It wasn't the cookies

Tuesday morning I woke up with not just a bad stomach ache, but nausea, and less than stellar digestive functions.

I called a colleague to say I wasn't coming in and finally was somewhat presentable to walk to my doctor's office at 11am.

Just as I thought: gastro-entérite, or as all French people say "une gastro"
The first time I had it was in France several years ago and I learned that this bacterial or viral infection of the digestive system is was most people in the States incorrectly call the stomach flu, when in fact it has nothing to do with the flu (and everything to do with inflammation of the intestinal tract).

My doctor gave me an "arrêt de travail" for three days, but I only took two since I was feeling alright today. As far as I know, you don't get "sick days" in France like in the states. If you are home sick for less than 4 days, you lose pay. Starting on the 4 day, the Secu starts paying your salary, the first three days being "jours de carence". I guess you have to give up being able to call in sick in the morning and still get paid when you have 6 weeks of vacation a year. I don't know if I'll be paid less this month because of my two days off (I am only an intern after all, and they don't pay me a ton), but I didn't want to lose 3 days of pay when 2 was enough to recouperate.

During all this I got to experience the wonders of Smecta. What? you say. France's Pepto-Bismol (and just as weird). Smecta, the gray powder you put in a glass of water that's described as "argile antiacide, pansement gastro-intestinal et anti-diarrhéique". Yep, clay anti-acide. The stuff I had tasted like fake almond and left grit in my teeth. The liquid looked a light brown, kind of like when you water-color and wash your brush after using several colors. The powder doesn't really dislove in the water, so you have to keep stirring (unless you can drink it all at once). I did talk with a pharamcist this evening though who assured me that the newer version was orange flavored and when diluted in a tall glass of water it was actually drinkable. Unfortunately I'll probably have to try it.

The pharmacist also sold me something that I'm now realizing was a bit of a rip-off. I asked for Bacterix, which is supposed to get rid of intestinal infections, and he gave me a complément alimentaire that's supposed to "maintient l'équilibre de la flore". Why am I such a sucker as soon as it comes to products I've never heard of? We'll see how it works. I did pay 8,75€ for a product that lists "Fécule de pomme de terre" as it's first ingredient though, with "dextrose" as the second.

At least all this wasn't due to my cookies.

*UPDATE*
I talked with a friend of B's who's a pharmacist (the Mr. Bean look-alike for Sam) and he said I ran into a good commercial (because all pharmacists are also salesmen as he reminded me) who sold me something with a high profit margin. Lactibiane is basically yogurt cultures concentrated in a box. But Mr. Bean-look-alike also explained that Bacterix is not necessarily the best thing for gastros because it gets ride of bacteria and most gastros are caused by viruses. So the fact that I don't have any more Bacterix isn't a problem, but what I was sold instead isn't really going to help me anymore than eating two Actimels.

I'm going back tomorrow morning to see if I can be reimbursed. There's a good chance they'll say no, but I might as well try.

And a reminder to everyone that French and American pharmacies are really different. I'm used to accepting whatever the pharmacist gives me because it's what my doctor prescribed. But in France doctors write prescriptions for things that aren't "by prescription" (neck braces, bandages, cough syrup, etc) and pharmacists are almost always going to offer you the most expensive choice they have. I ended up with Immodium today and then realized I had the generic brand once I was home (that cost me a lot less) and all I had to do was say 'Oh, can you give me the generic brand instead of the Immodium?". I have to remind myself that you can negotiate and ask questions about how much everything costs. I get all caught up in the "if the pharmacist says so!"