Monday 8 October 2018
A Day in..... the life of .....Lydia Pinkham
Unfortunately not a typical day for a retired person living on a greek island expecting hours of coffee drinking, people watching, with nothing more important than getting to the bread shop early to snag a loaf of sourdough.
I had to make my 3 monthly trip to our cardio doc for a prescription renewal. Nothing particularly serious. Bit of arrhythmia going on there, nothing I ever notice or worry about. Atrial fibrillation as well, (more erratic beating) not that I am ever aware of that either. Crossing my fingers he is not about to send me off for anuual blood tests or some other tiresome exam.
There are several docs on the island now, 2 blood testing centres and our new mayor bought us a new ambulance. And the ambulance has a driver! (there are municipal elections next year)
Years ago there was one doctor down at the little health place, wouldn't call it a 'centre' back then. Nothing but a doctor and maybe a nurse/receptionist. It was free. We could take the kids there for measles vaccination, snuffs, sniffles and a bit of stitching. My daughter had her eyebrow nicely stitched up there when about 6 years old. Doctors usually came and went, on contract for a couple of years as work experience. Experience is the word. They left here knowing a little about a lot. From heart attacks to bee sting reactions, scraped knees and serious head injuries from a motorcycle crash, without a helmet. They certainly left richer. There was usually a small 'envelope' passed under the table as thanks or a tin of olive oil, a few bottles of wine, octopus or bags of fresh fish, or just 'thanks'.
If you couldn't find the doctor you rushed to the chemist or pleaded with the guard on duty at the Naval Base. Back then the base had hundreds of conscripts and there was always a doctor on duty, though he might be a trainee dermotologist or a dentist.
In an emergency a helicopter would be summoned from the capitol for transfer to an Athens hospital or the hydrofoil which overnighted on Poros could be commandeered to take a patient at speed. Often even on the scheduled hydrofoil (known as the Flying Dolphin) there would be a stretcher in the aisle or a front seat taken by someone with a tube or drip in their arm coming from the islands further out of Hydra or Spetses.
Now the helicopter is rarely heard. It is faster to drive to Nafplion or Argos, big cities an hour away and the Flying Dolphin, not only does not stay overnight in Poros but has a very depleted timetable. You'd die waiting for that or the boat. Boats used to be five or six a day, now we're lucky if there are three a week, in the summer only.
Then a Health Centre for Poros, Galatas and surrounding villages opened across the waters and there was always a small boat on duty, even if you had to whistle him up to sail you over the strait. In its heyday it had numerous specialists coming from the big hospitals in Athens also an x-ray machine. You could get a prescrition for new glasses or have your leg put in plaster, all free. Today there is at least one doctor on 24 hour duty. Any serious cases are sent on by ambulance. They do seem to have a driver over there also on 24 hours duty. Specialists, Orthopedic or Cardio still come every few weeks but the waiting list can be a month or so.
We've had to use the centre in the small hours in mid winter and have always been very appreciative of the doctors and their work. During the day it handles emergency cases from the villages. Blood testing and x-rays are still done there. Most patients are simply very patiently waiting for prescription renewals. There can be hours of waiting but everyone knows someone, is related to the person sitting next to them or will turn out to be after a few hours there and times passes in learning local news and gossip.
Heavens to Betsy, this was supposed to be 'a day in the life of' but I got sidetracked with this medical stuff. And that is just an outline of island medicine.
Let me just tell you that when my husband worked at the Naval Base (he was a Naval officer and posted to Poros for many years) the highest number of emergency cases they dealt with on one night was always with the mid summer August full moon. The casualties those nights were always record making, from drunks to broken bones and heart attacks ( even though we all live on your typical healthy mediterranean diet), mostly in the wee hours, under the influence, of that silvery orb .
Today, the cardio doctor only had two patients waiting when I arrived. He is very thorough and he had each of them in there for half an hour. I read a greek magazine and then learnt all about the back operation of the Great-grand-mother of the wife of my nephew and was priviledged to be shown the scars of her knee operation. Could have been much worse. I myself was in and out in five minutes, got my 3 month prescription, a prescription for the free flu shot for the elderly. Me? Elderly? Ye gods and little fishes. All for 10euro, cash, no receipt.
