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When your Russian woman brought her child here, did you find that she gets more colds or sick than normal?

My new daughter seems to catch a cold or fever every couple of weeks( she is 9). I am wondering if they might be less immune to American germs. Has anyone else had this experience?

Thanks,

John

... in response to ? for guys with Russian wives and childr..., posted by JohnG on Mar 16, 2002

My 7 yr. old step-son has been here, (Wisconsin) for 10 months now and has done a lot better than back in Simferopol as far as colds and being sick. I think it has a lot to do with all the veggies he's eating now and a warm house instead of a damp, cold, concrete apartment.

... in response to ? for guys with Russian wives and childr..., posted by JohnG on Mar 16, 2002

But after two years everything seems normal here.

... in response to ? for guys with Russian wives and childr..., posted by JohnG on Mar 16, 2002

We have been lucky so far (3 months) I guess but maybe that's because  our 3 y.o. doesn't have much contact with other children yet.

Still she has been exposed to sneezing/coughing children in the confines of Micky D's playgrounds which has to be a real breeding ground for bacteria. I seriously doubt if they do any real cleaning or sanitizing of those things and I see children crawling all over those things then eat without washing their hands. I insist, much to Dasha's displeasure (she has a fear of those hand driers), that she wash each time she goes to play before she eats.

V had a fit the first time I put my foot down but saw my point after a bunch of snotty nosed kids came in there (usually we go there mid day when the kids are in school).

Now if I could just convince her that you can drink water straight from the tap without getting sick and that the 15-20% relative humidity is more the cause of her dry/ichy skin than chlorine.

... in response to Re: ? for guys with Russian wives and ch..., posted by Rags on Mar 16, 2002

I am sure that most guys who have a lady here have similar experience concerning this.

My fiancee also wondered about the drinkability of our tap water and thought that at least the chlorine content in the water was way too high to be healthy.

She also complained about having dry itchy skin so I bought her some skin lotion and now she is happy.  It is good to get a lotion that will exfoliate the skin.

... in response to Re: Re: Comment about the tap water and ..., posted by Oatmeal on Mar 17, 2002

I'll probably put in an activated charcoal filter to remove the chlorine from our water but, as you probably well know by now, it won't alter her opinion any. Living high in the mountains, we have some of the purest water anywhere. I am sure that it has less total disolved solids than most any "bottled" water.

I've bought her body lotion, moisturizing body wash, bath oil, etc. but with no humidity in the air she still has dry skin. Dasha and I have no problems but she is convinced that it is the water and nothing will convince her otherwise.

Hard headed and opinionated, DA! But I couldn't love her more. I figure that if she can put up with my quirks that she is entitled to a few of her own.

... in response to Re: ? for guys with Russian wives and ch..., posted by Rags on Mar 16, 2002

Tap water. Yes, she almost doesn't believe me that we can drink the water right out of the tap. Borsht is delicious, I agree. Olga is a great cook. But steaks, well, she likes to cook them thoroughly. When I cook the steaks, she won't eat them, says they are not finished. I guess it's all what you are used to.

A lot of good insights and speculations from you guys. Katya is now in her third day of low-grade fever. If it continues, I'll take her to the doctor again. But you know our doctors' takes on colds, antibiotics don't help so they don't prescribe them. That's another thing my Russian family doesn't understand (In Russia, when you are sick, the doctor comes to the house and gives you medicine, all for free. In America, you pay $100 to wait a long time in a doctor's office with other sick people, and the doctor gives you no medicine.) Hmm..I can understand her point...

... in response to Re:Tap water, borsht, and doctors, posted by JohnG on Mar 17, 2002

We had the same problem in our house with how well done meat should be.  After one year, we have come to an understanding that my American son and I's steaks should be cooked about half the time that my wife and Russian son's should be.  My wife is still nervous about the undercooking, but my Russian son seems to be getting braver about eating meat that has not been cooked to death.

