1. You have a blanket up to your neck while everyone else is under the fan with their shirts off.
2. You are told to go see a doctor and NOT self medicate, as all good Americans like to do.
3. You are informed by your doctor that while the antibiotics you picked for yourself would have been perfect in the states, they are not the best option in South America, as the bacterias here are stronger. Do you mind switching, there will be no harm no foul? Of course not! She could have said you need to take donkey stool and I'd ask if it was available in powdered tablet form.
4. You did not get told off for self-medicating! In so many words...
5. When the doctor asks you about your symptoms and you complain that you feel like you are dying, she compliments you on your Portuguese.
6. You want to cry because you want a Popsicle. You are informed that you can't because cold is bad for your sore throat. You say but you always ate them when you had a sore throat as a child. Response: Maybe that's why you always had sore throats as a child. Touché.
7. You are automatically given Floratil (healthy bacterial tablets) when you are given antibiotics. Just say no to the poops! Amen!
8. You have started to like the taste of Própolis.
9. The quantity of tea that you have been given is not helping Floratil from #6 do it's job.
10. Someone suggests you may have a macumba (actual term fez um trabalho/did a work) from Candomble.
What did I forget?
The boy from the pharmacy delivers your meds for free.
ReplyDelete(Get well soon...)
I resent number 6. How can a popsicle hurt a sore throat... how can lack of socks in 90 degree weather lead to pneumonia.
ReplyDeleteI adore Propolis, it is a natural & powerful antibiotics ! Unfortunately it is very difficult to find them in the NL, I have to go to special shops in the big Dutch cities or buy from another conuntry via the web. Melhoras !
ReplyDeletei'm with your mom rachel. this idea that cold stuff makes you sick is craziness. eating popsicles or other cold stuff, playing outside when it's cold/raining, not wearing socks, going to bed with wet hair, swimming when it's cold... these things are not what makes you get sick! a weakened immune system is what makes you sick!
ReplyDelete(Pascual and I have this argument when Eduarda is here:)
The popsicle/ice thing! I remember years back having a horrible cold/flu, hacking up a storm and I was scolded by every single person here, NO ICE WATER, even thought that's all I wanted...numbing and hydration. I was made to feel like an idiot for not knowing such a basic thing (but I still don't listen to this). Propolis, the really strong PURE stuff that you get at Mundo Verde is wicked...but I mean in a bad way...horrible, horrible taste, but it does help. Feel better girl! For me, hot water with lots of lemon and fresh ginger always helps too.
ReplyDeleteCracks me up how Braziians think that you get sick from the wind. Kids bundled up ready for the Arctic when its plus 25C outside. And the sore throat thing. They give you ICE CREAM to soothe the pain here! But in Brazil, they think it causes sore throats. Love Braziians, but they are relatively clueless when it comes to dealing with the flu and colds. Feed a cold, starve a fever and drink lots..pretty simple eh?
ReplyDelete