Illness!!!

I had my first interaction with the Chinese health care system this past week.  

Over about a week, I came down with a bacterial enteritis of some kind.  

Chen Li Bin (CLB), our handler here at Jiao Tong was wonderful.  He went with me to the on-campus clinic where a doctor saw me that morning.  I thought maybe I had giardia, but the doctor did not think so.  He figured it was a bacterium and ordered an antibiotic, a probiotic and a Chinese medicine as well.  

The visit was very  interesting and extremely cultural.  I told the doctor that I had fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain and no appetite.  He wanted to know if I ate food on campus or at home.  (I had not had any campus cafeteria food.)  He did not ask any questions about my past health, medication allergies, current medications.  There was no physical exam, no taking of vital signs.  The whole visit lasted about 3 minutes and CLB and I went to the campus pharmacy which is right there in the clinic.  I got my medications and started them right away.  I started getting better later the same day and now, a couple of days into the treatment , feel better still.

With the help of another Chinese friend, a nurse, I was able to find out that I am taking Norfloxacin and a Chinese traditional medicine.  That with the probiotic seem to be doing the trick.  The whole thing, visit, meds cost only 20 yuan or about 3 dollars.  

Norfloxacin (antibiotic)

Dripping pills, a traditional
Chinese medication. It looks like caviar and was very bitter.
Should be swallowed, not chewed.

Nothing is more cultural than health!!

Probiotic