Chickenpox

It is interesting practicing medicine in two different cultures.  Part of medical tradition is passed on from doctor to doctor, doctor to patient, grandparents to parents. 

Recently one of our office employees asked if she could ask me a medical question.  Her child had recently developed chickenpox.  Her question was when was it safe to give her child a bath.  She had been instructed by her pediatrician not to bathe her child till all of the lesions had crusted over.  There was one pesky spot that had not yet crusted over.

We talked about how different cultures have different traditions.  The traditions are not necessarily based on truth, but are assumed to be.  I shared we do not have this tradition in America.  In fact we encourage bathing to help with itching.

The mom looked shocked and asked if that was really true.  I assured her this was common advise and that millions of children in America survived bathing while having the chickenpox. 

I could not help but ask how long it had since he had been in the bathtub.  Her reply was nine full days.  We both began to laugh hysterically.  I wonder if she had the courage to break with Ukrainian tradition.

Feed a Fever?

You have probably heard the expression, “Feed a fever and starve a cold,” sometime.  Every culture has their own unique medical superstitions some of which are based upon fact and others myth.  Today during Marianna’s Ukrainian lesson she was learning what to say when you visit the doctor.  Her teacher asked, “What do you do for a sore throat?”  Marianna replied, ” I usually eat ice cream.  It numbs my throat.”  Her tutor quickly responded, “No, no, no! You must be confused.  I didn’t ask what causes a sore throat, but how you treat a sore throat.”  Obviously, ice cream was not the expected answer.

People from different cultures have different expectations when they visit the doctor.  If the doctor does not meet those expectations then the patient is not satisfied.  It does not matter whether the expectations are true or not because the patient sincerely believes they are.  Some doctors are successful by the worlds standards because they give people what they want instead of what they need.

 Sincerity of belief was posessed by the 400 Baal prophets when challenged by Elijah to plead with their god to light the wood for a sarifice.  But their pleading was to no avail because they did not seek the assistance of the one true God.  How often do we promote the ways of the world, hollow traditions, instead of what has been revealed through the Word of God.  May we be about exposing myths and replacing traditions with what we really need for eternal life, the mercy and grace of God.