I have a very special relationship to Madrid's Barajas airport. Every time I am there I get a call that someone from my family is sick. No different this time.
But in the series of my business trips to Madrid, the temperatures increased and increased and now we are at 36 degrees Celsius (upper 90s F) and while walking down the tunnel to the plane, sweating and longing for some AC air, there is this lady in front of me with only ankle long jeans and self made woolen socks.
But supposedly she was more right in her prediction of the actual season than me in my summery pants suit. Reaching the seat on the plane, I hardly ever leave my ipod out of my ears long enough to hear the horrible elevator music most airlines are playing. At Iberia though it is different. It is July and in addition to the socks from a few minutes ago, I hear a christmas song and I wonder whether I missed something. I guess so. Considering the weather and the temperatures in Germany, it is closer to Christmas than anything else. So... Ho, ho, ho!
30 May, 2009
It's probably nothing! - Medicine is now relying on probabilities
It's probably nothing! Is that a medical diagnosis nowadays?
The "probably nothing" could be anything from harmless to deadly. So I am wondering, is "probably nothing" the right diagnosis here or shouldn't the attending doctor try to check it out in order to be sure that it is actually "nothing"?
Waiting for six months and coming back to check again if the "probably nothing" has grown or changed in any way - that is the way the analysis ends.
Hello? This must be a joke.
But supposedly it's not. Do people who say such things even know what it feels like to the patient and/ or their family?
When you read in the newspapers about the collapse of the German health system, you don't really believe it. After all we are a country that has mandatory health insurance and still good hospitals and competent medical staff.
But then it hits you and you are in the middle of all this. There is a difference between general and private health insurance and clearly the focus is on the ones that can be charged more.
It makes me mad...
But thank God - although not sure if we have him to thank for that - we have the freedom to get second opinions and some doctors don't rely on "probably nothing". They offer to take out"whatever it is that is probably nothing", no matter how much he can charge. It is comforting but then the fear of the result kicks in and you go back to not sleeping at night until you know.
The "probably nothing" could be anything from harmless to deadly. So I am wondering, is "probably nothing" the right diagnosis here or shouldn't the attending doctor try to check it out in order to be sure that it is actually "nothing"?
Waiting for six months and coming back to check again if the "probably nothing" has grown or changed in any way - that is the way the analysis ends.
Hello? This must be a joke.
But supposedly it's not. Do people who say such things even know what it feels like to the patient and/ or their family?
When you read in the newspapers about the collapse of the German health system, you don't really believe it. After all we are a country that has mandatory health insurance and still good hospitals and competent medical staff.
But then it hits you and you are in the middle of all this. There is a difference between general and private health insurance and clearly the focus is on the ones that can be charged more.
It makes me mad...
But thank God - although not sure if we have him to thank for that - we have the freedom to get second opinions and some doctors don't rely on "probably nothing". They offer to take out"whatever it is that is probably nothing", no matter how much he can charge. It is comforting but then the fear of the result kicks in and you go back to not sleeping at night until you know.
05 April, 2009
The one-hour-vacation
Thursday, Apr 2nd in Stuttgart
Today was really the first day this year where I could feel that the winter is finally taking off.
It was one of those days where some people still walk around in their wintercoats while others, mainly teenagers have already taken out their tank tops and ballerinas. This of course is a little too early considering that temperatures where still in the 60s, but it gives you an outlook on what will come – probably in about two weeks, when you consider how we kept skipping spring in favor of summer over the last few years.
Well anyway, getting out of work really early due to my sick counterpart, I had a whole hour to myself before getting on the train back to Munich and I enjoyed it with some Frappuccino and my newspaper on the Schlossplatz in Stuttgart sitting amongst hundreds of other sun lovers. This feels like a very short but relaxing vacation! It is nice to see the sun or even the daylight while being outside after this long and horrible winter and I can’t wait to get back to Munich and enjoy the Nymphenburg Park and the English Garden on the weekend.
Today was really the first day this year where I could feel that the winter is finally taking off.
It was one of those days where some people still walk around in their wintercoats while others, mainly teenagers have already taken out their tank tops and ballerinas. This of course is a little too early considering that temperatures where still in the 60s, but it gives you an outlook on what will come – probably in about two weeks, when you consider how we kept skipping spring in favor of summer over the last few years.
Well anyway, getting out of work really early due to my sick counterpart, I had a whole hour to myself before getting on the train back to Munich and I enjoyed it with some Frappuccino and my newspaper on the Schlossplatz in Stuttgart sitting amongst hundreds of other sun lovers. This feels like a very short but relaxing vacation! It is nice to see the sun or even the daylight while being outside after this long and horrible winter and I can’t wait to get back to Munich and enjoy the Nymphenburg Park and the English Garden on the weekend.
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