Well, I broke down and took C.R. to the doctor today. Last night she was coughing non-stop from 2:30 to 6am. Nothing worked to relieve it- I tried saline mists and bulb syringe, chest rub, hot shower, cold night air, patting her back with her head down, irragating her nose, Dimetapp Cold and Allergy, LOTS of prayer and laying on of hands. Nothing......
So a doctor's visit here is incredibly different than in the States! A refreshing different! Thankfully Greer was here to go with me, as Wayne is in Paris. So our appointment was at 10:45. We wait just a few minutes in the waiting room before the doctor comes to get us. ...yes, the doctor. Then we sit at his desk as he types directly into his computer all the information he might need. NO PAPER WORK! He asks me if she has been running a fever, when I say no, he trusts me! Her temperature was not taken. After asking questions and talking a little while, we move to the examining table in the same room. He does all the standard - ears, nose, throat, lung, stomach checks. He sees that she has an inflamed traichia (or however you spell it) and that her congestion probably causing it. He went back to his desk, filled out a prescription sheet for us and a receipt. We paid him 28 Euros at his desk, thanked him and left for the pharmacy. Now how much more simple is that! There was one receptionist for the 5 doctors that practiced there. She made the appointments and answered the phone calls. And how can the prices be so cheap? Well he didn't have to pay 5 office staff people to direct people from the waiting room to the examining room, nor someone to file paperwork, nor someone to file insurance, nor someone to manage payrole, etc. So what is our problem in the States? Please don't get me wrong, socialized medicine isn't all great nor the way to live, in my opinion, but we can learn a lot about simplifing from them!
The other thing I really liked is that they don't give syrup medications to children under the age of 2! We were prescribed a suppository and a special nasal spray to use after the saline. This makes so much more sense! We are very careful to watch our children's diets as babies and toddlers, and yet we pump them full of sugary medicine whenever they are sick? How radiculous!
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