Dubai has the third fastest growing economies on the planet and is one of the weathiest cities in the world. It is not uncommon to see Bentleys parked out in front of your local supermarket. The mercedes is the vehicle of choice for most local families. Given all of this wealth, one would assume that Dubai, and the Gulf Arab countries in general, have excellent health care and resources. WRONG.
Up until last week, there were absolutely no pediatric gastroenterologists in Dubai. As a result of Zane's rare allergic disease and need for frequent endoscopies, an American board certified adult gastroenterologist ordered the first pediatric endoscopy unit in the Gulf outside of Saudi Arabia. The first pediatric endoscopy was performed on a child in March, shortly before we returned from the States. Prior to that, if a doctor had to perform an endoscopy on a child they used adult equipment which is extremely dangerous.
The other problem with health care here is simply a cultural one. In the East, they simply don't take certain illnesses too seriously - like allergic diseases. When we first moved to Dubai, I told the receptionist at the hotel check-in that I desperately needed a non-smoking room because I have allergies and asthma. He replied by asking me, "What are allergies?"
When Zane had his adenoid surgery last week, my biggest fear was that they would give him medication that contained one of the many things he is allergic to in it - namely soy, egg or dairy, which many medications are made from. They didn't. But, after the surgery they fed Zane food that he was allergic to and then informed us that the hospital did not have the ability to accommodate his restrictive diet.
How do the locals do it, you wonder? Some of the Gulf Arab states are welfare states. The governments provide everything and anything for their wealthy citizens. If you are an Emirati local that needs health care services the government will pay for you and your family to travel anywhere in the world to recieve such specified care. A nose job? No problem. Face lift? Check. Heart bypass surgery? Sure. You got it. The government will pay for its citizenry to stay as long as they need to with all expenses paid.
Nice, huh?
Signing off from Dubai - where it was 110 degrees F today,
Nancy
PS. Zane did really well in his surgery and has healed nicely. Thank you to all for your thoughts and prayers.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Where do we begin?
It's been a while since I last wrote. However, I assure you that I have valid excuses for not updating all of you on our latest and greatest. So, where do we begin?
We moved the end of January / beginning of February from our beach front flat to a massive villa in Umm Suquiem 2 / Al Manara area of Dubai. I know what all of our friends and family back in the States are thinking . . . "What? Mohamed and Nancy moved?! No way. That's not like them." But, alas, it is true. We lucked out and found a bigger place which is much much cheaper and so, in Dubai, you don't pass up prime opportunities like that even if you do have full sea views.
Next, Zane's health began to deteriorate very quickly and he fell very ill. We have been taking him to doctors for a year now trying to figure out what is wrong with him. It got so bad that he was vomiting every day all day long and had not put any weight on over the last year since his first birthday. We took him to the emergency room here one night only to be told that health care here in Dubai is so basic that they can not perform the tests necessary on him to help or treat him. Doctors suggested that we take Zane to Europe or the States for medical testing and that is exactly what we did for the month of February. We were there for over a month and finally figured out what is wrong with Zane. He has severe and multiple food allergies which went undiagnosed for so long that he developed a rare and chronic allergic disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis (also known as EE). Zane is allergic to rice, wheat, gluten, beef, lamb, fish, shellfish, soy, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds and certain fruits. Every time he ate something that contained any of those ingredients, the eosinophils or white blood cells in his body, would grow in his esophagus and attack the food coming down his throat causing him to vomit. Those eosinophils have now taken on a life on their own. In normal healthy people, eosinophils act to attack only foreign substances that are harmful to your body. In Zane's case, he has a disorder where the eosinophils mistakenly attack food because his body is allergic to it - but sometimes they also just "attack." Now, they won't go away and even when he doesn't eat food he is allergic to he vomits. His esophagus has suffered some damage and scarring as a result creating a severe acid reflux problem for him as well. He must undergo frequent steroid treatments to keep the eosinophils in his body at bay and allow him to be able to eat and drink without a problem. He has had to be hospitalized a few times because of his condition as well which was hard on him. But, the vomiting has subsided considerably and we are now focusing on helping Zane to heal his esophagus and gain weight.
We are fortunate because many children with Zane's allergic disease, EE, are never able to eat again and must be fed special formula through a feeding tube to keep them alive and prevent malnutrition. Zane is able to eat and drink on his own and his "numbers" of Ige related allergies and eosinophils are not too bad. Doctors believe that Zane will outgrow some of his food allergies but not all, unfortunately. But, the EE may be here to stay for quite some time. Ilhumdullah, Zane is still the happiest little boy ever. His smile lights up a room. I often tell people that if anyone should have to get a disease like this that perhaps it is best that it is someone like Zane because he is resilient and happy anyway - even when he isn't able to keep down any food or liquids. I still feel blessed that God gave me a wonderful little boy and I would rather spend a bad day with Zane than a good day by myself. But, please say a prayer for my little boy that he outgrows all his food allergies and that the eosinophilic disorder goes into "remission" (if there is such a thing for EE).
