Made in Japan, Outsourced Globally

In my previous post, I wrote a brief line about the ER. This caused some concerns due to my lack of information.

Basically, Randy has been sick for the last couple weeks. These last couple days have been more severe than others, and over the weekend, his tonsils have enlarged to a point where he could hardly breathe. He's been on antibiotics for strep, but his conditions showed no improvement whatsoever. So, I took him to the ER (his car was snowed-in and stuck). At the ER, he's on IVs and waiting forever... the diagnosis was "mono" (mononucleiosis). But... his physician called the next day to tell him he doesn't have mono and that he has strep plus some weird virus. Conflicting diagnosis and conflicting treatments. (My Indian roommate has no faith in American doctors now - his aunt was diagnosed with cancer, when all she had was a common cold. Although that's an extreme case, I see his point). The most frustrating thing is that there's no improvement in Randy's condition - he feels sicker and sicker by the day.

It makes me wonder if we have reached the ceiling for Western medicine. Have the diseases won over human kind already? And have we become too reliant on the "quick-fix" by the medication to outdo ourselves? That's a scary thought. But then again, if what Randy has is viral, all he can do is let his body do its due dilligence.

So, there you have it. It's the season to be sick. Please take care, and do all you can to be healthy (relax, don't stress, excercise, and eat balanced meals - it's amazing how simple these things are, but we don't follow through on a daily basis). And it beats having to go to the doctor!

p.s. - some Japanese home remedies for fighting the cold: 1) cook rice porridge with onion, carrots, at the end add scrambled egg, a dash of soy sauce, and green onions; 2) ground ginger, corn starch, sugar, cold water + add hot water in mixture and stir; 3) udon noodles cooked in miso soup (with lots and lots of green onions) - chicken, carrots, and drop in an egg at the end. I feel like a grandma, but grandma knows best.