Special delivery

I, unfortunately, don't have a photo to post today. I'm disappointed because I wanted this to be mainly about photos and not text, but I didn't have the nerve to ask the person involved if I could take his photo. But, I will tell you about it...

Yesterday, I took the boys to the wonderful pediatrician recommended to me by a mother from school. They needed some shots. I have not been well since Sunday--runny nose, sore throat, headache, etc. When we walked into the doctor's office he was on the phone talking to someone about swine flu. So, after the shots were done, I asked him if we should be concerned. He said there have been minor cases in the schools and, noticing I wasn't well, he said I should get tested. Okay. He gave me a number to call of a lab that comes to you. Yes, they make house calls! I couldn't believe it. In France, there is an organization of doctors called SOS Medecin that makes house calls (but you still have to go out and get your prescriptions, which was hard being sick and living on a 7 floor walk-up like I was at the time).

So, the man arrives just one hour after I called to make an appointment, pulls out a white lab coat, rubber gloves and a mask, asks me a few questions, takes a throat culture and is off. Wow. I'm impressed. I even got my results back exactly 24 hours later. No swine flu, but I do have the regular old flu. No fun.

Here, though, just about everything can be delivered. All the shops at our local market deliver. All shops at the markets a bit further from us deliver. Subway delivers, MacDonald's delivers (neither of which we've done yet). There is no lack for home delivery here. But, laboratory house calls...I'm still impressed.