Zane drinks a special formula called Elecare that is hypo-allergenic yet contains all the vitamins, nutrients and minerals that he needs to prevent malnutrition and encourage growth. The problem with the stuff is that it isn't very filling and it is extremely expensive. But, we have to do whatever it takes to keep Zane healthy. He also needs to undergo frequent biopsies to measure his eosinophils and see if his esophagus is healing. He may also need to undergo more allergy testing to determine if there is anything else he is allergic to -- doctors believe that he is. It hasn't been an easy ride but God meant for Zane to fight this fight for a reason. Mohamed and I are just trying to be there to support, guide and help him all we can when he is most sick.
We moved the end of January / beginning of February from our beach front flat to a massive villa in Umm Suquiem 2 / Al Manara area of Dubai. I know what all of our friends and family back in the States are thinking . . . "What? Mohamed and Nancy moved?! No way. That's not like them." But, alas, it is true. We lucked out and found a bigger place which is much much cheaper and so, in Dubai, you don't pass up prime opportunities like that even if you do have full sea views.
Next, Zane's health began to deteriorate very quickly and he fell very ill. We have been taking him to doctors for a year now trying to figure out what is wrong with him. It got so bad that he was vomiting every day all day long and had not put any weight on over the last year since his first birthday. We took him to the emergency room here one night only to be told that health care here in Dubai is so basic that they can not perform the tests necessary on him to help or treat him. Doctors suggested that we take Zane to Europe or the States for medical testing and that is exactly what we did for the month of February. We were there for over a month and finally figured out what is wrong with Zane. He has severe and multiple food allergies which went undiagnosed for so long that he developed a rare and chronic allergic disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis (also known as EE). Zane is allergic to rice, wheat, gluten, beef, lamb, fish, shellfish, soy, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds and certain fruits. Every time he ate something that contained any of those ingredients, the eosinophils or white blood cells in his body, would grow in his esophagus and attack the food coming down his throat causing him to vomit. Those eosinophils have now taken on a life on their own. In normal healthy people, eosinophils act to attack only foreign substances that are harmful to your body. In Zane's case, he has a disorder where the eosinophils mistakenly attack food because his body is allergic to it - but sometimes they also just "attack." Now, they won't go away and even when he doesn't eat food he is allergic to he vomits. His esophagus has suffered some damage and scarring as a result creating a severe acid reflux problem for him as well. He must undergo frequent steroid treatments to keep the eosinophils in his body at bay and allow him to be able to eat and drink without a problem. He has had to be hospitalized a few times because of his condition as well which was hard on him. But, the vomiting has subsided considerably and we are now focusing on helping Zane to heal his esophagus and gain weight.
We are fortunate because many children with Zane's allergic disease, EE, are never able to eat again and must be fed special formula through a feeding tube to keep them alive and prevent malnutrition. Zane is able to eat and drink on his own and his "numbers" of Ige related allergies and eosinophils are not too bad. Doctors believe that Zane will outgrow some of his food allergies but not all, unfortunately. But, the EE may be here to stay for quite some time. Ilhumdullah, Zane is still the happiest little boy ever. His smile lights up a room. I often tell people that if anyone should have to get a disease like this that perhaps it is best that it is someone like Zane because he is resilient and happy anyway - even when he isn't able to keep down any food or liquids. I still feel blessed that God gave me a wonderful little boy and I would rather spend a bad day with Zane than a good day by myself. But, please say a prayer for my little boy that he outgrows all his food allergies and that the eosinophilic disorder goes into "remission" (if there is such a thing for EE).Zane drinks a special formula called Elecare that is hypo-allergenic yet contains all the vitamins, nutrients and minerals that he needs to prevent malnutrition and encourage growth. The problem with the stuff is that it isn't very filling and it is extremely expensive. But, we have to do whatever it takes to keep Zane healthy. He also needs to undergo frequent biopsies to measure his eosinophils and see if his esophagus is healing. He may also need to undergo more allergy testing to determine if there is anything else he is allergic to -- doctors believe that he is. It hasn't been an easy ride but God meant for Zane to fight this fight for a reason. Mohamed and I are just trying to be there to support, guide and help him all we can when he is most sick.
