So You Want to Go Swimming!

As physicians, we generally encourage our patients to participate in regular physical activity.  But, when does such activity become unhealthy for both body and soul?

We often take for granted the transparency of life in America.  While this is true, we do have corruption, but just better at hiding it.  Adapting to life in a foreign country provides many interesting situations to learn about the true nature and thought process of the nationals with whom we live and work.

One such situation arose when my assistant decided to find a place to exercise and swim.  During the Soviet times many sports halls were constructed with swimming pools.  Like many other things during that era admittance to these halls was free.  Now, with independence, there is a fee, nothing is free.

In the past, as well as now, in order to use the pool a person needed to provide a “Spravka” or certificate of health.  Obtaining this certificate, required a visit to the local polyclinic where you are registered to live.  You were examined by a dermatologist, gynecologist and an internist.  You stood in line for an hour typically for each of the doctors.  When you were finally seen, you were not examined, just asked to pay a small amount and the doctor would sign and stamp your spravka. 

This was very frustrating because you wasted a day of work or more for a piece of paper that really does not mean anything.

To make matters worse, if you are registered to live in another city, you must obtain a medical record book before obtaining the spravka.  This involves much the same process, but you must see 10 or 11 subspecialists.  Then and only then you return to the gynecologist and dermatologist you just saw to obtain permission to go swimming.  You now take your spravka and visit the internist who can then conclude whether you are healthy or not to go swimming.

Now you could avoid this process by paying an “expediting fee.”  You can easily see how quickly corruption can take a foothold.

Imagine how you would feel if you decide to go through the process legally, then go to the pool and realize the majority of people where not examined and just paid for the spravka to be signed.  Maybe it is healthier not to go swimming!

Reality for Young Ukrainian Physicians

Today I met with Vita, a very bright young Ukrainian physician who just finished his residency a year ago.  Our initial meeting was at the Christian Medical Association of Ukraine annual meeting about two years ago.  Then he was full of excitement for his profession and to serve his God through the practice of medicine.

 As we continued to catch up on what has transpired in each of our lives since then, it became obvious that he no longer practiced the profession it took him so long to learn.  He currently is the sales manager for a company dealing with dialysis machines.

I could not help wondering why this intelligent young doctor had to throw in the towel so early in his career.  He said, “It is impossible to make a living as a Christian doctor.”  He went on to describe how the paperwork was going to kill him.  The salary just did not allow him to support his family.  He just got married 2 1/2 months ago.

He was not complaining of the amount of paperwork even though everything is hand written but about being able to write the truth about his patients and their diagnoses.  Once again it was an issue of trust.  He said as a physician he does not know why any one would go to a doctor in this country.  In addition, he said the state of technology in this country does not enable you to make a diagnosis with any reliability.

The reality for young Ukrainian physicians is in this current system it does not take long before they just stop caring.

What is the answer?  Building Christian clinics and hospitals, evangelizing and discipling  health care professionals, modeling compassionate and competent care are all part of the solution.  I pray to God how long must your people suffer.

Communication

It truly is amazing how much one can communicate without the spoken word.  Living in a foreign country now for six years, I am able to do the basics, ie. buy food without saying a word.  But what about issues of real importance that involve both physical and spiritual understanding.  You can communicate emotions such as compassion, sadness, anger, love and caring as well without a word spoken.

 But imagine caring for a patient during a cardiac arrest and not being able to order medicines in the proper doses.  Or trying to share God’s plan of salvation without words.  Understanding in these stituations is critical.

Today I visited the children’s hospital where my wife ministers to young children who are HIV positive.  We have been visiting this hospital for the past three years, but today was the first time I was able to converse with the head doctor about medical topics.  This was a significant step in my relationship with this doctor which eventually will lead to my personally sharing the Gospel with him. 

He already knows we care because he has observed us.  Now he knows he can ask me a question and I am able to answer him in his language.

May God continue to enable us to communicate in both verbal and non-verbal ways to the physically dying and spiritually dead, the hope that comes only from understanding who we are and the hope found only in the person of Jesus Christ.

In the beginning….

A humerous look at how the medical community might look at the book of Genesis.

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.  Then using God’s great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts.   And Satan said, “You want chocolate with that?”   And Man said, “Yes!” and Woman said,  “and as long as you’re at it,  add some sprinkles.”  And they gained 10 pounds.  And Satan smiled.  And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair.  And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them.  And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.  So God said, “Try my fresh green salad.”   And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons, and garlic toast on the side.   And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.  God then said, “I have sent you heart healthy vegetables, and olive oil in which to cook them.”  And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter.  And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.  God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it  ”AngelFood Cake,”  and said, “It is good.”  Satan then created chocolate cake and named it “Devil’s Food.”  God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds.  And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels.   And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.  Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition.  And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them.  And Man gained pounds.  God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite.  And Satan created McDonald’s and its 99-cent double cheeseburger.  Then said, “You want fries with that?”  And Man replied, “Yes! And super size them!”  And Satan said, “It is good.”  And Man went into cardiac arrest.  God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.  Then Satan created HMOs.