For the most part, my culture shock upon returning to the US has been minimal. But a few things surprised me.
1) When random people talk to me, I can UNDERSTAND THEM. So I can do more than just smile and nod and hope that they didn't say anything that required a response. (The other option, in Kazakhstan, is to try to explain that I don't speak the language, but when it's a random comment it's usually MUCH easier to just smile and nod. But sometimes the person will keep talking or expect a response. And sometimes, when I answer in English, "I don't speak Russian," they don't get it. So then I say it in Russian. And they can't understand me because of my accent. And still they try to talk to me!!!)
2) The other day I was at a pizza buffet. I was looking at the pizzas. I said, "What's this?" --to myself because who else would I be talking to? Sophia wasn't next to me. But the guy behind the counter ANSWERED ME. And I could UNDERSTAND him! Pretty unexpected!!!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
How the hospital system works
Disclaimer: I really have no clue how the hospital system works, this is my best guess pieced together through experience & conversations.
There are a lot of hospitals in Astana, and every hospital belongs to a microdistrict or neighborhood. If you live in neighborhood A, then you go to the hospital in neighborhood A. Kind of like public schools in America.
When you go to your hospital, your care is FREE. Kind of like public schools in America. Kazakhs don't quite understand me when I ask about how much it costs.
Children are also free in Turkey. My Turkish vice principal could not understand my question--how much money would it cost when my brother took her to the hospital? Why on earth would anyone charge you to take a child to a doctor?
Of course, I can talk about how wonderful it is for children's health care to be free, but I would never allow Sophia to have any kind of major care in this country. I would fly her back to the US and pay for it. So, yeah, it's free, but right now it's not high quality.
Doctors work from hospitals, so if you need to see a doctor, you go to a hospital--once again, free.
I don't know about medicines. I think if they give it to you in the hospital, then it is free, but I know I've paid for all medications I've bought at pharmacies.
Pharmacies are everywhere and called аптека. I've yet to meet a pharmacist who speaks good English; most don't speak it at all. The first time I went, I had the medicines & dosages written on a sheet of paper, which the school nurse had written for me. I don't know if this was an official prescription or if what I was getting was over the counter.
I've gotten different medicines from pharmacies--allergy medicine, versions of Benadryl, Tylenol, Ibuprofren--and usually I don't have much of a problem if I can communicate what I want (usually I have to write it down). But my brother recently encountered a pharmacist who explained, through a translator, that he needs a prescription for Benadryl (but allowed him 10 pills). So maybe I've been getting these medicines because the pharmacist doesn't know how to tell me that I can't get them?
I met an American who is pregnant and is flying to Turkey to deliver her baby. I've encountered 2 different blogs by Brits who returned to England to have their babies. So my guess is Westerners don't have too much faith in the obstretics part of the hosptitals.
Next year I'll have health insurance that works outside of Kazakhstan, so I'll be able to continue using the free/cheap Kazakh system just for minor things (colds and medications) and the expensive American system for major things plus routine check-ups.
There are a lot of hospitals in Astana, and every hospital belongs to a microdistrict or neighborhood. If you live in neighborhood A, then you go to the hospital in neighborhood A. Kind of like public schools in America.
When you go to your hospital, your care is FREE. Kind of like public schools in America. Kazakhs don't quite understand me when I ask about how much it costs.
Children are also free in Turkey. My Turkish vice principal could not understand my question--how much money would it cost when my brother took her to the hospital? Why on earth would anyone charge you to take a child to a doctor?
Of course, I can talk about how wonderful it is for children's health care to be free, but I would never allow Sophia to have any kind of major care in this country. I would fly her back to the US and pay for it. So, yeah, it's free, but right now it's not high quality.
Doctors work from hospitals, so if you need to see a doctor, you go to a hospital--once again, free.
I don't know about medicines. I think if they give it to you in the hospital, then it is free, but I know I've paid for all medications I've bought at pharmacies.
Pharmacies are everywhere and called аптека. I've yet to meet a pharmacist who speaks good English; most don't speak it at all. The first time I went, I had the medicines & dosages written on a sheet of paper, which the school nurse had written for me. I don't know if this was an official prescription or if what I was getting was over the counter.
