Getting medical care in Germany...an odyessy!

Alright, so here in Germany, the military makes us go to contracted doctors on the German economy if the clinic on post is booked.

I do not like this, I can accept it since I must. I will tell you why I don't like this.

On Friday morning (oh yes, its always on Friday!) I wake up with a super sore throat! Usually no big deal for me. But I look back there, white spots, big, swoolen tonsils! Yikes! So I call the clinic, which for some ridiciouls reason closes at 12 on Fridays. But its in the AM, so I think I can get in! No such luck! I just wanted a strep throat swab, but they can't do it unless I have an appointment. So I have to go downtown Ansbach to a doctor there.

First, I have to drive to post, go to the insurance office, get the referral, drive home to sit for two hours until the appointment, than drive to the docs office. I sit there for all of five min. The doctor seems like a nice enough man, but I know looks can be decieving! So I try to give him the benefit of the doubt! He looks at my throat, tells me I have tonsilitis, (I know that) and that I will need a prescription antibiotic. Ok, not a problem. Now, at home, I would tell my doctor that I am allergic to penicillin and I am also still nursing my 11 month old daughter. And, at home, my doctor would nod, take this into consideration and write me a script that makes sense!!!!

Nope, here I tell him about my allergy and then I tell him about Abigail, and then he sits back and chuckles. He says to me "why would you do this?" he asks in a blank stare.

I really had no idea what he means. But then he continues "why would you continue to breastfeed after 6 months? There is no reason to do so. And I can't prescribe to you an antibiotic that you can use while breastfeeding because there is none. So you need to stop nursing."

I just sood there and looked at him and wondered if he was joking. But he sat there stone cold serious. When I realized he wasn't kidding, I sat up and took a deep breath.

I told him I nursed my first two until 16 months old and that I know I took antibiotics with them. He just shook his head and we were kind of at a stand still. I think he was actually telling me I had to stop nursing in order to take medicine.

"All the research shows there is no benefit to nursing past six months, that is just what I have read."

Just to tell you all, I had to tell the doctor that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least 1 year for maximim benefits. The World Health Organization and Le Leche League International recommends 1-2 years with at least 1 year. I can't tell you how many several hundred articles and books are written for extensive breastfeeding reguarding nutritional and emotional well being of a child. Thanks God I am a member of Le Leche League and know this. I kept thinking, I am a mom of 3 kids and have done my homework. What if I had been a new, young mother who didn't know the facts?

As for the medicine, he calls over to another doctors office to get some info. He writes down my medication and gives me the precription. I leave the office fuming!!! Then once I leave, I notice he writes down Amoxicillin. Ok, I did tell him I was allergic to Penicillin right? So I call the pharmacy on post and they don't think I should take it, but can't do anything about it without the doctors change, I call my mom to see what kind of reaction I did get when I took it as a toddler. The you-won't-be-able-to-breathe kind. So I call my OB doc in the United States and wake him up at 4:30 AM his time to ask him about it. Yes, he was understanding, he did deliver Ben and all of my sister's kids, so he knows me pretty well! He told me NOT to take it and get something else.
I ended up spending the day going from one ER to the next until I found one that did the proper procedure to bill my insurance correctly. KC was upset that I was upset, the kids were miserable in the car soo much and I still felt crappy by the end of the day. I got a new medication finally but wouldn't you know, the pharmacy (and all the other places they called) were out so it won't be here til Monday! Makes you want to pull your hair out!!! But I just went home, drank a bunch of green tea, said goodnight to the kids while KC put them down and I went to bed early. This is one thing I do not want repeated again....ever! I just pray tomorrow will go a little more smoothly! But I always find after going to church I feel much better. Let's hope that helps!!!