I didn't know this before moving to France. Now I do. Maybe it was good that I didn't know this.
Thankfully, we had one really hard school year of illnesses (the 2009-2010 school year). However during this school year, November and early December were sort-of rough months, but I think we've finally pulled through and have built up some much needed immunities to French bugs. It doesn't feel like we are 'sitting ducks' anymore. Yeah!
But, in the process of getting through this acquisition period, we've picked up buckets of medicine! So, I thought I would briefly introduce you to medicine in France.
Ask any person in France for a Doliprane, and they will know exactly what you are talking about. They don't sell Tylenol here. Instead, it's called Doliprane. Yep, this is our new Tylenol.
I took a photo of the 4 forms of Doliprane that we have used thus far. The two yellow boxes (on the right side of the photo) have pills in two different strengths: 1000 mg and 500 mg.
Next you have the tall pink box. Inside is a bottle of liquid Doliprane for Todd. He still uses a syringe to swallow his medicine.
But, do you see that yellow packet with the 500mg on the front? Our kids HATE this packet! Why you ask?
Well, inside that packet is a powder that you pour into a glass of juice or water and then drink it to take the medicine. Only, this powder has ZERO flavoring. ZERO sweetening. ZERO motivation of any kind added to help get it down! Apparently, it tastes disgusting.
Needless to say, our children have been highly motivated to figure out how to swallow a pill. They've succeeded and our packets of Doliprane are just waiting for us to bring back as presents for friends in America. (Just kidding!)
Here are some cough medicines. I took this photo last year, but since then, I know we've added at least 2 or 3 more types of cough medicine. We've learned that they have a special cough medicine for every possible type of cough. I guess we're bound and determined to find every one of them, because we have lots and lots of cough medicines.
Ah, here's one of those other cough medicines. The box in the middle is for a dry cough. Then, there's a spray and some drops, I believe. I am now wondering why in the world we needed each of these things?
Here's your Pedialyte. Inside the box are packets with a powder. You add water and heat to dissolve the crystals and then try, try, try to get your child to drink it. It tastes just as bad as it does in the USA. I just don't know how anybody gets their child to consume this stuff without an I.V.! Or, maybe that's just my kids.
Oh, look! I started marking the boxes because it is just so easy to forget what each medicine is for. They look so different and the names are so unfamiliar that I'm glad I started making notes.
Don't be deceived by that red target on that box. That is not medicine from the wonderful, fabulous Target Pharmacy. Nope! These are just eye drops for pink eye. I think this box of eye drops cost 3 euros.
Yep. Medicine in France is, for the most part cheap. We marvel. A bag with 3 medicines inside might cost about 13 euros without using insurance. Wow! This is actually something that costs less than in America!
Another really interesting thing is WHAT the doctor prescribes. In American, I expect my doctor to prescribe medicine. Just the stuff you put into your mouth and swallow, or perhaps a prescription cream that I couldn't buy over the counter. Not here!
It is very normal for us to come out of the doctor with a list of things we need to buy and use to treat an illness. This list will include things like:
-a certain kind of spray (like a disinfectant spray)
-a certain kind of lotion
-a certain kind of bandage, like the ones you see in the photo below
You take the list to the pharmacist, and the pharmacist finds all the stuff (including sprays, lotions kept only in the back or even the ones out on the shelves and of course your prescription medicine) that the doctor said that you need.
They also write prescriptions for x-rays that you take to a radiologist office. It looks the same as a prescription for medicine. It's just a different system, but it works.
That's medicine.
Now, for the medical system. Let's just say the system is very, very different here.
For instance, I've heard that if you have to go to the doctor here and its necessary to take off your clothes for the doctor, there is no sheet or gown offered to you.
I just found out this is very true. Let me you, I was missing America this week! Why not let a person hide under a sheet? But, to the French, this is just no big deal. I'll do it there way, but I don't have to like it, right!?!
But, my story is definitely not as bad as Mark's from this week. He was getting our kids for lunch on Tuesday, and one of our boys came running out of the school in excitement, and jumped on Mark. Mark put his hand out to catch/stop him and jammed his thumb into the body of our son. Really jammed his thumb. He quickly developed a big huge 'goose egg' on his thumb knuckle.
So, Mark tried to call our doctor and see if he could get in to see her. No luck. She didn't have any openings. So, he went to the emergency room.
Guess how many hours Mark spent at the Emergency Room.
He managed to get seen by a nurse, get sent down to another department for an x-ray of his hand and then return to the waiting room, with x-ray in hand, to wait to see a doctor.
He sat and waited, and waited, and waited. He watched one ambulance after another come into the ER delivering patients on gurneys. He saw people coming in with gushing blood from cuts in various places on their bodies. Each of these people took priority over his very swollen thumb knuckle.
So, how many hours do you think he waited? Without food (no vending machines even), without magazines (how can that be?), without water?
SEVEN HOURS! Yes, that's right, 7.
As the day wore on, and as more and more ambulances drove in, he realized it might be 4 a.m. before (if ever) the doctor had time to look at his thumb. So, he finally left. He came home famished!
He called our doctor first thing the next morning and got an appointment to see her. He took his x-ray in and found out his thumb was very sprained, but not broken. (Major relief!)
She prescribed regular icing, a pain relieving cream to apply daily, and a brace. See...
Oh, he's just kidding! Here's a better look:
The swelling has already gone down and it seems to be helping to keep it immobilized. We're just so thankful it wasn't broken.
But, now that the whole ordeal is done, we've been asking people what they would have done. Come to find out, Mark could have just walked down the street to the radiologist office and gotten an x-ray without a doctor's prescription and then gone to the doctor after the fact.
Now we know! As our tutor told Mark, "You only go to the ER if you are gushing blood or something majorly serious like that." Lovely!
I tell you, it's a real adventure learning another culture!
Now for a totally different subject. I have joined a knitting group that meets on Friday afternoons. I love it. I am really enjoying knitting and I love the ladies who come! It's been a great way to meet people and a fabulous place to work on understanding and speaking French. (I need a lot of practice in both categories still.)
So, I thought I would include photos of my first two knitting projects.
First, I'll explain that I bought the yarn for each of these projects in America. And, I bought them before I knew how much yarn you really need to complete a project. I only bought one ball of this yarn, so I ended up making a scarf for Todd with it. Here's Todd modeling his new scarf.
Sadly, Todd refuses to wear scarves. So, we'll see if this one ever leaves home!
Then, here's a scarf I knitted for Lena.
Great fun! It's so satisfying to start and finish projects. I've just started knitting a decorative pillow for our bed. I'll let you know how it turns out when it's done.In the meantime, I think I'll finish for today. I'll part by saying "Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!" Hope you have a fine day.
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