De Huis Dokter

A couple of weeks ago our Flemish teacher was sick so he missed a few days of class. When he returned we commented that we were glad he was feeling better and could return to work. He enjoys speaking English when he gets the chance and since we were the only ones in the classroom at the time, he told us an interesting story.

He said 'I don't know what you call it in America, but here, when you're sick, the house doctor comes and 1) decides if you are indeed sick 2) assesses your symptoms and determines how to treat you and 3) decides at that moment when you should be well and ready to go back to work.' He said the doctor can say two days, three days, etc and you must return to work on the designated day. Now I assume if you are still sick on "return to work" day, you can call the house doctor back and be reassessed.

By the way, I told him in America, we don't call that kind of doctor anything because they haven't existed for about 50 years.

I wonder if this whole scenario is because he works for the government by teaching Flemish to the masses. He said, and it is true everywhere, that sometimes people will take advantage of being sick and stay away from work more days than necessary. He further stated that some companies will actually pay a bonus to the house doctor if they are able to get a person back to work sooner. I don't know if that's true, but it is an interesting system.

I can't say I'd need anybody to tell me when I should and shouldn't go to work when I'm sick and for the years I worked, I was fortunate to have never missed a day because I was sick.

I've always been a stickler for that. From preschool on, our kids rarely missed a day of school. Frankly, I can't remember them ever missing a day of school. And for that I am grateful. I remember when Randi broke her collarbone on the playground at A.E. Phillips. Since Jim and I both worked out of town, Jim's Dad picked her up at school, took her to the ER, had her x-rayed, and took her home. Although she wore a brace, she went to school the next day. Why not?

I didn't need a government-paid huis dokter to tell me she could function just as well in a desk as she could on the couch. Unfortunately, I guess some of us do - here and there.

I'm pretty sure all a huis dokter would tell me is that I could use a shrink.