Asthma's Nothing to Wheeze At!--New Ebook

Hi Everyone,
I've just released my first ebook about asthma! Asthma's been a big part of my life since I was a kid, though no one knew I had it back then. I was diagnosed as an adult. Before that my kids were diagnosed with asthma at a young age. The three of us have different types of asthma, with different triggers. I had to learn what worked to keep our asthma more or less under control. These experiences, plus living with asthma overseas, led me to write Asthma's Nothing to Wheeze At!, the first ebook in a series on asthma. 

This is a short book, with about 54 pages, is packed full with common sense ideas and methods that may help others. Each of the chapters covers a different aspect of life with asthma. Here's a run-down of the chapters in Asthma's Nothing to Wheeze At:

Chapter 1:  Self-Education
Chapter 2:  Life After Asthma Diagnosis
Chapter 3: Assistance with Medical Costs
Chapter 4: Stay Safe When Buying Asthma Meds Online
Chapter 5: Seven Tips for Asthma Management
Chapter 6: Tips to Avoid Nocturnal Asthma
Chapter 7: Seven Tips to Quiet an Asthma Cough
Chapter 8: Create an Asthma-Friendly Home
Chapter 9: Tips to Control Cat Allergens
Chapter 10: Asthma Back-to-School Tips
Chapter 11: Traveling with Asthma
Chapter 12: Asthma-Free Holiday Tips
Chapter 13: Asthma-Safe Gift Ideas
Chapter 14: Free Apps for Asthma Management
Glossary
Asthma Resources
U.S. Asthma Organizations (contact information)

The Asthma Resources section has links to asthma information online, including information on how and where to find affordable health care and medications, a sample asthma diary and how to use it, and much more.

Each chapter is presented in every day, easy to understand American English. The book is straight-to-the-point with no fluff. The tips are ways you can keep your kids' and your asthma more stable and under control. 

The ebook's currently available in BellaOnline's ebook shop in a handy PDF format. The introductory price is $.99--so grab your copy before the price goes up! I plan to release Asthma's Nothing to Wheeze At! on Amazon Kindle and other platforms very soon. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have about the book.

Have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0) 

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Asthma's Nothing to Wheeze At!

Health Emergency & a Czech Hospital

Hi Everyone,
Wow, it's been a whirlwind lately with traveling home to Prague and dealing with health issues. Things were very crazy last week after I came home. A week ago Sunday, Jiri ended up at the emergency room (where his mother lives) for severe abdominal pain. They found it was his gallbladder causing the problem and gave him some shot (what--he doesn't know) and sent him home. Monday, Jiri was back in Prague and trying to get ready to meet me at the airport. The whole day he was ill and in great pain. When we met at the airport (he hadn't yet told me about the Sunday emergency room visit), I could tell that he was sick and urged him to go to the doctor. But no--he's a very stubborn guy--and said he was fine.

Tuesday morning Jiri went to work, still feeling pretty bad (though he said he was fine). But something made him visit his doctor, and his doctor immediately sent him to the hospital for tests. At the hospital, they discovered a stone was causing the problem...it was blocking bile from leaving the gallbladder. The bile was very infected and the infection and inflammation were spreading to other places in the abdomen. Not a good scenario. Jiri had to stay at the hospital and began receiving high doses of antibiotics and other meds. Everything was getting better, until Thursday morning when blood tests seemed to show more trouble. Thankfully a sonogram showed things were OK, and surgery was averted--for the time being. Friday Jiri was able to come home. The doctors have urged that surgery is necessary, but Jiri has some things at work that need to be taken care of before he will have the surgery. Ach jo...now it looks like the surgery will have to wait till November. I'm hoping and praying that Jiri's gallbladder will cooperate and wait to be taken out in November!

This is what I walked back into last week when I got home here, to Prague. It's been a very interesting experience--one of the first health emergencies (dealing with one of us) Jiri and I have had to deal with as a married couple, and this was my first experience with a Czech hospital. Last week was very stressful and then dealing with my own current health situation--has left me kind of drained. However, everything is going OK and things are gradually improving (including me)...so I can't complain at all!

