Have you ever wondered how we visit the doctor, all the way out here in woop woop, when we are sick? Well wonder no longer…..I am sure you have been dying to know…..
We all arrived home, from our week in town, sick. Very chesty coughs and just down right miserable. It is not fun at all. It happened last year too and took over a month and 3 rounds of antibiotics to get over. I just hope it doesn’t take that long this time round.
So after nearly a week of coughing and feeling terrible I decided it was time to call the doctor. Yes, yet again, it was a phone call to our trusty RFDS team in Mt Isa. I was so happy to hear the friendly voice of Dr Don on the other end of the line when I called. Dr Don has been with the RFDS forever and is just a bloody nice guy. Always very helpful and friendly. After a few questions to determine what in fact was wrong with me and my tribe it was decided I should take a course of antibiotics….thank god. Please – anything to help.
This service is possibly one of the big upsides of living remotely. We don’t have to call a medical centre, try to get a last minute booking (if you are lucky) and then wait 2 hours at the clinic to see the Doctor and then find a pharmacy to fill the prescription.
It is very simple for us and I am very very thankful for this. In less than 10 minutes I had spoken to the Doctor, determined what was wrong and had the medication in my hot little hands. I kid you not – 9 minutes it took. How fantastic is that!!!
We have a RFDS Medical Kit full of every different kind of medication you could possibly need. We basically have a pharmacy in our house. I have mine set up in my laundry cupboard with a lock on it. All the medication is numbered so there is no need to try and remember all the technical terms for the medicine. Dr Don told me to take 2 tablets of #159 each day for 5 days. I just looked on the list inside my cupboard door, found #159 and it told me that this is in tray B – EASY!
So there you have it folks, a medical consultation – Outback Style. Your day will be so much better now that you have this knowledge. Ha ha ha.
Tips for dealing with chesty coughs during the night:
1. Place cut onion beside bed (don’t laugh, this actually works)
2. Rub Vicks on the soles of your feet
3. Rub Vicks on chest
4. Dose up on anything that will stop your nose running, I take some Codral Night and a few sprays of Sinus Spray
This all seems to help me get a relatively good nights sleep with minimal coughing.
Now lets just hope we all get better.
I’m intrigued by this – please share heaps more special outback info! I do hope you get better soon, I remember being VERY sick a week before Xmas with blocked up and I couldn’t taste anything at my mum’s early Christmas meal. Take care lovely xxx
Thanks Em, hope we all feel better by Christmass too.
Wow! How do I get myself one of those medical kits? 🙂
We are lucky aren’t we. But don’t worry – we can’t just “help ourself” most of it needs to be prescribed by a doctor. But gee it makes life easy.
Pray tell.. how is your carbosorb not spilt everywhere!?!
That probably the one thing we never use but are always ordering.. its in a vacuum bag now finally!! Haha
I just went to check it out Courtney – it is fine, all sealed up, the bottle hasn’t been opened, but I think I have had an incident where it has leaked.
Been there done that so many memories of the medical chest and RFDS roll call 7 o’clock every morning can still remember our call sign too! They’re an awesome service that invaluable to everyone. Hope to join the RFDS one day!
They are just the best aren’t they! Good luck with joining one day!!!
Thank you yes they’re fabulous! Hope you don’t have to phone them for a while!
Me too!!!