I've gotten different medicines from pharmacies--allergy medicine, versions of Benadryl, Tylenol, Ibuprofren--and usually I don't have much of a problem if I can communicate what I want (usually I have to write it down). But my brother recently encountered a pharmacist who explained, through a translator, that he needs a prescription for Benadryl (but allowed him 10 pills). So maybe I've been getting these medicines because the pharmacist doesn't know how to tell me that I can't get them?
I met an American who is pregnant and is flying to Turkey to deliver her baby. I've encountered 2 different blogs by Brits who returned to England to have their babies. So my guess is Westerners don't have too much faith in the obstretics part of the hosptitals.
Next year I'll have health insurance that works outside of Kazakhstan, so I'll be able to continue using the free/cheap Kazakh system just for minor things (colds and medications) and the expensive American system for major things plus routine check-ups.
How many grown-ups does it take to take a 7-year old to the doctor?
The answer is: 3! One to drive, one to translate, and one to act in place of the mother. All because of a little cold....
Let's go back. This was the first week after my brother had arrived in Astana, so sometime in late February or early March. He still didn't have a phone that worked in Kazakstan.
Sophia had been complaining that she couldn't hear out of her right ear, but being the lovely mother that I am, I had been ignoring it. Finally I decided that I ought to at least see the school nurse about it. That should be easy and simple enough, right?
So I grabbed my assistant and we went to the nurse, who looked at her and said she should see a doctor. As far as I can tell, the doctors in Kazakstan work out of hospitals, so really, she was telling me to take her to the hospital. She recommended a hospital that is rather far away (if you go by bus), and she said she'd call and get me an appointment time. It was Friday, and the hospital would be closed the next day, so she seemed to think that it was important that we go that day. But I had 6 lessons on Fridays and didn't want to miss them!
I found the vice principal and told him that I might have to leave early to take Sophia to the hospital, and then I remembered my brother. Why had I brought him to Kazakhstan if not for moments like this one?
So I called the house phone. No answer. I emailed him. Then I facebooked him. A quick message on his wall, "If you get this, check your email and call the school." I figured it was the quickest way to get in touch wih him. However, it alarmed several people on several continents, wanting to know what was wrong, and when my brother wrote that it was because he had to take Sophia to the hospital, another brother panicked. What was wrong with Sophia?!
(That weekend, we went to Artyom and I bought myself a nicer phone and gave my other phone to my brother. So we would no longer need facebook to find each other.)
My brother came to the school, we learned from the nurse that we could go to the hospital at any time, the vice principal said he could get the school driver to drive them, and then there was confusion--who would go as the translator? The v.p. had volunteered Sophia's teacher assistant; however she really did not want to go. The two assistants talked to each other, arguing over who would go. In the end, my assistant went.
So, the school driver, my assistant, and my brother all went with Sophia to the doctor, where the diagnosis was--congestion! Three medicines were prescribed, which my brother used the Internet to research. One was Tylenol, one was a pain reliever for the ear (she had no pain in her ear, but I think that was lost in translation), and the other was a nasal spray. I never gave her any of them, however, I learned that the nasal spray--називин, or Nasivin, (brand name Afrin in America)--worked wonders on my nose. (Back in the US, I've tried Afrin with far less impressive results.)
Sophia's fine, of course, and soon, without medication, she could hear in her ear again. And I found one more medicine...
Let's go back. This was the first week after my brother had arrived in Astana, so sometime in late February or early March. He still didn't have a phone that worked in Kazakstan.
Sophia had been complaining that she couldn't hear out of her right ear, but being the lovely mother that I am, I had been ignoring it. Finally I decided that I ought to at least see the school nurse about it. That should be easy and simple enough, right?
So I grabbed my assistant and we went to the nurse, who looked at her and said she should see a doctor. As far as I can tell, the doctors in Kazakstan work out of hospitals, so really, she was telling me to take her to the hospital. She recommended a hospital that is rather far away (if you go by bus), and she said she'd call and get me an appointment time. It was Friday, and the hospital would be closed the next day, so she seemed to think that it was important that we go that day. But I had 6 lessons on Fridays and didn't want to miss them!