Jiri was in Bulovka Hospital, in Prague 8. This is a typical Czech hospital in that there are many buildings on a "campus" setting. We have similar settings in the US. However, the difference comes when looking at the age of the buildings. Jiri was in a very old building that actually looked more like a former castle or hotel. I'm not very good at judging the age of a building, but it looked like this "castle" might have been built in the 1700's or 1800's. It was a nice, grand old building. Once inside, the building was kind of dreary, but immaculately clean. Jiri was in a ward for internal medicine, and there were probably about six other patients there, in the same room. Actually, Jiri had a small side room (with three beds in it) all to himself. That was really nice. Private rooms are available, but they are very expensive. So, Jiri stayed in the ward.

All the beds in the ward looked as if they were from the 1940's--no kidding. They were adjustable, but only with hand cranks...no electric beds. There were no TVs in the ward, and a single window. Of course, I'm used to US hospitals where we have two people to a room, or even a private room, with TV, a bathroom for that specific room, privacy curtains, everything is very modern, etc. This is all I've known, never having lived outside of the US before moving to the Czech Republic. What surprised me more was what was necessary to pack for Jiri's stay in the hospital. The list included soap and shampoo, a towel and wash cloth, and toilet paper. These were surprising for me! These are automatically part of a stay in a US hospital. Of course, you end up paying for these, but they are supplied at the hospital. Czech hospitals, in asking patients to pack even their own toilet paper, are trying to keep the costs down for the hospital and patients. This is a good thing--just something very different than what I've been used to in the US.

Jiri's small room off the ward was not depressing--it was painted with nice, bright colors and was so clean you could eat off the floor! There was plenty of light, and a small sink near his bed (that served the whole room of three beds). All the medical equipment was very modern (aside from the beds, and each bed did have a call button to call a nurse), and the doctors and nurses were all very nice and helpful--very pleasant people. One nice thing, too, was that Jiri was able to keep his cell phone and use it there, in the ward.

All in all, it was a good first experience with a Czech hospital. Now, I'm not sure how I would do in such a setting--I'm used to privacy and am a very modest person. But for a first experience with a loved one in the hospital it was OK. Jiri was very well taken care of and looked after...and everyone was very nice to me, too. I can't complain at all, and am happy that the doctors were able to "patch up" Jiri till he will relent to have the necessary surgery!

Well, that's all for today! I'm working on the WBSD sign-up, and will have that ready later this week. I'm also getting back into dropping Entrecards--and will get that caught up this week, too!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

PS My health situation is still unfolding...but is slowly improving. My doctor said it will take another five to ten days before I'm really feeling better. He is ordering more tests since my blood work showed some signs that need further investigation. I still have no wrinkles in my face...but am hoping some will show soon...I'm tired of the "moon face!" :0)

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(c) 2009 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Health Fees Survey

Hi Everyone,

This morning, in the Prague Monitor, I read an article about a survey that had been conducted earlier this month. The survey asked respondents if they found the new regulatory medical fees to be a burden for their budgets. The results were very interesting in that 70% of the respondents said the fees were not a burden on their budgets. Over 3/4 of the doctors surveyed said they found that fees to be helpful in regulating the number of visits patients made to see them. The fees were instituted to help cut down the number of visits patients make to see their doctors. These new fees are to also help support the health care system--to help keep it solvent.

The results of the survey were quite a surprise for me! I personally don't mind paying these new fees, but there are many elderly and disabled people who do have trouble paying each time they have to visit the doctor. Even so,
the doctors seem to feel that these regulatory health fees are helping. I know that my allergist and my GP have both said that they believe the fees are a good thing. Time will tell!

Well, that's all for now...you all have a great weekend!

God bless,
Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com

©2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Storm Over Medical Reforms

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday I ran across an article on the New York Times* website about the medical reforms that are taking place in the Czech Republic. The Czech government instituted major reforms in health care that took effect in January of this year. One of the major reforms put in place was for people to pay when they see the doctor. This has had a huge impact on many people here, especially the elderly and disabled.

