Going to the Doctor in Jordan

Okay, Aisha spiked a temperature today, so I had to bring her to the doctor.

Going to the MD here is so different than the states. It is truly the biggest thing that makes me anxious here. I'm not anxious because there aren't good doctors here...that's not it at all. There are many good doctors here; infact, there are an over abundance of MDs in Jordan. The thing that makes me anxious is that, being a nurse, I know there are great doctors and there are really, really bad doctors. Am I wrong sister Nurses?!

As a nurse in the states I hand picked my doctor, my husbands doctor and my pediatrician....I knew all of them on a personal level, I trusted each of them and I knew they were great practitioners. So now we are in Jordan....there are so many MDs to choose from and the entire healthcare system is different. You just show up, no appointment necessary, and see any MD. I know little of the language; however, many of them speak English so that's a plus. Their examinations are short, their history & physicals are near to none, there is no follow up and you always leave with a prescription for a broad spectrum antibiotic....ALWAYS!

In the US, we try so hard to not over prescribe antibiotics that it makes question the necessity of their presriptions here. But what can a mother do? In less than one hour her temp. was elevating (no temp. needed to be taken, she felt as though she was on fire), refused to take her medicine, take a bath or put a cool washcloth over her head, she was tachycardiac and becoming lethargic! Off to the MD we went. Honestly, this Mommy was nervous for the first time since she was in the NICU.

All in all, the MD was really nice, spoke English, listened to my concerns, did a quick exam, said she had an infected throat and sent us home with a script for NSAID suppository prn and of coarse and antibiotic! When we got home, she 'gracefully kicked the crap out of me' as I place her suppository, her temp came down to normal, she took her antibiotic, ate lunch, took a bath and is now sleeping comfortably! Alhumdillah (Thank God), she is doing better and Mom can relax!