Postcard from China

Gin Scarff has spent the last 6 months studying in China as part of her post-grad degree in  Traditional Chinese Medicine. The hospital she’s working in is much better than she expected – but she tells us her “baby-poo-on-the-streets dodging skills” have served her well!   In between travelling around and generally having a ball, she has of course been learning and reading heaps about the big D.

BAD THINGS

• Type 1 Diabetes is not very common here, so it’s difficult to get anything you need – information and help especially thin on the ground. So if you do come here, bring everything with you, and then work out suppliers once you are here (before if possible).
• Strips for glucometers are VERY expensive, about A$1 each, and you only get a small number in a packet – YAY DAV! 
• No government subsidies – as far as my limited Chinese has let me find out – so everything is very costly.
• Diet food and drinks are not commonplace here – very lucky if you can find a Diet Coke and they love their sweet and fatty foods.
• Beer is 60cents a long neck and cigarettes are $1 a pack – so you drink and smoke too much.

GOOD THINGS

• Really good fruit and veg here and food is pretty delicious – once you ask for no MSG and little oil.
• Food is really cheap - you can eat a massive meal and it will cost you maybe 3-4 bucks.
• Walk or ride your bike everywhere, so get lots of exercise.
• People here think you’re strange anyway so it doesn’t matter if you are having a hypo and do something strange – they just think that’s what foreigners do.
• If you are having a hypo there is heaps of carbos/sugar around.

Also see Traditional Chinese Medicine (i breathe therefore i am . . . am i?)

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