Back in the day, the state (mainly under communism) took care of all the health needs of the people. No one had to pay anything in most cases! And if they did, usually the fees/prices were subsidized and were very small. This had been the norm for almost 60 years. Now, however, everyone must pay to see the doctor, pay for the doctor to write prescriptions, and then pay for the medicines that have been prescribed. There is also now a charge for hospital stays.

The fees don’t sound very high from a Western point of view. The fee to see a general practitioner or a specialist is 30 KC (about $1.85—paid to each doctor you have to see for your health problem), the fee charged per prescription is 30 KC (about $1.85) and then there is a charge for the medicine, itself, the charge per day in hospital is 60 KC (about $4.00). These sound like bargain prices to our ears, and we wonder how anyone could be upset to pay these amounts! First, we need to understand what the average monthly take home pay is…then we begin to see the dilemma.

The average salary in the Czech Republic is about $1200/month, in the US the average salary/month is at least twice this amount. The average pension or disability payment is around $540/month. These are the average amounts…many salaries and pensions are much lower than this. Let’s look at the average pension amount of $540/month. Out of this must be paid rent, utilities, public transportation, groceries, and medical expenses. Just for some perspective, the average grocery bill for one month’s food, for 2 people, is almost $300. That’s over one half of the monthly pension! Rents are very high in Prague, with the average person paying about $500/month for a small one-room flat. Looking at just these two figures, it is pretty easy to see why people are upset about having to pay the doctor! Also consider that older people and those with chronic health problems have to take several medicines each day. The cost quickly becomes prohibitive for those on a fixed income.

The government is planning on moving the Czech health care system more toward the system we have in the US. That will make things much harder on pensioners and disabled people, unless their pensions are raised to balance the increase in costs and inflation. These are the reasons so many people are upset over the changes in the Czech health care system. This is why having to pay the equivalent of $1.85/doctor visit, etc. is such a hardship for many people here.

We face similar problems in the US…it is very hard for pensioners and disabled people to make ends meet in our country, too. But, it’s very important to have some perspective when reading this type of story in our news in the US, and having an understanding of some of the background before wondering what the big deal is!

You all have a great day!

God bless,

Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com

© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

*Kulish, Nicholas “$1.85 Fee to See a Doctor? Some Say It’s Too Much” New York Times. May 27, 2008. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/world/europe/27czech.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Becherovka

Hi Everyone,
When you come on a trip to the Czech Republic you quickly realize that alcoholic drinks are an important part of Czech life! They love to drink everything from beer to wine, and vodka—heavy on the beer! Czechs love their pivo (beer)! The Czech Republic is famous for its beer, but is also famous for other liquors, one of which is Becherovka.

Becherovka was first produced in 1807 by Josef Becher. He was a pharmacist in the city of Karlovy Vary (a famous spa city in the western part of Bohemia). Becher originally formulated this special mix of herbs, spices, mineral water, sugar and alcohol as a cure for digestive problems! It was a very useful medicine—and soon, Becherovka developed into a very popular drink!

Becherovka has a very herbal, spicy (almost medicinal) smell—this is because it is made from a top secret recipe--a mixture of 102 herbs that are mixed together and put in a sack which is then soaked in alcohol for a week. The resulting extract is then mixed with sugar and spring water from Karolvy Vary (it can only be this spring water—no other will work as it drastically effects the taste of the finished product), and then the mixture is put into oak barrels where it matures for about 2 months. After 2 months, the Becherovka is a finished product and ready to drink. It is interesting to note that only 2 employees know the recipe for Becherovka! And, usually Becherovka should be chilled…most people keep it in the freezer. Some also add a slice of lemon to add some more flavor to the drink. It is also a drink that is very high in alcohol (38 %), and it should only be sipped, never downed!

My introduction to Becherovka came a few years ago when I came to the Czech Republic for the first time. I remember the smell at first put me off—it smelled like cough syrup to me! And the first taste was a shock as it was more on the bitter side! But, after that first sip or two, I didn’t really care how it smelled…or that it was bitter…I really didn’t care any more! I began to like it! Over time, Becherovka has really grown on me!

