On 11 Feb, 18:26, "Mike Lyle"
wrote:
For a start, I understand they have better health services in France and
Germany, and I believe live longer as a result. Especially now they've
stopped smoking Gauloises all the time.

)) Gitane, it was. And we all did Gauloises because our parents
smoked these and we could knick them. The health services are perhaps
better but they are all 'drug' freak. My cousin has a medicine
wardrobe - a huge cupboard of the stuff!! I have a shoe box and a tiny
metal box for travelling in comparison. And in my shoe box you'll find
plasters, rennies, anadin, arnica and lots of essential oils. Every
time one of my kids has something in France, they all rush for the
Doliprane, alka seltzers, a multitude of homeopathy pills, ointments,
potions and stuff. Honestly, there's a chemist at every corner!

Sadly, one of my nephew got very ill last year - he has had such an
accumulation of antibiotics and pills galore, straight from the
cupboard, that he was thought to have Krone disease. He is better but
sadly he is off a lot of food, his bowels are so sensitive he can't
eat vegs, dairies ... He's 14. When he came to us at easter he kept
using an inhaler. I asked him why he used it, and he said because I
feel I need it. I asked him what he felt and he said 'different
because we're going in the car'. That kid has had so much stuff pumped
into him, it's amazing he's still here. After 2 weeks with us and 30
miles of walks on the coastal path of wales, horse rides, outdoor play
on the beach and good food, he hasn't used his inhaler. He's back this
easter for he has had the best holidays of his life ;o)