... in response to Re:Tap water, borsht, and doctors, posted by JohnG on Mar 17, 2002

Hey John, if you live in an apartment point to the outdoor grill and say: "What do you think that's for?"  Okay, be a little more tactful than that.  Go out and grill it yourself.  Go get some good steaks, maybe whack them with a meat hammer, soak them in tenderizer and grill them.  She must be thinking: "I have to cook this diseased beef real well or we will die."  I think we must not realize what we take for granted until we marry a woman from another country.  

... in response to Re: ? for guys with Russian wives and ch..., posted by Rags on Mar 16, 2002

We too have been lucky now for 6 months, I usually get a winter cold that hangs on for a month but this past winter I have been healthy...maybe it is from eating better, or a strong sex life but I am not one to complain (smile).

My new philosophy: a borshe a week will keep you healthy,  wealthy(cheap to make) and wise.(good Russian woman)!!

We eat a hot different homemade soup with each evening meal, my wife has many tasty recipes and along with a more vegetarian regime in her food preparation seams to make me feel a little heathier...My wife has us on a vegan fast for Lent, and I have lost my desire for a steak, but I have been counting the days till Easter so we can all go out for a nice greasy hamburger!

... in response to Re: Re: ? for guys with Russian wives an..., posted by apk on Mar 16, 2002

After a steady diet of pork and chicken I have almost forgot what a steak tastes like. Maybe that's how I got in that beef with Jack the other day ;)

I bought some nice "choice" fillet mignon when V first arrived but before I could cook them, she did. I came home to find that she had boiled them ito hard little pucks (for soup). I learned quickly to stay out of the kitchen and push the shopping cart with mouth closed.

I must say that I do feel healthier since she arrived. I think that the bedroom aerobics may have something to do with that as well as the change in diet.

... in response to Re: Steak?, posted by Rags on Mar 16, 2002

You know that does sound funny as heII but it really hit home! I too have gone to the store and got some meat and had in my head how I was going to cook it, and then made the mistake of not explaining what it was for, and walked into the kitchen to find it being boiled.

On a secound note, if you want to get your wife a nice gift buy her a Krupt food prosseser. ( meat grinder )My wife loves ours. She is always using it to make salads out of Cabage, Beats, and other items, and I get to use it to make dear burger!
Mike

... in response to Hits home!, posted by Mike on Mar 18, 2002

Yeah, V has asked for one but I haven't gotten it yet. You have inspired me now.

... in response to Re: Steak?, posted by Rags on Mar 16, 2002

I was rotfl at this, but holy criminy...  is this what I have to look forward to?  boiled hockey puck filet mignon soup?

What a riot...

... in response to Oh no..., posted by BrianN on Mar 17, 2002

Brian,
I too laughed at the hockey puck soap posting, but the thing you must learn about the "rules" regarding RW, is that there are no "rules."  My wife, Lena has never made soup let alone borscht.  She has offered, but I ate it too often as a kid and don't care for it.  Maybe it was my Mom's cooking? LOL.  Lena's diet consists of vegetables, more vegetables, fish, more vegetables, chicken and an occasional meal with beef.  She has become the "grillmaster" when it comes to cooking fish on our grill, but yields to me when it comes to chicken and steaks.  It took some time for her to get used to a medium rare steak as she insisted on well done when she first arrived.  She also appreciates a good sea food pasta.  
My favorite dishes that she prepares are a ground beef filled blini and a ground chicken/beef cutlet.  MMMMMM.
KenC

... in response to Re: ? for guys with Russian wives and ch..., posted by Rags on Mar 16, 2002

I've been to so many countries where you cannot drink the tap water unless you boil it.  Even then it would taste bad.  I have tried to drink form the tap a couple of times in Russia nad Latvia in a pinch, and it was tough to stomach.  I can understand why she would think the way she does.  In the US the water tastes good almost everywhere.  In Texas or out west, I have to admit the water's drinkable, but pretty bad.  

