.......the IESS HOSPITAL....

     THIS PAST WEEK I WAS SICK ...TIRED & LISTLESS AND VERY SHORT OF BREATH WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOSE A LOT OF SLEEP ...  I JUST COULDN'T BREATHE!

RICK FINALLY INSISTED ON MAKING AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE THE DOCTOR ON FRIDAY THE 3RD AT 6:45 PM....HER LAST APPOINTMENT OF THE DAY.   I WASN'T HAPPY ABOUT GOING,  BUT I REALLY WASN'T FEELING WORTH A DAMN SO DECIDED I HAD BETTER....

I  KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM HERE BUT RICK HAD BEEN SEEING SOME DOCTORS AND FELT EVERYTHING WAS GOOD.....

FIRST  I SAW DR. MARTINEZ -- SHE ASKED ME A FEW QUESTIONS AND TOOK MY BLOOD PRESSURE.....160/90 ......   --  SHE SENT ME OVER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.  ......BY NOW I'M FEELING BAD,  SO RICK GOT ME A WHEEL CHAIR......THEN I SAW THE EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR AND SHE GAVE  ME  ORDERS FOR BLOOD WORK,  XRAYS, AND EKG .

FIRST THE BLOOD WORK -- VERY NICE AND EFFICIENT,  THEN OFF TO THE XRAY DEPT., BUT IT WAS MORE THAN AN XRAY.....MORE LIKE AN MRI --- YOU LAY DOWN ON A MACHINE THAT TAKES YOU INTO  AN OPEN CAVE,  HOLD YOUR BREATH AND COME BACK OUT.....

WITH THESE RESULTS I WENT TO GET AN EKG...........AFTER THE EKG WAS DONE ANOTHER YOUNG FEMALE DOCTOR CAME IN WITH A SERIOUS LOOK ON HER FACE....."YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE IS VERY HIGH, AND WE NEED TO GIVE YOU SOME MEDICATION"......FOLLOW ME......RICK PUSHED ME INTO A WARD ROOM WITH LOTS OF BEDS & SHE MOTIONED US TO ONE THAT WAS OCCUPIED.  SHE ASKED THE WOMAN IF HER PAIN WAS BETTER AND THE LADY SAID YES,  SO SHE STARTED GETTING UP AND THEN SMILED AT ME & SAID I'D GET A NICE WARM BED......4 NURSES CAME INTO THE CURTAINED PARTITION,  RIPPED OFF THE SHEETS & PUT ON CLEAN ONES,  HELPED ME OUT OF MY SWEATER & BRA WHILE I WAS STILL SEATED IN THE WHEEL CHAIR, PUT A GOWN ON ME AND AN IV IN MY HAND, AND THEN INTO BED......THEY WERE VERY FAST BUT VERY SWEET AND KIND AND MADE ME FEEL I WAS IN GOOD HANDS......

THEY STARTED THE IV DRIP WITH MEDICATION,  AND MY BLOOD PRESSURE STARTED GOING UP!    IT GOT TO 175/110 AND THEY GAVE ME A BIG BLUE PILL AND A SHOT IN MY STOMACH (CLOSE TO MY BELLY BUTTON).......THEN THEY ASKED RICK TO GO GET ME A COUPLE OF PILLS TO PUT UNDER MY TONGUE.

SINCE IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT THEIR PHARMACY WAS CLOSED SO HE HAD TO TAKE A TAXI OVER TO MT. SINAI HOSPITAL AS THEY ARE 24 HR PHARM.   THE TAXI RIDE TO & FROM THE HOSPITAL COST $7,   THE 2 PILLS COST  .20 !!

THE  IESS HOSPITAL IS NOT FANCY BUT IT IS VERY WELL EQUIPPED AND STAFFED....ALL OF THE MEDICAL PEOPLE SEEM TO BE VERY WELL TRAINED AND ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS......THEY PUT EVERYTHING INTO THE COMPUTER AND THEY ALL RECORD WHAT THEY ARE DOING -- YOU GO FOR THE TESTS AND BRING THE RESULTS BACK TO THEM SO YOU HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS....

