinal suggestions. What do I do when he gives me his list of medicines and then tells me in detail how to make a certain type of tea, or tells me to feed my 2 year old coke and not fresh juice? There is a wide variety of suggestions that fit this category.
- how do you respond when your doctor insults both you and your child? Really?
- what do I do when they doctor is obviously rude and acting superior and at the same time demanding I give an injection for pain for a mere earache?
- what do I say when the doctor notes that I am turning 40 and relishes the opportunity to lecture me on all the things that will happen to my body as a result of turning 40. Higher likelyhood of diabetes, sagging skin, wrinkles, dry skin, night sweats, dryness in general (he was vague on this point), need for calcium. Really. He actually acted out the dry skin and wrinkles (=
Anyway. I think a book like this should be written. It helps to navigate the waters of a traditional culture with a recent infant mortality rate of 60% that loves going to the doctor to get piles of medicines to take with gusto. Just one of the crazy and humorous things about living out here!
We we like to joke and say we need a book called "Where there is a doctor and you don't want to go to him/her" Things covered in this book should be as follows:
- how to respond when your doctor gives you a list of 5-6 medicines for a simple cough. How do you know what to take? What is just extra stuff they are suggesting?
- or when they tell you to get a chest x-ray.
- how to respond to the category of folk lore and traditional medicinal suggestions. What do I do when he gives me his list of medicines and then tells me in detail how to make a certain type of tea, or tells me to feed my 2 year old coke and not fresh juice? There is a wide variety of suggestions that fit this category.
- how do you respond when your doctor insults both you and your child? Really?
- what do I do when they doctor is obviously rude and acting superior and at the same time demanding I give an injection for pain for a mere earache?
- what do I say when the doctor notes that I am turning 40 and relishes the opportunity to lecture me on all the things that will happen to my body as a result of turning 40. Higher likelyhood of diabetes, sagging skin, wrinkles, dry skin, night sweats, dryness in general (he was vague on this point), need for calcium. Really. He actually acted out the dry skin and wrinkles (=
Anyway. I think a book like this should be written. It helps to navigate the waters of a traditional culture with a recent infant mortality rate of 60% that loves going to the doctor to get piles of medicines to take with gusto. Just one of the crazy and humorous things about living out here!
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