Finally, so I am not a total and complete killjoy over that last bit of news . . . Mohamed, Zane and I are happy to announce that we are expecting another addition to our family. Baby #2 is due on November 1, 2008 and after our last ultrasound today we learned that so far (God willing) we have a healthy and well developing baby.
All the best from Dubai,
Nancy
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Christmas in Dubai
We attended a Christmas party for the kids at Ski Dubai a few weeks ago. There was fake snow, a Muslim Santa, electric fire places and fun for all.
Monday, October 29, 2007
My Global Nomad
Main Entry: zane
Pronunciation: zān
Function: noun
Etymology:
Old English, derived from Alexander (meaning defender of man); Hindi, Godly light; Arabic, goodness; Hebrew, God's gift (if anyone can verify the Hebrew meaning that would be great. I have had conflicting interpretations)
1: My breath of fresh air 2: one who always makes me smile 3: heaven on earth: personified
I’ve been feeling a bit homesick as of late. I don’t necessarily miss the United States. I miss family and friends and feeling familiar more than anything else. I keep busy so homesickness doesn’t overwhelm me as it did the first time I moved overseas. Life is also much easier for me here than it was in the States so I am better off here for now. Mohamed was always off traveling five days a week commuting between New York City and Europe. I was left to my own devices trying to manage work, home, Zane, bills and whatever else came my way. Whenever I do feel a bit nostalgic for all things Americana I remember the primary driver for our big move back: Zane.
He won’t ever miss the U.S. or New York City the way I do. He won’t know it the way I do. He’ll be raised in Dubai, a welfare state with censorship. It is seemingly a utopia where social ills appear to be absent. You never see homeless people or drunks on the street. You rarely hear of crime. Everyone here drives expensive cars, has a live in maid, and vacations in exotic locations. He won’t know what it is really like to celebrate American holidays like Thanksgiving. (We missed it this year because it is not a holiday for Mohamed and he had to work.) However, he will know all about passports, visas, border control and immigration. He will know his geography well (hopefully) and experience cultures from a unique perspective.
My little global nomad is quite well traveled. At four weeks old we ventured to Quebec, Canada and London, England. He spent the first few months of his life in Switzerland and he has traveled to Germany as well. He vacationed in Mexico and has lived in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Our next stop is Alexandria and Cairo in December which should be fabulous. I want to take Zane to the pyramids and the sphinx. He’ll ride camels and boat across the Nile River. He probably won’t remember it but I will have lots of pictures to remind him of his time there. It will be a life-like history lesson. We would like to visit India and Malaysia next year as well. Maybe we can do some volunteer work there so Zane can see first hand how a large percentage of the world’s population really lives. I don’t want him to think that everyone lives like this – rich and spoiled.
Zane will start nursery school in January for three days a week. I’m traumatized by the idea that my little boy is leaving me. He won’t care or miss me. He’ll run off to be with the teachers and other kids and leave me alone. He will also start swim lessons once a week in February when the weather warms up a bit. It is still quite warm here actually. It’s been in the mid-80’s and while the ocean has cooled off a bit it is still pretty warm compared to summer at the beach back in the States. Last weekend we saw a family celebrating their child’s birthday at the beach. It was a great idea. Although Zane was born in June and it is really hot here that time of year. So, we’ll have to celebrate some place with good air conditioning.
One great part to living in the Middle East is that children are really valued here. I often felt that kids are perceived as more of an annoyance back in the States. It often feels as if Americans don’t value children because they aren’t productive members of society yet. Life is child centered here. Every place you visit will have something to accommodate children.
All malls and most restaraunts have a separate room in the women's bathrooms with leather chairs and sofas for women to privately breastfeed. Unlike the States, where you get publicly ostracized for breastfeeding in public when most places don't provide a private place for you to do so. The changing stations are quite nice as well. Some facilities have granite counter tops with cushins and baby wipes. There is a full time attendant dedicated to keeping the room sanitary. Most bathrooms have sinks lowered so children can reach without their parents having to carry them. Grocery stores will often have baby shopping carts so your child can push as you shop and fill the cart. Stores will have monitored play areas for children so their parents can shop undisturbed.
People will offer to help you with your bags if you are with a child. There are parks everywhere. Every mall has an indoor play area that is also monitored (some are free). Restaraunts and malls all provide high chairs for children that are usually kept quite clean and in very good condition. People welcome children here. They smile at them rather than roll their eyes. When Zane screams people usually give me an understanding smile rather than a look of disdane.
