Heading Home and Expat health care

Well, I've thrown in the towel with the 'local' doctors. Munchkin #2 and I are heading for the home country.

I live in this place where the hospitals and clinics are all new and pretty on the outside. Many times, the equipment is also new and pretty. But, it is so very frustrating to be told that, "No can't help you. Go home." At least the docs have the courage and honesty to say that. I totally admire that level of honesty and courage. I admire so very many people here which is part of what I love about living here.

I find it totally fascinating that so very many leaders from so many countries in this region head to Europe or the States for medical care. Why? Just an interesting question; don't you think?

I've met some really great doctors who have left the region because working here is so very very different from what they are used to. Folks here are very business savvy, and they work hard to attract great talent. I just so wish we could keep all that talent in the region. I think, folks leave because no matter how pretty, no matter how good the money, if you're not cut out for expat life then you won't be happy. Education of the local population is totally key. But, all the important folks here know that and are actively working on it. It's a complex problem. Again, more admiration from me. Complex problems take loads of work and vision.

When we made the choice to change countries and become expats, besides school for the munchkins, my other MAJOR concern was access to health care. I DEMANDED that we always have an exit strategy (ie a way to head for home if local docs couldn't do what we needed). It's been over four years now, and we're having to use that exit strategy.

If you EVER think about moving countries, take a long hard look at available health care. Just because it's shiny and pretty doesn't mean they'll be able to fix you. Just hope the doctors you encounter are honest. This region may not be perfect, but at least I've encountered a lot of folks with a lot of integrity.

Peace.

The C#$p continues

My daughter loves sport. Running, jumping, she'd been thinking about going out for the school football team next year (that's soccer to any U.S. readers), and here you see the latest sport 'log rolling'.

This sport has its origins in the lumber industry where years ago cut timber was sent to the mills by floating it downriver. Learning how to balance on a log in a flowing river was a reasonable work skill that was later put to fun use. I am prouder than I can say that my Munchkin #2 is interested in this sport. In all fairness, Munchkin #1 also loves sport but he is very particular about 'what' sport. And thanks to a few years of training now under his belt, he's gotten good at what he does!

Part of being a mum is getting my kids to and from after-school sports. It is a lot of hard work getting everyone where they need to be and staying on time, especially in constant heavy traffic. But, I never complain about it. I'm so happy my munchkins have found stuff they enjoy doing.

Now....for the bad word part....
Here comes the crap....
Munchkin #2's school has a very good health office. One of the nurses told us that IF Munchkin #2 has a form of arthritis that heat rather than ice might help relieve the pain. So, I invested a small sum in a teddy bear shaped microwaveable gel pack. It made the sore knee feel much better. But, once the heat wore off, it was back to the pain.

Munchkin #2 slept in my room last night. She is becoming a bit sad which is incredibly painful as a mum to witness. She's so very frustrated that all the after-school sport has come grinding to a full stop. I didn't sleep well last night. I kept waking up hoping Munchkin #2 was sleeping well. When she woke up this morning, she was in so much pain it was very hard for her to walk. What absolute total crap. To see this energetic athletic young kid having trouble walking in the morning like an old lady is horrid.

I'm so ready to totally give up on the doctors in this region and head for home. Words can't even begin to describe it.

Peace. (and hopefully less crap)

Beware! Bad words coming! Don't read if you're easily offended!

This post is all about (get ready for it.....) crap. Yes, that's right crap. Today's snap, however, is not crap. I posted this green sea turtle because the picture makes me happy.

Ok. First the bad crap then the funny crap.

Bad crap. Munchkin #2's knee hurts - A LOT. It's been bad off and on for over a year now. The other knee hurt too a few years back but seems to be ok now. However, Munchkin #2 told me that it does hurt but she can "live with it." The 'current knee' finally got to the point where we needed to see a doctor again. After seeing a pediatrician and a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, she was referred to a rheumatologist. She's being tested for arthritis and lyme disease. The first round of arthritis tests came back negative. We're now waiting on the second round and the lyme disease test. The lyme test had to be sent to Germany since they can't really test for it here. The rheumatologist told us that if this next round comes back negative and Munchkin #2 doesn't respond to the massive doses of ibuprofen, we need to seek a pediatric rheumatologist. That would mean a trip home. Crap. It's really crappy to see your child hurting. It's really crappy when the doctors can't figure out what's wrong. It's just all crap.

Ok. Now, for funny crap.

The other weekend, we went snorkeling. We stopped at a roadside stall/stand selling pottery and stuff to pick up a few bits for the back patio and for a friend. I was working on the price of a ceramic (ie terra cotta) turtle with the shopkeeper. I was trying to decide between the painted one and the unpainted one. A very old local gentleman came up to us. He smiled and said hello in Arabic. I responded in Arabic. He looked at me and what I was thinking about buying. He pointed to the unpainted turtle and said in English, "That one crap." Then, he pointed to the painted one, "That one good. That one." I thanked him, again in Arabic. The shopkeeper was laughing a lot at this point. I told the shopkeeper, "Ok, that one crap. I will buy the painted one." More laughter from the shopkeeper. And, I got a very good price.

Once we got home, the painted turtle was so pretty, I ended up putting it in my villa entrance instead of the back patio. I'm so glad that older gentleman told me the other one was crap.

Peace.

A most excellent weekend

Had a wonderful weekend with the family. Since the husband is headed off further east on business, it was really nice to have some family time together. Fish and family - a great way to unwind after a stressful week.