I found the vice principal and told him that I might have to leave early to take Sophia to the hospital, and then I remembered my brother. Why had I brought him to Kazakhstan if not for moments like this one?
So I called the house phone. No answer. I emailed him. Then I facebooked him. A quick message on his wall, "If you get this, check your email and call the school." I figured it was the quickest way to get in touch wih him. However, it alarmed several people on several continents, wanting to know what was wrong, and when my brother wrote that it was because he had to take Sophia to the hospital, another brother panicked. What was wrong with Sophia?!
(That weekend, we went to Artyom and I bought myself a nicer phone and gave my other phone to my brother. So we would no longer need facebook to find each other.)
My brother came to the school, we learned from the nurse that we could go to the hospital at any time, the vice principal said he could get the school driver to drive them, and then there was confusion--who would go as the translator? The v.p. had volunteered Sophia's teacher assistant; however she really did not want to go. The two assistants talked to each other, arguing over who would go. In the end, my assistant went.
So, the school driver, my assistant, and my brother all went with Sophia to the doctor, where the diagnosis was--congestion! Three medicines were prescribed, which my brother used the Internet to research. One was Tylenol, one was a pain reliever for the ear (she had no pain in her ear, but I think that was lost in translation), and the other was a nasal spray. I never gave her any of them, however, I learned that the nasal spray--називин, or Nasivin, (brand name Afrin in America)--worked wonders on my nose. (Back in the US, I've tried Afrin with far less impressive results.)
Sophia's fine, of course, and soon, without medication, she could hear in her ear again. And I found one more medicine...
After Karaganda - The Tick
Around midnight that night--after Rebeca had dropped us off after that l-o-n-g day spent coming home from Karaganda--Rebeca called me. Alison had a tick, she said. Yes, there are ticks in Kazakhstan and they carry deadly diseases just like the ticks in America. She was calling the doctor and suggested I check Sophia for ticks.
Luckily, Sophia, my brother & I seemed to be tick-free. Later that week, I learned from Rebeca how the rest of her night went.
She called the doctor, who came and decided that Alison needed to go to the hospital to have it removed. The doctor was with the ambulance, and so left with Alison in the ambulance. The mother followed in her car, so they could be able to go home after the hospital.
Well, ambulances don't have to follow traffic rules, and especially after today's long events, Rebeca was definitely going to follow traffic rules! And so she soon lost sight of the ambulance. Astana has many hospitals, and she did not know which one her daughter was being taken to. (Rebeca has only lived in Astana for a little longer than I have.) So she drove around from hospital to hospital until she finally found her daughter.
They successfully removed the tick and then gave it to Rebeca so she could bring it to a lab to be tested for lyme disease (or whatever disease it is that Kazakh ticks have).
The next day, Monday, was a holiday--school was in session but most labs were closed. Rebeca finally found a lab that was open and could test the tick.
By Wednesday she learned that the tick was disease-free.
So all's well that end's well, but what a weekend! And now Alison and Sophia are both scared of ticks.
Luckily, Sophia, my brother & I seemed to be tick-free. Later that week, I learned from Rebeca how the rest of her night went.
She called the doctor, who came and decided that Alison needed to go to the hospital to have it removed. The doctor was with the ambulance, and so left with Alison in the ambulance. The mother followed in her car, so they could be able to go home after the hospital.
Well, ambulances don't have to follow traffic rules, and especially after today's long events, Rebeca was definitely going to follow traffic rules! And so she soon lost sight of the ambulance. Astana has many hospitals, and she did not know which one her daughter was being taken to. (Rebeca has only lived in Astana for a little longer than I have.) So she drove around from hospital to hospital until she finally found her daughter.
They successfully removed the tick and then gave it to Rebeca so she could bring it to a lab to be tested for lyme disease (or whatever disease it is that Kazakh ticks have).
The next day, Monday, was a holiday--school was in session but most labs were closed. Rebeca finally found a lab that was open and could test the tick.
By Wednesday she learned that the tick was disease-free.
So all's well that end's well, but what a weekend! And now Alison and Sophia are both scared of ticks.
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