Last year I began working in a hospital in the heart of Amish country. My first Amish patient was an elderly-looking woman, yet her chart revealed she was only 49. Her plain blue cotton blouse was fastened primly down the front with straight pins. Only Amish men are allowed to use buttons; if a woman wears clothing with buttons, she is considered vain.
"How many children have you had?" I asked her out of simple curiosity.
"Thirteen," she said.
The Amish culture is fascinatingly different from mainstream America. I spent months learning about it, but as far as medical care goes, the two worlds have a lot in common. Like anyone else, the Amish brought their children in when they had sore throats and earaches. Their children were vaccinated; elderly Amish wore hearing aids and welcomed pacemakers. They even rode around in cars—they just couldn't own a car or drive ...