We tried a new spot for snorkeling this weekend. It was beautiful and an easy swim. But, we still prefer a spot further north (the spot where we've taken Grandma, and cousins). There were a few nice corals, but not the variety we see further north up the coast.

The video is of a group of surgeon fish who were all hanging out together. The video does not do their colouring justice. Beautiful fish.

Peace.

Meeting other doggies

Well, Ms. Jesse had a lovely morning. She made two new friends when we were out for our morning walk. The two other doggies she had sniffed at through our garden fence back before summer. Their owner/dog mum is a German lady. It is so refreshing to do something 'normal' like stop for a chat with a fellow dog mum. Living in a region where dogs are 'haram', it is such a lovely blessing to be able to walk a dog.

So what's normal? Normal is whatever you are used to. Some days, living where I live feels normal. Some days, it doesn't. Some days, you wake up and think to yourself, "Why in the world did I ever get on that plane?" You get on that plane because it's an adventure. You get on that plane because you want to broaden your horizons. You want to keep learning, exploring, experiencing. And some days, that adventure, the new normal, is walking your sorta saluki mutt dog and chatting with a neighbor about dogs in a mix of English and German while standing in the Middle East.

Peace.

Can't wait to go snorkeling

Well......I'm a bit calmer than I was when I wrote my last post. But, I've loads to write about.

First, the new pediatric pulmonologist rocks. We're really excited. Munchkin #2's inhaled steroid level is going to come down, but she's now on a 'more powerful' med. And, she no longer has to use the 'bear breather' (what we called her spacer). Unless you've got an asthmatic child, you probably won't 'get' this, but we're really really happy. It was delightfully refreshing to talk with a doc again who REALLY gets asthmatic kids. Cost before insurance? 1 visit = $125U.S. but knowing your kid is gonna feel better and do better = priceless. And price of meds for one month before insurance = $300U.S. Thank you that we've got the ability to pay for all this!

Next, Munchkin #2 has Osgood-Schlatters Disease in her right knee. She'd had this for over a year and a half now. Up until this point, it's been manageable for her. Last spring, she developed bursitis on one side of her knee. It was the end of the sports season so again it was manageable. But now....she's developed a whopping bit of bursitis in a different area of her knee. She's been 'off' her P.E. classes at school, no running/jumping at recess and definately no sport after school! If you know my very athletic munchkin, then you know just how horrid hard that is. But, the thing hurts so bad she sits willingly at recess. We went back to the pediatrician for a second time today, and he's finally referred her on to a pediatric orthopedist. Reading on the internet and talking with family who are in sports medicine, more than likely the next course of action will be x-rays, and either drain the fluid and/or inject hydrocortisone into the knee. So...we'll see. Needless to say, we'll be giving our insurance policy an excellent 'test' so to speak here in the Middle East. Poor Munchkin #2 is so uncomfortable and tired of not being able to do sport that she was hoping they'd stick needles in her knee today!

I'm just so thankful that this all didn't happen our first year in the region. I think I'd be going nuts just trying to drive to these places!

We are all so going to need that snorkeling weekend coming up. I just hope Munchkin #2's knee is ok enough.

Then, it'll be time to find Munchkin #1 an orthodontist!

Peace.

Feeling 'female dog-ish' - BEWARE! Rant coming!

Ever just feel 'female dog-ish'? I've been dealing with constant traffic rudeness today. I can't take care of simple stuff for my family 'cause I'm not the 'man'. Trying my best to help others in my current community. Just feeling frustrated. Too much to do, not enough time.

I know I'm cranky when I want to buy flowers at the market. Flowers smell nice, they're pretty. They're fun. Seeing men who make so little money it's shameful walking the roads hoping for a ride, hearing about desperate need and feeling so powerless - it's frustrating. Seeing folks so full of needing to feel powerful, that they neglect to utilize or reach out to the resources around them. Seeing folks get into a power trip about 'helping' is bizarre. And yet, I see it here. Helping others isn't about feeling good yourself. It's about OTHERS.

I get people asking me all the time to help their kids (it's part of what I do). And my first thought is always, "Well, what are YOU doing? What have YOU tried? Or are you just trying to pawn off your responsibility onto someone else?" Granted, I'd never say this to some one directly, but some parents I just don't get.

I see a lot of garbage in other people's marriages over here (amongst the ex-pats). Affairs, 'kept' women in different countries, marriage for money and not for love etc, men paying for 'services'. Blah, blah, blah...the list goes on. But, the one that takes the cake...... Wife is possibly dying (being treated for cancer), husband sues for divorce, gets the housekeeper to testify against the wife in the HOME COUNTRY, then takes the kids away from the possibly dying mum to be raised by, essentially, the maid back here in the Middle East. What the $&*$ ? Really? How nasty can it get?

Yup. Female dog-ish. Had a good friend go in for a surgery (gynecological procedure). Insurance made her sit the morning of the surgery for 8 hours before approving it. The insurance was all kinds of worried that she was a single and IF she was a pregnant lady! Really? Wow. 8 hours. She's NEVER been pregnant! Insurance had blood work and ultrasound pics!

To ladies in Western Countries - don't flush your rights. Hang on to them with both fists squeezed tight. Do you live some place where people know how to wait their turn in a line? Appreciate it! Don't take it for granted!

Peace (I know I could sure use some). Maybe I should go flush some money on some pretty flowers.