People don't realize initially how a dry climate affects them.  They're thirsty all the time and their skin is dry and itchy.  If you go outside several hours hiking or playing sports you can become severely dehydrated and it takes a couple of days to recover.  

Little kids are walking germ cultures aren't they?; and they always want to put their hand in their mouth even if it was just on the floor?

... in response to ? for guys with Russian wives and childr..., posted by JohnG on Mar 16, 2002

Hi John,

No kids or wife but just from a medical perspective, Patrick's post and BubbaGump's post have a lot of merit.  Its doubtful that the germs are any different due the international traveling.  Colds, flu and infections are easily spread all around the planet.  In addition to Patrick's and BubbaGump's comments, I might offer that my experience is that in the FSU they are more fanatical about handwashing, especially before eating.  With children having contact at school with other children whose handwashing habits probably being non-existant, its difficult to prevent exposure to bacteria and viruses.  And of course mom is always caring for the child.  Add the stress of a new life, possibly exposure to pollens or mold spores that they were not previously exposed to and you have the makings of frequent colds and cold like symptoms.  Just a thought.

... in response to Re: ? for guys with Russian wives and ch..., posted by DE on Mar 16, 2002

Hi,

 Since a cold/virus is usually and in most cases only accepted once by the human body it makes sense that there are strains here or there that the recipient has not had to deal with in there immune system.
 It is very likely that the 9 year old has not had the strains that are now apparent and also this is normal depending on the cases the patient has had in previous times. In other words..YES there are more sttrains to anew environment and in due time the 9 year old will have the immunity. This is why we have flu shots..etc.. Hand washing is good but lung washing is a bit of a problem.
 Once you have beaten a strain you will no longer have a problem with it again.

DUDE

... in response to Re: Re: ? for guys with Russian wives an..., posted by Dude on Mar 16, 2002

And to complicate it......strains can be genetically mutated through their own replication and through exposure to outside influences causing you to actually be re-infected later and your body antigens not recognizing it as the previous strain.  In addition, its not unlikely that in a course of a winter to come into contract with several different strains circulating around, particulary in a school enviornment.  This is one reason why flu shots are not 100% effective against catching the flu.  And although good handwashing can reduce the chance of exposure, anything airborne is impossible to avoid.

... in response to ? for guys with Russian wives and childr..., posted by JohnG on Mar 16, 2002

Our daughter will be 5 in 6 weeks and has been going to pre-school for 2 months now and has been suprisingly healthy. In the almost 6 months they've been here she has only come down w/ 1 small cold. So I would think each childs situation will be different.

... in response to ? for guys with Russian wives and childr..., posted by JohnG on Mar 16, 2002

I am in a similar situation with my 9 year old son.  He has been here about a year and a half now, and visits to the doctor are a monthly routine.  Mostly throat infections in his case.  We are taking him to an ENT specialist shortly.  My wife seems to be having better luck.  Hard to say why this is happening.  It's reasonable to think that there are strains of germs here they haven't been exposed to earlier in their lives.

Dan

... in response to ? for guys with Russian wives and childr..., posted by JohnG on Mar 16, 2002

Hey, in Florida you have all kinds of germs running around there with so many people travelling from other places.  But, your kid might just be having alergy problems.  I have a problem with molds which pick up before thunderstorms and Florida has those almost every day in the summer.  Young kids get sick more often anyway.  

When I lived in a cold climate I seemed to get sick less.  Plants are growing less (fewer alergies) and germs may not live very long.

... in response to ? for guys with Russian wives and childr..., posted by JohnG on Mar 16, 2002

It's got to be tough for a child (or anyone for that matter) to adjust to life in a new country where they don't speak the language and are away from everything they know.

... in response to Maybe it's stress, posted by Patrick on Mar 16, 2002

Patrick,  you are right,  it is only my guess.
Outside, being in a new country and surronding.  How did the mother get the child ready psychologically for
all this?    But children have a way all their own to adapt to anything that comes along.
Somewhere along the line, all will be well, very well.