Job Discussion Forums

Laura777 · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 101 Location: Istanbul Turkey

I guess I shouldve posted the female comments in this section! Wink

Acibadem has good docs and most of them speak English.

After living in a few different countries I think that the US has by far the best and most advanced medical facilities and docs in the world. I grew up in a medical family - dad was in the hospital business - administrator of hospitals and s. VP of a major medical corporation. Perhaps that is why i am so frustrated with the care given here and the lack of treatments and medicine in this country.

Just me I too rely on the charts and this sort of program, too much bad information about other birth control methods and consequences.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Acibadem isn't bad-- I have no problem using them for myself, but I wouldn't use them for my kid, and though there's one 10 minutes from my house, I wouldn't have my baby there-- I get the feeling the treatment you get from them is based on how much money they think you have, and they love to trot out every exciting, cutting edge, high tech lab test and piece of machinery they've got, whether it's really needed or not. In fact, a lot of hospitals here are like this, and you've almost got to decide for yourself if you've really got the illnesses they may say you have, or if they're just after more money. I generally do Internet research myself for any prescriptions I'm given, as many are totally unnecessary. For most doctors here, the cure for everything is either antibiotics, a cream, or both. Also, I find doctors here rely on diagnostics with fancy machinery, and very few of them know sort of old fashioned, hands-on ways of checking, or ways of trying to heal by yourself rather than dosing yourself with huge amounts of medicine.

But actually, once you get into the higher quality hospitals, it's not too different from America, though America works the other way around-- care may be denied to you based on how little money they think you have, and real illnesses can be left untreated if it's too expensive. In both places, there's a magic pill or machine for everything if the patient can afford it, and in both places it's a challenge to find doctors who don't want to control or intervene with every aspect of health.

In the beginning of my pregnancy, I saw doctors at Acibadem 4 times, and not once did anyone touch me or ask how I was doing/feeling, and it wasn't till the last visit anyone bothered to weigh me-- it was straight to the shiny new machine that goes ping. When I mentioned having mild morning sickness, the doc whipped out his prescription book to give me some medicine for that, which is totally unnecessary unless the mother is violently ill and losing too much weight. He also told me that I was gaining too much weight, and that I should take vitamins instead of eating fruit. That's about when I decided to bail on them.

yaramaz · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:49 pm Post subject:

Justme, I thought you hadnt gained enough weight during your pregnancy...didn't your MIL inform you that you were wilfully starving her unborn grandchild at one point?

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Yeah, I was totally starving him, which is hy he came out so big I was shocked he actually fit in there. Last week, the doctor confirmed that he indeed has a big head (housing his massive brain, which will someday lead him to rule the world), so it wasn't just my imagination...

Tararu, you're right. Actually, I think vitamin taking is pretty much BS anyway. Your body doesn't process them like it does vitamins from food, so you just pee most of them out and they're pretty much a waste of money. That doctor was full of it-- there's no way pills could be better than vitamins from fruit.

However, folic acid is hard to get from food (it prevents spinal bifida, whatever that is but it sounds awful), and babies suck up your calcium and iron, so I did take special pregnancy supplements for those things...

Laura777 · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 101 Location: Istanbul Turkey

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

www.agentprovocateur.com

The most amazing knickers l have ever seen (and probably the most expensive). You guys must go look at the shop!!

lovelace · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 190

Is it in Harvey Nicks, in Kanyon? It's not on the website but think it is. I'm saving up... Wink

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

It's on Bagdat street across the road from Vakko but about 200 mt further down the road towards Kadikoy. There might also be one in Kanyon or Cevahir, but l don't know. I think it tells on the web page.

At the moment, l just want their signature perfume. It is trully the best l have ever smelt.

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

New question! Does one of you girls know of a homeopath/naturopath/alternative practioner ( or whatever it's called in English) in Istanbul?
I am sick and tired of being stuffed with antibiotics that don't help anyway and want to try a different approach.

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

This place would be up near Bağdat st.

Dr. Semra Weathered
Inner Balance - The Center for Healthy Living
Istanbul, Suadiye 34740
Turkey
Phone 90 (216) 372 37 31

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

There's also a place in Etiler. But as I am more interested in kebabs and beer I forget the name.

tarte tatin · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 247 Location: Istanbul

My doctor in the UK has been strongly recommending both the implanon which goes in the upper arm and the Mirena coil. I have some reservations about them although she promised me there were no side effects. I would like to try one of these methods. My worry is that if I have either put in before coming to Turkey and then want to start a family or find these methods disagree with me, is a Turkish doctor going to know how to remove them?

My doctor assured me that all medical practitioners in Europe were up to speed with these new methods but I don't live in Europe. Even in Istanbul I would have some doubts.

The other option would be the mini-pill, would I be able to get that in the eczane?

I am fed up with other methods, especially leaving things to chance as I want to make sure I have a child at a time when it is easy for me to come to the UK.

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

With both implants and coils it often takes quite a while to conceive after they've been removed. Just keep that in mind when planning for a little one.
I think you should get on the net and start doing some googling about the two products that you mentioned and see whether there is someone in the know in Istanbul or Ankara. Perhaps call some of the big private hospitals here and ask to speak to their resident gynaecologist.