Becherovka is still used, today, by Czechs as a tonic for the digestive system and for a way to get over the stiffness and aches of arthritis and rheumatism. Just this past week I was sick with a stomach virus…my stomach was cramping pretty badly and no medicines were working. So, my husband suggested I try Becherovka. Anything with alcohol was really the last thing I wanted to even think of at that point! But, I agreed to try it…my husband poured me a very small amount of Becherovka in a glass. I sipped this and over time, my stomach really did calm down! I really did begin to feel better! I have no idea how Becherovka works to help the digestive tract, except that maybe some of the spices and herbs have an antispasmodic effect. One added note, I also have asthma…and sometimes Becherovka has helped to relieve my asthma when meds didn’t—maybe for that same antispasmodic effect. Anyway, I’m a convert and will keep Becherovka on hand from now on!

That’s all for now…you all have a great weekend!

God bless,
Sher :0)

PS The above picture of Becherovka is my own personal bottle! However, since it was afternoon when I took this photo, I did not have a drink--although, a Czech doesn't mind what time of the day they might take a nip! :0)

Photos by S. Vacik

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Garlic Soup--Cure for the Common Cold

Hi Everyone,
Lately, I’ve been getting lessons in how Czechs treat a cold as my husband is currently sick with a very bad cold. It is so funny and interesting how people treat illnesses in different parts of the world. The Czechs have some very interesting ways of going about relieving and curing a cold!!!

My husband is suffering from a sore throat with this cold, and I offered to get him some ice cream or sorbet. It is common, in the US, to use cold things to help soothe a sore throat and make it a bit numb. But here, in the Czech Republic, cold is anathema! The Czechs believe that cold is very bad...cold of every sort and for anything only makes the problem or illness worse and/or a person sicker. Czechs also hate air conditioning, for the most part, too, except when temps reach about 90 F and higher. Then, they will turn on an air conditioner, but they will also put a sweater on and make sure to stay out of the cold air! They will only use something hot for a sore throat—like hot tea with lemon, hot soup, or even a hot, damp cloth tied around the throat.

One of the most recommended treatments for a respiratory illness, here, is garlic soup! Even my doctor has recommend garlic soup when I’ve had a sinus infection…he also recommended eating raw garlic! Anyway, garlic soup can take different forms…sometimes, people just have some broth with garlic in it, and other times there are other vegetables plus the garlic. Any form that garlic soup takes it has one thing in common…and that is the garlic must be fresh and VERY strong! We were at my mother-in-laws home this past weekend, and she made Jiří some garlic soup. The garlic was so strong-smelling that we had to open a window…it was really making me sick! I like garlic, but not to the point where the smell is worse than week-old socks!!!! Even so, I do know that garlic has many qualities that make it a very healthy food. It is a natural antibiotic, antifungal…well actually, it’s just about an anti-everything!!! It surely keeps everyone away…thus, maybe one of the effects is to keep everyone far enough away from the sick person to keep from getting sick themselves!

Another cure that has been recommended to me is to put my elbows in hot water to help relieve the congestion from a sinus infection! That was something I’ve never heard before in my life! I asked my family and friends back home if they had ever heard of this…no…no one had ever heard that this would help with sinus congestion! I’m not really sure about why or how putting your *elbows in water would help, except that the steam from the water would certainly help to ease the congestion. So, why don’t they just do like we do at home, and put their heads over a bowl of steaming water? I don’t really know!!!!!

It is so interesting how cures and treatments can vary from country to country, and from culture to culture. We all have different ideas about what works…and we need to follow what works for us, as well as doctor’s orders! My husband and I definitely have different ideas about how to treat a cold, but we respect one another and follow what’s right for each one of us…and eventually we get over our colds…one way or another!

That’s all for today…I hope you are all healthy and happy and that you have a great week!

God bless,
Sher :0)

*It has been suggested that putting your elbows in water would help to relieve a sinus infection in this way: the hot/warm water would expand the veins in the hands which would help to relieve pressure in the sinuses.

