Travel insurance, Revisited

Jim-Minh wrote:

I had the best intentions of attending a school for getting my teaching cert and then moving to Da Lat.  After Christmas, I contracted a drug-resistant staph infection that put me in the hospital in an isolation ward with a two-inch flesh-eaten-bacteria hole in my back. I've been healthy all my life and never had to rely on anyone.
Big Shock on this one.
If you are relying on Medicaid in the US or on healthcare with an expat exclusion, you need to get right with the world. You need insurance. I am close to $10,000 into a really bad lesson on this issue. I did nothing stupid to deserve this one, it was happenstance. I've eaten a bunch of family obligation and have a bunch of crap to eat. The obligations are coming in as we speak.
Don't leave your ass hanging out any more than necessary. Arrange to have care, don't be a burden, and don't lose face because you are weak or unable.

Good advice.

Such infections (like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: MRSA) often begin from a very common event in Southeast Asia:

A bug bite.

It's estimated that over 80% of the human population in developed areas has the MRSA bug on their body somewhere.

If the skin isn't broken (or the eyes, nose, ears, etc "rubbed" the wrong way) the bug isn't an active threat.

But if a bug bite isn't cleaned & disinfected, or conjunctivitis of the eye quickly treated, the bug goes crazy, and hospitalization is too-often necessary.

I understand "saving face":

I once had a bug bite right below my left eye, on my cheek.

Within 24 hours I could tell I was in trouble.

I had to insist that the E.R. Physician's Assistant at the V.A. hospital give me an antibiotic injection, not just pills to take home.

Luckily, my face was saved.

Thinking a good thought for you Jim.

Staph seems to be pretty rampant here, sadly.

wildwildwest wrote:

Staph seems to be pretty rampant here, sadly.

In fairness, it's pretty rampant in the USA too.

That figure I quoted of over 80% of the population being carriers was based on a "survey" done outside some Walmart stores (I can't locate the link) where people were asked to have their skin swabbed for culturing.

Over 80% of the swabs cultured positive for MRSA.

In my opinion, the problem here is compounded by poor hygiene (especially hand washing facilities) and people not realizing how vigilant they need to be.

I've personally crushed two toe tips since I've been here, but because I'm very aggressive with first aid for even little bug bites, my toes never became infected.

When I was actively working as a hospital Registered Nurse, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that hand sanitizers were just as effective as hand washing, if not more so.

Now I carry one of these around most of the time. Works for hand sanitizing AND quick cleaning of bug bites, though it stings like crazy on crushed toes...



Vinmart and other local markets usually have it.

when I was in HCM I purchased a bunch of these  small bottles of alcohol at the pharmacy and had my friend carry 1-2 of them  in her purse.

We used them to wash our hands often, and anytime we used the gym facilities we washed the handles we were using ad used them to disinfect our rooms , especially the kitchen and washroom areas.

I think our bodies are going to be more susceptible to viruses because we haven't built up any tolerance for them like the locals have.

We also took a risk and traveled without any insurance

The son-in-law is a nurse practitioner. He carries a small pump bottle of what's probably isopropyl in his pocket. It seems to work well and is very economical.

diy spray:

2 ounce spray bottle.
5 drops vitamin E oil (optional, this makes for soft hands!)
2 tablespoons witch hazel with aloe vera or vodka.
5 drops lemon essential oil.
5 drops orange essential oil.
5 drops tea tree essential oil.
Distilled (or at least filtered, boiled, and cooled) water.

I think the commercial sanitizer uses 91% isopropyl. I'll ask Toan what he uses.

Jim-Minh wrote:

The son-in-law is a nurse practitioner. He carries a small pump bottle of what's probably isopropyl in his pocket. It seems to work well and is very economical.

diy spray:

2 ounce spray bottle.
5 drops vitamin E oil (optional, this makes for soft hands!)
2 tablespoons witch hazel with aloe vera or vodka.
5 drops lemon essential oil.
5 drops orange essential oil.
5 drops tea tree essential oil.
Distilled (or at least filtered, boiled, and cooled) water.

I think the commercial sanitizer uses 91% isopropyl. I'll ask Toan what he uses.

For the average lazy person like me (ok, I'm above average lazy) something is better than nothing.

Your mix sounds interesting, and if I can find someone to make it for me, I'll try it.

Right now, mixing onion/garlic juice, citronella oil and tea tree oil for my combination bug spray and skin treatment takes all the extra energy I have...

