THINGS MEDICAL
...European preferential treatment of the "back door", more grief for kiwis!
When I was a student in Switzerland I came down with a really bad throat infection and took myself off to the chemists for a rapid remedy.
Not knowing the word for "throat" I pointed to my neck and said I had " a sore neck on the inside"...With the interest I attracted from everyone in the chemists I felt rather proud of my genius in international communication. Sadly my vowels weren't really quite up to United Nations standards and in fact, I had unwittingly said "cul" ( arse!!) instead of "cou" ( neck). However, ignorance is indeed a blissful state and I waited patiently for the chemist to return with a magic potion whilst everyone stared at me in total silence. She came back with a box of tablets which she told me to take in the evening.
At dinner I opened the box and popped a rather aerodynamically designed tablet between courses. I can only say that what followed was calvary! The tablet lodged itself in my throat and seemed to well, swell. Starting to choke, my friend's Bulgarian grandmother took me out to the kitchen and smacked me on the back until I basically threw up.
She took the box and explained to me that I had just attempted swallowing a suppositoire/ suppository.
Yes, I agreed.
I had absolutely no idea what a suppositoire was. Indeed, coming from NZ, the idea was quite quite foreign.
The other thing here is thermometers. Why do the French insist on putting them up their backsides when you can simply put one under your tongue, arm , in your ear or on your forehead??
I traumatised my ex-husband once when he had the flu and no voice...I tried to pop the family thermometer under his tongue and couldn't understand why he kept trying to run away from me!
The 2 most terrifying things in a new country...the hairdresser and things medical.
With two sick children, my mind today is on the latter.
When I was a student in Switzerland I came down with a really bad throat infection and took myself off to the chemists for a rapid remedy.
Not knowing the word for "throat" I pointed to my neck and said I had " a sore neck on the inside"...With the interest I attracted from everyone in the chemists I felt rather proud of my genius in international communication. Sadly my vowels weren't really quite up to United Nations standards and in fact, I had unwittingly said "cul" ( arse!!) instead of "cou" ( neck). However, ignorance is indeed a blissful state and I waited patiently for the chemist to return with a magic potion whilst everyone stared at me in total silence. She came back with a box of tablets which she told me to take in the evening.
At dinner I opened the box and popped a rather aerodynamically designed tablet between courses. I can only say that what followed was calvary! The tablet lodged itself in my throat and seemed to well, swell. Starting to choke, my friend's Bulgarian grandmother took me out to the kitchen and smacked me on the back until I basically threw up.
She took the box and explained to me that I had just attempted swallowing a suppositoire/ suppository.
Yes, I agreed.
I had absolutely no idea what a suppositoire was. Indeed, coming from NZ, the idea was quite quite foreign.
The other thing here is thermometers. Why do the French insist on putting them up their backsides when you can simply put one under your tongue, arm , in your ear or on your forehead??
I traumatised my ex-husband once when he had the flu and no voice...I tried to pop the family thermometer under his tongue and couldn't understand why he kept trying to run away from me!
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oh yes have been there with the bottom thermometer...terrifying experience!
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