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© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Visit to the Dentist

Hi Everyone,
Yesterday I had a visit to see my dentist. He’s very good—he’s really a specialist here, in Prague. My dentist is a great and funny guy, who also cares about his patients. My husband has visited him for several years, and when I moved here, the dentist agreed to take me on as a patient. That is not an easy thing since I suffer greatly from TMJ—temporomandibular joint dysfunction. TMJ makes visiting the dentist a hard thing as it causes more pain and discomfort during and after dental procedures. For more information about this condition, please see http://www.tmj.org/tmjds.asp. I also have severe allergies and asthma, and was not certain how my body would react to the different medicines they use here for numbing the pain! Poor me and poor dentist!!

I had heard so many horror stories about dentists in this country—about how they are rough, not clean, don’t use up-to-date drills, etc.! I was a bit nervous, well, actually, scared to visit the dentist that first time! My husband had talked to his dentist before I came and let him know that I had TMJ. Jiři (my husband) assured me that the dentist did understand TMJ and how to deal with it. OK. He also talked to the dentist about my allergies and asthma and the dentist said he understood. OK. Next, we set up the first appointment. I was pretty nervous, well, actually scared!!

Our dentist’s office is in a nice, but older building near Anděl, Prague 5. I was not used to seeing buildings that are older and sometimes a bit on the crumbly side. That made me a little more apprehensive. I was used to having a dentist in a fairly recent building that was nice on the outside, and had a well-manicured lawn, etc.! Seeing the building of our dentist, here, made me a little bit more apprehensive! I was not used to these things when I first came to the Czech Republic, and so based some of my expectations on the outside of buildings. That doesn’t really work here!

We got inside the building, and the entrance hall was good-sized and much nicer than the outside of the building—done in an older style, but very clean and nice, really. I was so shocked by this! If you see a building on the outside, in the US, and it looks like it’s older and not well-kept, then you can expect that the offices inside are shabby and probably dirty, and that they don’t have decent employees, etc.! Anyway, we took an elevator up to the dentist’s floor, and it was even nicer up there…and his waiting room was very nice. I’ve never seen a waiting room that is as clean as his (actually, my other doctors also have very clean waiting areas here)! Especially considering the outside of the building looked older and wasn’t as nice! That is one of the oxymorons of living here! You can’t judge the quality of an office by the outside of the building! The waiting room was very clean, very modern and up-to-date, but my apprehension was still pretty high!

Finally, it was my turn to see the dentist. My husband came with me as the dentist doesn’t speak too much English! (Which also added to my then high level of apprehension!!!) Our dentist is probably in his mid-40’s, balding, and is tall. He seemed very nice. The office was immaculate in all ways! And he had very up-to-the-minute dental tools! The dentist examined my teeth and told us what work needed to be done. One thing, though, he didn’t take any x-rays! I asked about that…he just smiled! That was making me nervous, as in the US, a typical first dental exam always includes a full set of x-rays! Well, evidently, not here! OK…well…that was a bit surprising, but he seemed to know what he was talking about! We set up my next appointment right away.

Since then, I’ve had many visits to our dentist. He is very caring and tries to be gentle. There is only one thing that I really miss, though, and that is laughing gas that they have available at most dentists’ in the US. I love that stuff, as it calms me down and makes me very relaxed. It also lessens the pain when you have something like TMJ. But they don’t use it here, in the Czech Republic! I have been able to get through most of my dental appointments without the gas. But right now, we are working on my lower teeth, and the pain’s pretty fierce from my TMJ. Our dentist is aware of this, and he is trying to do a little work at a time. That should help a lot, rather than doing a lot of work in a short time. I will have a period of recovery in between visits!

I have heard from others that very talented dentists and good dentists are very hard to find here. Those horror stories I heard, before moving here, are true! But I have been very lucky and blessed to have such a good dentist here! There are other options for expats that include dentists who are from the West and have offices here. But, I’m living here as if I was a Czech, and those expats’ dentists are very expensive, and usually don’t accept the Czech health insurance plan I have. So, I have opted to stay within the Czech system on all things, including the dental. And so far, this has been a good way for me to go. If you come to live here, it is possible to find a good and talented dentist! Just be sure to ask people where you work, or even check out the Expats’ website: Expats.cz. They offer very helpful information on many topics for people who are moving here.

Have a great day!

God bless,
Sher
http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com
© 2008 by czechoffhthebeatenpath