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. Beer is 60cents a long neck and cigarettes are $1 a pack – so you drink and smoke too much.

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