🤣🤣🤣

OB - I'm inclined to agree. There are just so many hours in a day and I'd much rather spend them doing something I really enjoy.
So my vote is to buy a commercially available refill and do something with the time I would've spent making my own.

Like your "saving face" analogy ; )

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

wildwildwest wrote:

Staph seems to be pretty rampant here, sadly.

In fairness, it's pretty rampant in the USA too.

That figure I quoted of over 80% of the population being carriers was based on a "survey" done outside some Walmart stores (I can't locate the link) where people were asked to have their skin swabbed for culturing.

Over 80% of the swabs cultured positive for MRSA.

In my opinion, the problem here is compounded by poor hygiene (especially hand washing facilities) and people not realizing how vigilant they need to be.

I've personally crushed two toe tips since I've been here, but because I'm very aggressive with first aid for even little bug bites, my toes never became infected.

When I was actively working as a hospital Registered Nurse, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that hand sanitizers were just as effective as hand washing, if not more so.

Now I carry one of these around most of the time. Works for hand sanitizing AND quick cleaning of bug bites, though it stings like crazy on crushed toes...

[img align=C]https://media-ak.static-adayroi.com/sys_master/h9a/hdf/9536115343390.jpg[/url]

Vinmart and other local markets usually have it.

MRSA (and others) has met its match.

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to modern medicine: As MRSA and other bacteria become immune to our most common antibiotics, researchers must develop new ways to fight these pathogens. One of these alternatives actually involves viruses called bacteriophages, which prey on bacteria. Though bacteriophages (or “phages” for short) are not currently approved for widespread human use within the United States, they are being used under Emergency Investigative New Drug FDA clearance and could one day be used in conjunction with antibiotics to treat the most stubborn bacterial infections.

A new video from NIAID explores how phages function, how phage cocktails are assembled, and more. Watch the video here:

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/v … ion-phages

Best source for essential oils in HCMC? Lazardo has for 1/4 the ridiculous price at mall (450k) but prefer to purchase cash

TubbsFugee wrote:

Best source for essential oils in HCMC? Lazardo has for 1/4 the ridiculous price at mall (450k) but prefer to purchase cash

You can purchase in cash at Lazada.

TubbsFugee wrote:

Best source for essential oils in HCMC? Lazardo has for 1/4 the ridiculous price at mall (450k) but prefer to purchase cash

https://toplist.vn/top-list/dia-chi-mua … -12955.htm

Some of the companies listed will ship COD.

Use Google to Translate the pages

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Jim-Minh wrote:

The son-in-law is a nurse practitioner. He carries a small pump bottle of what's probably isopropyl in his pocket. It seems to work well and is very economical.

diy spray:

2 ounce spray bottle.
5 drops vitamin E oil (optional, this makes for soft hands!)
2 tablespoons witch hazel with aloe vera or vodka.
5 drops lemon essential oil.
5 drops orange essential oil.
5 drops tea tree essential oil.
Distilled (or at least filtered, boiled, and cooled) water.

I think the commercial sanitizer uses 91% isopropyl. I'll ask Toan what he uses.

For the average lazy person like me (ok, I'm above average lazy) something is better than nothing.

Your mix sounds interesting, and if I can find someone to make it for me, I'll try it.

Right now, mixing onion/garlic juice, citronella oil and tea tree oil for my combination bug spray and skin treatment takes all the extra energy I have...

🤣🤣🤣

If somebody sold made-up bottles, I think those would sell well among expats who prefer natural alternatives to chemical sprays.

It has never taken me more than a few minutes to blend EOs for any purpose.  I use natural products, mostly my own EO recipes, for everything — shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, cold, allergy, headache, stomach upset, insomnia, energy boost, insect bites, etc. 

BTW, even though I grew up in the 60s, I've never been a tree hugger or long hair hippie.  Never even owned a broomstick skirt.  I just don't want to use chemicals unless there isn't any other option.

Ciambella wrote:

It has never taken me more than a few minutes to blend EOs for any purpose.  I use natural products, mostly my own EO recipes, for everything — shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, cold, allergy, headache, stomach upset, insomnia, energy boost, insect bites, etc. 

BTW, even though I grew up in the 60s, I've never been a tree hugger or long hair hippie.  Never even owned a broomstick skirt.  I just don't want to use chemicals unless there isn't any other option.

Shampoos without harmful ingredients are the most difficult to find.

My sister will soon bring me about 20 shampoos from well-known German nature brands.

When I have more time again (and my own garden) I will make me more smart about how I can make my own natural body care products.

I will then open a new thread and hope that you reveal one or two secrets of your own creations.