Accessing Health Care Services in Moscow

from The American Women's Organization of Moscow - Online Magazine / May 2020 (redacted copy)

Green News

Accessing Health Care Services in Moscow by Dmitry Vasilenko, MD

I hope you are all doing well physically and emotionally during this time. I want to follow up with you on the current situation as I see it based on what we are dealing with clinically and make sure that you have someone to call if you feel you are in need.

While some are expecting the peak in the next few weeks, my personal opinion is that it will be later. In any case, it is best to plan for medical situations, because this will not be behind us overnight. As the numbers rise, the healthcare system will experience the same overload that has been experienced around the world. Measures are in place for that and my colleagues and I are working diligently to serve those who are ill. We need more time to get over this situation, but rest assured, we will get there. making appointments to see regular doctors and even specialists. State hospitals in Moscow have redesigned their structures to deal with patients of COVID as an increase in cases is expected. State hospitals are postponing elective treatments as of now and are only dealing with emergency cases. Visiting any medical institution at this point in time is associated with an increased risk, therefore, I suggest careful evaluation before heading in. As you may remember, you can reach me attrustmedical.ru at the “Find your Doctor” link or on my patient Whatsapp number +7-965-444-0038. I will personally help you connect you with the medical care you need. Best Regards,

Just so you know, private clinics in Moscow are operating as usual and there are no issues with Dr. Dima

Here are my suggestions during this time:

1. When experiencing symptoms that cause concern, call your clinic’s office and ask to speak to your doctor before going in. A

Telehealth consultation will allow the doctor to listen to what is going on in light of your medical history. Many clinics can arrange for a doctor visit in your home. Ask if this is possible. This will give both of you peace of mind as you determine any need for medical intervention. 2. If there is a prescription issue at hand, the doctor can also adjust the dosage as needed without you ever going in. Doctors are now doing this regularly to minimize contact and save time. 3. If there is an emergency, CALL your clinic’s ambulance service and go in. Do not hesitate. All of the clinics are prepared in case of emergency.

Who is Dr. Vasilenko?

Dr. Dmitry Vasilenko, MD is a general practitioner at Chaika Hospital and Clinic in Moscow, Russia. He is a board certified physician in Russia and also received certification in 2016 by the Educational Commission For Foreign Medical Graduates in USA. In addition to his work at Chaika, Dr. Vasilenko acts as a medical consultant at DocDoc, focusing on the quality of the telemedicine unit.

He also leads a telegram and YouTube channel for Russian doctors: Doctor English, where he shares the latest achievements in the field of science and medicine.

Click on the link to listen to Dr. Vasilenko’s lecture on Coronavirus (Russian only) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=QSZ_EFKyyXo&t=250s Dr. Vasilenko is married to Olga, a professional English teacher and a medical translator.

They have two wonderful children: a daughter of 15 years and a son of 10 years.

You’re Not Lazy — Self-Isolation is Utterly Exhausting by Gillian Sisley

I’m the perfect case study for why selfisolation based on societal demand makes all the difference between thriving vs. surviving.

After voluntarily entering self-isolation three days ago, I’ve come to a startling discovery. Working from home, barely seeing people, meetings over Skype and phone, very little human contact…I have

been voluntarily self-isolating for the better part of three years of my life.

I’m an introvert who runs her own businesses from home, and I reallythriveon working alone and not having a lot of human interaction throughout my workday. And up until now, I’ve been exceptionally content with that arrangement, each day for the last several years. Since the coronavirus outbreak, and Canada going into voluntary self-isolation as a country, the only real change is that my husband is now also working from home. He’s in his basement office, I’m on the top floor in my everyday office. We occasionally cross paths in the kitchen during a workday. What I’m trying to say is that outwardly and logistically my life has not changed AT ALL since the coronavirus outbreak. Everything for me should be business as usual.

And yet, everything has changed.

I’m an anxious mess. I’m exhausted all the time, focusing on work is harder than ever before, and

I feel more drained than I have in years.

That is why I am here to tell you, friends and readers who are now working from home and beating yourselves up for feeling exhausted or unproductive all the time, no, you’re not lazy.

What you’re feeling is entirely normal, and completely reasonable. And here’s why:

Dealing with constant negative messaging is not a small factor.

Over the last few decades, positive self-talk has been a main topic of motivational and inspirational speakers.

It’s a main topic because it’s a practice that works. The more you speak to yourself in a positive way, the more positively you feel about yourself.

This theory also applies to the flip scenario — the more negative messaging you receive in the run of a day,

the less good you’re going to feel about yourself and the world. Social media is drowning in coronavirus content, messages of warning, panicked posts and things that just make us feel anxious and scared. This results inusconstantly feeling worried or burdened, and that feeling never really going away.

We truly underestimate how much energy it takes from us to be able to navigate and manage life when being bombarded with harmful, negative messaging at all hours of the day.

