Mathru School for the Differently-Abled
Christmas Day, 12/25/2013
Andy writes:
As the song goes here “It’s beginning to feel it’s not like Christmas.” Mary was up often Christmas eve night coughing despite liberal cups of tea and cough medicine. This morning she said she wanted to see a doctor as it seemed to be settling in her chest. She was also uninterested in eating anything.
It was a bit disconcerting considering that she seemed to be on the mend late yesterday. She was even up to going shopping last night for a few items (tea, napkins, etc). It was a general store that also carried kitchenware which we wanted to buy a couple new kitchen knives and steel skillets for the cook here, who has been using ancient cookware. When we get to the checkout, they run up all the items and give you a receipt which is actually a bill which you then go over to a cashier to pay and get the receipt stamped and then return to obtain your groceries.
Anyway, this morning Muktha arranged for a taxi and found one of the few doctors working today even though it isn’t really a holiday here. The doctor’s office was just around the corner from the other Mathru school, which is about a 30 min drive away.
The doctor's office consisted of 3 rooms, two being small examination/waiting rooms about 4x10 with no windows, a couple small chairs and a padded inclined examination table. The first room is basically part of the front entrance and after passing through it, one enters the second one. That one opens into the doctor's back office (about 10x10) that had a desk and chair, a few other chairs and also no window.
The woman doctor was middle aged and began by asking Mary what was happening to her and when it started. After a brief stethoscope exam of Mary’s chest and back and looking at the back of her mouth, she wrote a prescription for 4 different medications and some cough syrup along with verbal instructions on how to take them. She also said to stay away from “cold” foods such as cucumbers and yogurt and to eat mostly vegetables, rice and bread. She also recommended Vicks rub on the chest, neck and face. Her bill was 100 rupees or less than $2 USD. The meds were dispensed next door at the pharmacy. All of the meds here are prepackaged in blister packs (no bottles or loose pills) and often are partially cut packages – depending on how many are needed. No leftover drugs need to lie around or have to be disposed of. All of the meds totaled about $4 USD so I guess Indians need not worry about medical insurance here.
When we got back, some of the staff here said the same thing about avoiding “cold” foods and that the only fruits that were ok to eat were bananas, papaya, chickoo and apples. They also said that Mary should gargle with salt water and put cotton in her ears at night to keep out the cold.
Lunch consisted of a soup that was the spiciest hot food we’ve ever had but we both finished it off and hopefully it obliterated anything bad that was in Mary’s system. Also the usual chappati bread and white rice along with another spicy bean and lentil dish.
Mary here ... That was Andy's last post from Bangalore, and as I write he's on his way home, via Hong Kong. I'm a sad puppy but everyone here is taking very good care of me. The meds seem already to be working, whatever they are, and Muktha personally cooked dinner for us. She made sure I ate one whole chapati. She also smeared Vick's VapoRub all over my forehead and cheeks, neck, throat and upper back, and has arranged for one of the staff to come give me a massage.
Who is here now. More tomorrow.
Christmas Day, 12/25/2013
Andy writes:
As the song goes here “It’s beginning to feel it’s not like Christmas.” Mary was up often Christmas eve night coughing despite liberal cups of tea and cough medicine. This morning she said she wanted to see a doctor as it seemed to be settling in her chest. She was also uninterested in eating anything.
It was a bit disconcerting considering that she seemed to be on the mend late yesterday. She was even up to going shopping last night for a few items (tea, napkins, etc). It was a general store that also carried kitchenware which we wanted to buy a couple new kitchen knives and steel skillets for the cook here, who has been using ancient cookware. When we get to the checkout, they run up all the items and give you a receipt which is actually a bill which you then go over to a cashier to pay and get the receipt stamped and then return to obtain your groceries.
Anyway, this morning Muktha arranged for a taxi and found one of the few doctors working today even though it isn’t really a holiday here. The doctor’s office was just around the corner from the other Mathru school, which is about a 30 min drive away.
The doctor's office consisted of 3 rooms, two being small examination/waiting rooms about 4x10 with no windows, a couple small chairs and a padded inclined examination table. The first room is basically part of the front entrance and after passing through it, one enters the second one. That one opens into the doctor's back office (about 10x10) that had a desk and chair, a few other chairs and also no window.
The woman doctor was middle aged and began by asking Mary what was happening to her and when it started. After a brief stethoscope exam of Mary’s chest and back and looking at the back of her mouth, she wrote a prescription for 4 different medications and some cough syrup along with verbal instructions on how to take them. She also said to stay away from “cold” foods such as cucumbers and yogurt and to eat mostly vegetables, rice and bread. She also recommended Vicks rub on the chest, neck and face. Her bill was 100 rupees or less than $2 USD. The meds were dispensed next door at the pharmacy. All of the meds here are prepackaged in blister packs (no bottles or loose pills) and often are partially cut packages – depending on how many are needed. No leftover drugs need to lie around or have to be disposed of. All of the meds totaled about $4 USD so I guess Indians need not worry about medical insurance here.
When we got back, some of the staff here said the same thing about avoiding “cold” foods and that the only fruits that were ok to eat were bananas, papaya, chickoo and apples. They also said that Mary should gargle with salt water and put cotton in her ears at night to keep out the cold.
Lunch consisted of a soup that was the spiciest hot food we’ve ever had but we both finished it off and hopefully it obliterated anything bad that was in Mary’s system. Also the usual chappati bread and white rice along with another spicy bean and lentil dish.
Mary here ... That was Andy's last post from Bangalore, and as I write he's on his way home, via Hong Kong. I'm a sad puppy but everyone here is taking very good care of me. The meds seem already to be working, whatever they are, and Muktha personally cooked dinner for us. She made sure I ate one whole chapati. She also smeared Vick's VapoRub all over my forehead and cheeks, neck, throat and upper back, and has arranged for one of the staff to come give me a massage.
Who is here now. More tomorrow.
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