Pronunciation: zān
Function: noun
Etymology:
Old English, derived from Alexander (meaning defender of man); Hindi, Godly light; Arabic, goodness; Hebrew, God's gift (if anyone can verify the Hebrew meaning that would be great. I have had conflicting interpretations)
1: My breath of fresh air 2: one who always makes me smile 3: heaven on earth: personified
I’ve been feeling a bit homesick as of late. I don’t necessarily miss the United States. I miss family and friends and feeling familiar more than anything else. I keep busy so homesickness doesn’t overwhelm me as it did the first time I moved overseas. Life is also much easier for me here than it was in the States so I am better off here for now. Mohamed was always off traveling five days a week commuting between New York City and Europe. I was left to my own devices trying to manage work, home, Zane, bills and whatever else came my way. Whenever I do feel a bit nostalgic for all things Americana I remember the primary driver for our big move back: Zane.
He won’t ever miss the U.S. or New York City the way I do. He won’t know it the way I do. He’ll be raised in Dubai, a welfare state with censorship. It is seemingly a utopia where social ills appear to be absent. You never see homeless people or drunks on the street. You rarely hear of crime. Everyone here drives expensive cars, has a live in maid, and vacations in exotic locations. He won’t know what it is really like to celebrate American holidays like Thanksgiving. (We missed it this year because it is not a holiday for Mohamed and he had to work.) However, he will know all about passports, visas, border control and immigration. He will know his geography well (hopefully) and experience cultures from a unique perspective.
My little global nomad is quite well traveled. At four weeks old we ventured to Quebec, Canada and London, England. He spent the first few months of his life in Switzerland and he has traveled to Germany as well. He vacationed in Mexico and has lived in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Our next stop is Alexandria and Cairo in December which should be fabulous. I want to take Zane to the pyramids and the sphinx. He’ll ride camels and boat across the Nile River. He probably won’t remember it but I will have lots of pictures to remind him of his time there. It will be a life-like history lesson. We would like to visit India and Malaysia next year as well. Maybe we can do some volunteer work there so Zane can see first hand how a large percentage of the world’s population really lives. I don’t want him to think that everyone lives like this – rich and spoiled.
Zane will start nursery school in January for three days a week. I’m traumatized by the idea that my little boy is leaving me. He won’t care or miss me. He’ll run off to be with the teachers and other kids and leave me alone. He will also start swim lessons once a week in February when the weather warms up a bit. It is still quite warm here actually. It’s been in the mid-80’s and while the ocean has cooled off a bit it is still pretty warm compared to summer at the beach back in the States. Last weekend we saw a family celebrating their child’s birthday at the beach. It was a great idea. Although Zane was born in June and it is really hot here that time of year. So, we’ll have to celebrate some place with good air conditioning.
One great part to living in the Middle East is that children are really valued here. I often felt that kids are perceived as more of an annoyance back in the States. It often feels as if Americans don’t value children because they aren’t productive members of society yet. Life is child centered here. Every place you visit will have something to accommodate children.
All malls and most restaraunts have a separate room in the women's bathrooms with leather chairs and sofas for women to privately breastfeed. Unlike the States, where you get publicly ostracized for breastfeeding in public when most places don't provide a private place for you to do so. The changing stations are quite nice as well. Some facilities have granite counter tops with cushins and baby wipes. There is a full time attendant dedicated to keeping the room sanitary. Most bathrooms have sinks lowered so children can reach without their parents having to carry them. Grocery stores will often have baby shopping carts so your child can push as you shop and fill the cart. Stores will have monitored play areas for children so their parents can shop undisturbed.
People will offer to help you with your bags if you are with a child. There are parks everywhere. Every mall has an indoor play area that is also monitored (some are free). Restaraunts and malls all provide high chairs for children that are usually kept quite clean and in very good condition. People welcome children here. They smile at them rather than roll their eyes. When Zane screams people usually give me an understanding smile rather than a look of disdane.I went to the grocery store this morning with Zane and gave him one of his own baby shopping carts. He annoyed the hell out of me because he wouldn't stop driving it around and kept running into people. Mind you, he also had no shoes on because we just left a friend's house who had a pool and he jumped in with his clothes on. I had an extra change of clothes on me but not an extra pair of shoes. So, some people stared at me because my son was running around a store aimlessly with a renagade shopping cart and no shoes on while other simply smiled or laughed. Some of the people that worked in the store tried to help me keep him in line. But, mostly people laughed.
There are some things about Zane that are typically American. He's loud for one. He is also open and overly friendly the way only an American can be. He'll dance in the street when he hears the street workers playing their Hindi music. He will yell hello as loud as he can when he hears someone's phone ringing. And he will approach just about anyone for a hug or a handshake.
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