It’s no wonder we’re exhausted! Even if life feels normal in every other outward respect, our internal psychology is being tormented and constantly put down with each piece of negative messaging we consume throughout this crisis.

Additionally, there are a lot of subconscious concerns weighing heavy on the mind right now.

Really obvious negative messaging that we have a visual and tangible example of aside, there are also the subconscious (but in no way small) concerns that are swimming around in the back of our minds at all times.

My current ones look like this: • I really hope my high-risk grandparents don’t get sick. • I hope my community doesn’t put others at risk through their own ignorance and selfishness. • I wonder if all of my clients are going to suspend services this week? • Are the changes we’ve made to our budget going to be enough? • What if my husband is laid off, and we can’t pay our mortgage anymore? • I can’t carry our entire lifestyle on my already dwindling income because of this virus. • In the last five visits I’ve made to grocery stores, I have not seena singleroll of toilet paper. Literally when is the next time I’m going to see a roll of toilet paper on a shelf somewhere? • I really hope my friends in the US who are struggling right now are going to be okay, because this quarantine thing is nojoke.

This very direct and visible/audible negative messaging is taking a real toll on us.

But so are the subconscious, unique worries that we’re each personally carrying based on their own

specific circumstances.These are draining some of the last bits of energy we have left at the end of the day.

Everyone’s mental health is taking a significant blow right now.

Talk to anyone who struggles with regular mental health difficulties, and they’ll tell you the same thing:

Trying to manage declining mental health is an incredibly exhausting existence. I suffer from PTSD because of past trauma, and a constant undercurrent of anxiety is a normal in my life. Most of the time, I can manage it quite well. But when there are spikes in my PTSD, my anxiety is through the roof, I’m constantly trying to ward off panic attacks and the like… f*ck, that takesallof the energy I possibly have in me to deal with. Even basic things like cooking become difficult on those days. Because all I’m trying to do in that circumstance is survive.

We are in survival mode. Survival mode is stocked full of adrenaline and being on high alert and constantly having to look over our shoulders. All of these things demand energy from us, and we only have so much energy in the bank for use every day.

And while we can message and call one another and hop on a video chat with loved ones, these days it really is different from usual. We can’t grab a coffee with a friend, or pop over to share a bottle of wine. We’re missing out on really important and significant quality time with loved ones and our community. And that makes us feel quite lonely.

Things are really hard right now. And it’s okay to feel that way.

Final word.

For everyone out there who is working remotely when normally they would go to an office and are really struggling with that balance, you need to know thatyou’re not failing.

You need to know that what you’re doing to maintain a routine, look after your mental health and do all you can to keep yourself healthy and fed and taken care of is more than enough in this current circumstance.

On my really bad days with my PTSD, my only goal for myself is to do the bare minimum and survive the day until I go to bed. As long as I’ve gotten through my day, I go to bed proud of myself.

Because desperate times call for desperate measures. And we are in desperate times right now.

You need to stop beating yourself up and recognize that you’re doing the best you can and you should be proud of yourself for that. It’s okay to go to bed earlier than usual. It’s okay to feel a little melancholy right now. It’s okay to need to have emergency calls with friends because your mental health is really taking a toll. All of these inner, psychological difficulties we’re now having to manage each day demand an exceptional amount of energy from us. We are not limitless when it comes to how much energy do we have in a day. We have a cap, and that’s it. Once it’s used, there isn’t any left.

So be gracious with yourself during this time. Be gracious with your body and your mind as it deals with both physical and mental tolls which are a direct symptom of the current crisis that is taking place.

You don’t have to excel in everything you do right now. It’s frankly unfair and unrealistic to expect that out of yourself. Right now, your main goal is to keep yourself

safe and healthy, and to get through the day in one piece.

That may not sound like a very lofty goal, but coming from a person who has to navigate difficult circumstances now again with her own mental health, on the really hard days thatisa substantial goal. Breathe. Make a cup of tea or coffee. Turn on some soothing music. Text or call a loved one. Light every candle you have in your house. Have an afternoon nap. Take vitamin D if you have it on hand. And most importantly, be kind to yourself. Be gracious in your own self-messaging. Close your social media apps and open a book instead. Once every hour, stand outside for at least a minute and just soak up the sun. Remind yourself that you’re going to be okay, and that this will pass.

We’re going to get through this. On a global scale, we are unified in an act of solidarity of overcoming and navigating today’s circumstances.

You’re not alone in this. We’re in this together. I promise.

Original article from: https://medium.com/the-partnered-pen/youre-not-lazy-selfisolation-is-utterly-exhausting-df4695377db2

by Cindy Knight

In April we launched “A Photo A Day” photography challenge and WOW, what a response! Folks are really rising to the challenge to grab their phones and document their days. Here are a few from this month’s prompts!