Packing for Belgium

[babsyintx 0]

Hi Madeline,

I lived in Amsterdam, NL for 10 years and spent a lot of time in Belgium. This is the only advice I can give you that might be useful. The Belgians (like the Dutch) are not big on pain relief. I would bring the strongest pain relief meds that you can with you on the trip. Its hard to get anything more than an aspirin and you really have to beg at the hospital if you want something strong to take the edge off. Also, the Belgians think Americans whine a lot and are wimps about surgery, pain management etc.... So you will get more flies from honey than vinegar, so try to be nice and keep the complaining to a minimum. The hospitals are more basic and you may have to share a room with several folks. The quality of care is exceptional most of the time, but a lot more basic than what you might be used to here in the US. Unless this is a private clinic. The good news is that the costs are lower for pretty much any services you need cause they dont have the same problems with malpractice as we do in the US. Are you going to Flanders or Wallonia? If you are going to Flanders, the healthcare professionals will speak Flemish or English. If you are going to Wallonia (french speaking part of Belgium) most people dont speak English and speak French. Just be prepared for this and maybe learn a few key phrases? Good luck and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Babs in TX

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