Dear Aviva, My aunt came to Israel and needs a procedure done, but it’s not covered under her travel insurance. Can she have it done in a hospital in Israel, and, if so, what is the process? Sincerely, Tune up in Tekoa Dear Tune up, Israel is definitely becoming a destination for medical tourism, […]
Coming Home Empty Handed
(Trigger warning, not recommended to read if you’re currently pregnant) The other day, my husband and I were in a cab with a woman cab driver, and over the course of the 40-minute drive, after she mentioned her son, I asked that fateful question, “how many children do you have?” She answered quite calmly, “one, […]
Our Husbands, Those De facto Doulas [Father’s Day]
Today is Father’s Day in the United States. That day when we take a few hours to honor those special folk who made our lives possible. I thought I would take few minutes to write about the man who made my family possible, my husband. As I have mentioned before, I debated if I would […]
Birth Options in Israel [Birth Series Part #2]
In honor of the fact that, in Israel, August has the most deliveries of any month, I thought I’d be proactive and make June birth month. This week we’re reviewing different birth options. In true researcher fashion, with each child, I gave birth in a different hospital (not planned, actually, but cool, right?) This obviously […]
What is a Doula?? [Birth Series Part #1]
The other day I was talking with a young woman I know who is living here temporarily, while her husband learns in yeshiva. She is nine months pregnant. I asked her if she were taking a private doctor for the delivery, a common practice among women in her community. She replied, no, that instead, […]
Emergency Services for Children: What are my options and what do I do?
I remember a few years back, I was speaking to another mother at the park when I mentioned, laughingly, about how at one point I had asked Terem [medical emergency clinic] if they had a monthly membership fee. She looked at me funny and explained that she had never visited the ER (or Terem) […]
Ask Aviva #18: Why is the hospital discharging my mother if she isn’t well enough?
Dear Aviva, My mother has been hospitalized for the past two weeks. We feel she is not well enough to go home as she cannot get up to go to the bathroom or walk, but they seem ready to discharge her. Our family wants her to stay in the hospital because we are nervous about […]
Let’s Talk About Burns
A few years ago, I met a lovely older woman. She was energetic, enthusiastic about the organization she ran; she was positive. She was also missing several fingers and half her face was severely scarred. Chaya Malka, herself, was severely burned as a young woman, and decades later, she still bears the internal and physical […]
Ask Aviva #10: Is it true that private doctors won’t be able to see patients publicly anymore?
Dear Aviva, In my jumbled understanding of Hebrew, I heard on the news the other day, something about private doctors not being able to see patients publicly anymore? Something about the law of a cold? I’m very confused, and I have a doctor whom I’m in follow up with in a hospital and I want […]
Caught in the Emergency Room Waiting Room? Read this!
She did everything right. She had the surgery when the doctor told her to, she came to all the follow-up appointments, and wore all the correct bandages. She took all her medicine and complied with all the doctors’ instructions. She saw several types of specialists and followed all their advice. So how is it, that […]
