In her short lifetime, Reina has had two major experiences with hospitals and doctors in Beijing. Her first is the ongoing encounter that every toddler faces of periodically getting a vaccination jabbed into their arm via a huge scary needle. She doesn’t cry about the shots anymore, but she does not enjoy the experience either. Her other major doctor memory involves the surgery she had at Beijing Family United to remove a cyst on her face when she was nearly 2 years old (see story here). It doesn’t take a genius to gather that Reina is no fan of hospitals and doesn’t care much for doctors. Until this month, she had not even seen a doctor due to illness once.
All that changed when Reina came down with the flu. She may loath going to the hospital, but after several sleepless nights due to her coughing, we both needed some relief. Fortunately, there is now one doctor in Beijing that Reina is willing to see, Dr. Melissa Rodriguez. To be fair, we have known Melissa since we moved to Beijing two years ago and her daughter is one of Reina’s closest chums. However, when we learned that Dr. Melissa (as Reina now calls her) was going to start practicing Naturopathic medicine at IMC (International Medical Center), Reina and I both agreed that it was one doctor she need not fear.
After much questioning to get to the crux of the matter and to gain a thorough understanding of Reina’s symptoms, Dr. Melissa was able to provide Reina with a homeopathic remedy that was diluted in water and had no taste; Reina called this her special kitty water due to the kitten stickers the good doctor had attached to the packet. That night, after a few sips over a couple of hours, her coughing subsided dramatically and Reina was able to sleep the whole night through, thankfully only waking one time before falling back into a deep sleep. As the night wore on, her fever reduced and by the next morning, her appetite was restored along with her sense of humor.
Being a mother of young children, Dr. Melissa has a great rapport with kids and knows how to handle concerned parents too. From now on, Dr. Melissa Rodriguez will be Reina’s primary caregiver for all her healthcare needs. I think she’s got the healing touch but don’t take my word for it, take Reina’s, “I don’t want to go to the hospital, I only want to see Dr. Melissa.” In short, she comes highly recommended.
