April 7, 2008
This was my first day without Eric, as he is in another city for a week. I got off to a good start with the best cab driver so far for the trip. He was able to go the back way and cut off some time. I spent time with Dr. Hinh and his morning report. I seem to be asked each day to give a short discourse on a different topic. Each day I also get sent a cup of “kafe den”black coffee that you could stand a spoon up in. Coung and I spent time going to see a patient which was very complicated and we reviewed with his doctor. I think that he may have cancer but several attempts to make a diagnosis was not successful and I don’t think that he is well enough to undergo radiation and certainly not surgery. We should be able to get started on treating his infections at least.
I need to review this further but it looks like MS 30mg pain killer is going for about 10 cents. This is a very good deal. This makes it all the more difficult to understand why people are using lots of what looks like Tylenol#3 and which more expensive than the more effective MS. I will look into this further while I try to help them plan for treatment. If MS is so cheap they really need to use more often.
The levity of the day comes from my continuing attempts to learn more Vietnamese. I was trying to figure out how to order an enema only to discover that it is a 6 word phase. As is the case, the same word means 6 different things and then a single word in English becomes a phrase. The day was cut short since this is the 6th day of the 3rd lunar month and for reasons unclear to me this is a special day to offer and spend time with the ancestors. Dr. Houng seems to think that I should know that this day is special. I guess I they have high expectations. I will put up when I can a picture of Cuong and a patient and the pain scale when I have a chance tomorrow. Lots of other writing to do today.
2 comments:
I guess you really have to be careful when you are talking because of the way it takes more words for them to say what we say in one word. This about pain med's is hard to explain when it cost less and does a better job. You need to tell this taxi guy to come back for you every morning. It is almost 5PM here so your day is just about to start. I am going out to supper with Carlie, Ernest and Pat in a little while. Love you Mom
Amos,
I finally read your entire blog and lookd at all the pictures. It's all fasinating. What a wonderful experience. It is always so interesting to see how lands/people outside the US are so very different yet so much the same. I can tell you are enjoying yourself - keep it up.
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