I went straight down to the chemist where fortunately all my medicine was available.Sometimes it has to be ordered from Athens and there is a waiting list for unavailable medicines. I paid a subsidised 22 euros, instead of the 83 without insurance and Nektaria, our wonderful chemists assistant, got me rolling up my sleeve and jabbed me with the flu shot. That girl is always friendly, helpful, understands and puts up with the impatient and the dithering elderly, Not Me!, and speaks excellent english. She gives damn good advice for people or pets and painless jabs.
That brought me up till just before 12am
This day shall continue in the next post.......
Probably
Reminded me of this pub song from the 1800s' made into a popular hit by the Scaffolds. Anyone remember them?
Number one hit in 1968/69.
We'll drink a drink, a drink, a drink
To Lily the pink, the pink, the pink
Saviour of the human race
She invented medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case
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ReplyDeleteThe only thing I remember about The Scaffold is Paul McCartney's brother, Mike was it it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info re. doctors in Greece. People around here take gifts to the doctors, Peter always made up a bag of vegetables every visit but God knows what he is doing now, weekly visits. My mother always left a "little something" in the doctors car in the car park before she went in. I always worried about whether she had got the right car but she seemed to know.
Thanks for your reply! I'm always amazed how similar your country life was/is to life here. I thought that gift thing was a real great tradition. Nice actually . My m in law always gave gave him a little something to drink a coffee.
DeleteShould have been 'greek' tradition. I'm not sure about it being 'great' although a gift of vegetables or some similar gift from the heart I do like.
DeleteI think it is dying out with the younger generation although gifts for the doctor at Christmas are still common place, at least in this rural area.
DeleteA brace of pheasants being a particularly popular gift left hanging on the doctors car!
DeleteWe have free medical care here in Canada (as everyone seems to know now), but sometimes the wait time is ridiculous, and I wonder, life-threatening. I found it interesting to read the bit about going to the base and asking for medical help there. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteOutside the big cities we get far quicker attention. They had a payment of 5euros for a time but it has been abolished...for now.
DeleteThe base no longer admits civilians but they only have recruits 3 times a year and there is rarely a doc there
Hope all your heart issues, stay well controlled. I have a cardio doc too. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnother instance of The Full Moon Effect!!! Yessss! If one doesn't believe it, ask someone who works in an E.R.!!!!
Good old Lydia Pinkham's remedies! Our very old Pharmacy used to sell them!!! :-)
They had alcohol in them, so no matter what, they probably make the ladies FEEL better. -grin-
✨๐✨๐✨๐✨๐✨
Yes, I was reading about medicinal compound, 97per cent alcohol, guaranteed to cure everything except alcoholism!
DeleteFascinating. I hadn't heard the Lily the Pink song for ages.
ReplyDeleteNow I've got it into my head. I'll be 'singing' it for days!
DeleteYou have to understand that we live way out in the countryside. When a friend of mine accidently tried to cut his foot off with a chainsaw, he just managed to reach our house before he collapsed (dying). The Doc' arrived within about 5 mins, and he was in an air ambulance en route for Bordeaux within 15 mins. He survived.
ReplyDeleteHeavens... survived with both feet? That's a darn quick response. I presume the air ambulance is private. Our Mayor has assured us in the event of an extreme emergency he will pay for a helicopter transfer. He's a millionaire! Not the greatest Mayor but money speaks loud.
DeleteWe haven't had an emergency helicopter rescue for a few years now we have a decent road.
Sounds like the town has grown quite a bit over the years, good that you have an ambulance now.
ReplyDeleteThe town hasn't grown so much as changed. Greece has come a long way in the last 50 years
DeleteI go to a bulk bill doctor so it’s free and for those that are on a pension scripts are heavily subsidised by the government
ReplyDeleteI have no problem laying for free health care for all Australians
But unlike you when I’m in the waiting room I vary rarely know anyone
It’s ok though. Being I’m Greek I’ll talk to anyone who is willing to have a conversation with me lol
Lol... those sociable greeks! My husband comes away from times like this with enough news to fill a book!
DeleteA fascinating post, Linda. I'm glad your medication was available this time, long may it be so.
ReplyDeleteHealthcare has changed a lot during my lifetime. When I was a child our GP would make house calls, if necessary. His surgery was held in one of the rooms of his home, no appointments, just turn up. These days I scarcely know the name of my GP and they only know me through their computer notes.
The old silvery moon is a force to be reckoned with!
In this small town the doctors know everyone and we know them and will even prescribe over the phone. The chemist is just as good and often it is easier to go down to the pharmacy and see one of the girls. They'll even bandage you up if necessary
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