Hospitals

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. This week has been a bit crazy. One of our fellow Focers had surgery. He broke his foot in Thailand during Spring Festival and needed surgery to put in some pins to help it grow back together. So, with the school semester starting, studies starting, and visiting him in the hospital, I've been keeping busy. Chinese hospitals are quite different. Here are somethings I have learned from my friend's experience.

1. The nurses are there mostly to make sure your alive and they give you IVs.
2. Family does the rest for you- get you food, water, anything you need. Empty your bedpan, basically anything that isn't directly connected with your reason for being in the hospital... so...
3. If your family can't be with you all the time, you hire someone. Our friend has his only little "maid" that he pays $3.25 a day to do all the things he can't do on his own. This includes, but is not limited to heating up his food (he has to pay for the microwave too), emptying the bedpan, getting him hot water, and... really anything that he needs help with.
4. Visiting hours are... well, always. You can go anytime and stay as long as you wish!
5. Showers are not required. He hasn't taken a shower in a while.. why? because the bathrooms are really sanitary and he would need help. I don't blame him for not showering, I wouldn't either.
6. Bathrooms- you provide your own TP and soap.
7. Nurses wear the "typical" nurse hat that we all think of when we think of nurses.
8. You have 2 roommates.- unless you pay for a VIP room.
9. Hospital food is not provided and seldom eaten.
10. Pain medicine is not provided quite like America- no Vicodin here!
11. They keep you for a long time! He had his surgery a week ago and he's still there for a few more days.
12.  Although it's quite different, they still make sure you are taken care of and provide the best care they can give.