ABOUT 2 AM MY PRESSURE WAS DOWN TO 145/80 I THINK,  AND I WANTED TO GO HOME.....THEY DID ANOTHER EKG ......MY NOSE WAS CONGESTED AND I COULDN'T SLEEP  (IT WAS TOO HOT IN THERE FOR ME BUT PERFECT FOR THE CUENCANOS WHO ARE ALWAYS COLD),  AND ABOUT THAT TIME RICK'S PHONE RANG......

BERTHA CALLED WORRIED ABOUT US......PAUL  (THEIR 20 YR OLD SON) HAD JUST COME HOME AND SAW THAT OUR LIGHTS WERE STILL ON SO THEY STARTED INVESTIGATING.......LONG STORY SHORT,  THEY INSISTED ON COMING TO PICK US UP,  AND BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THE DOOR GIOVANNI AND PAUL WERE WAITING WITH THE CAR.    ALL THE WAY HOME WE GOT SCOLDED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T CALL THEM SO THAT THEY COULD HELP US!!!

WE GOT HOME AND SUSANA  (IN PJ'S) AND BERTHA WERE UP AND WORRIED....WE ALL GOT TO BED ABOUT 3:30 OR SO......

IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I NEVER FELT INTIMIDATED OR BADLY TREATED OR THAT THEY DIDN'T CARE! ..... I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REST AND SEE A CARDIOLOGIST RIGHT AWAY SO TOMORROW WE'LL MAKE AN APPOINTMENT...MY HEAT RATE IS NOT NORMAL....IT RACES AND THEN SLOWS DOWN TO A NORMAL BEAT,  AND THEN RACES AGAIN.....THEY UPED MY BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS TO 2 A DAY INSTEAD OF ONE ....NEXT THE CARDIOLOGIST......

THE INSURANCE  COSTS US $82 A MONTH FOR THE 2 OF US....AND WE ARE COVERED FOR EVERYTHING......THERE WAS NO PAPERWORK,  NO BILL  (ALTHO RICK DID HAVE TO PAY 20 CENTS FOR THE 2 PILLS I TOOK !  :) )  WE CAN GO AS OFTEN AS WE WANT AND SEE ALL THE SPECIALISTS WE WANT FOR $80 BUSKS A MONTH!!

YES THERE ARE PLENTY OF PRIVATE DOCTORS HERE AND THEY ARE NOT EXPENSIVE AT ALL COMPARED TO THE US,  BUT IF YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL THAT CAN GET PRICY, SO WE PREFER THE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM....AND MOST OF THE PRIVATE DOCTORS WORK AT LEAST ONE DAY A WEEK IN THE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM.....

MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN WAITING ON ME HAND AND FOOT.....I DID MAKE MEAT LOAF EARLIER IN THE WEEK AND BEEF BURGANDY SO LUCKILY THERE'S PLENTY TO EAT SO HE ONLY HAS TO MAKE SANDWICHES OR SCRAMBLED EGGS....AND THEN SUSANA KEEPS BRINGING TREATS......

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DURING THE WEEK I DID GO OUT WITH "THE GIRLS" ...... WENT TO THE MALL ONE DAY...SUSANA ENDED UP BUYING A PRETTY BLACK BLOUSE  (NO PIC, SORRY)....

BUT WHAT I WANTED YOU TO SEE IS THAT THE MALL STORES ARE LIKE MALL STORES ALL OVER  -- NOTE THE SALE SIGNS IN ENGLISH......

 

THERE ARE ALWAYS ANNOYING LITTLE THINGS TO UPSET YOU IF YOU LET THEM....THE HOSPITAL HAD SO MANY GUARDS AND LOCKED DOORS, AND OF COURSE, NO ONE HAD THE KEYS.....SO YOU HAD TO DO A LOT OF WALKING WHICH WASN'T NECESSARY IF ALL THE DOORS HAD BEEN OPEN......ALL THE SECURITY MEASURES CERTAINLY WEREN'T NECESSARY, BUT THOSE GUARDS ARE JOBS!!!! IT'S DIFFERENT HERE, NOT BAD, JUST DIFFERENT. WE ACCEPT THE DIFFERENCES AND CONCENTRATE ON THE HUNDREDS OF GOOD DIFFERENCES.....AND WE LOVE CUENCA!