Sick

The past few days have been very hard and difficult on Matt and I, due to me being quite sick. For the past week I had wondered if I was not getting a kidney infection, but I wasn't sure about it or going to a doctor here.

I woke up in the middle of the night on Tuesday feeling very sick and in a lot of pain. I finally broke down and decided to go to the doctor mid morning on Tuesday. I was very nervous about going for two reasons. One, I had seen a hospital here and they are scary. Two, I had no idea how much it would cost and we are already running out of money. But my pain was more overwhelming than my worries so we called a taxi and headed out.  My guess was I had a kidney infection gone bad, along with the flu or food poisoning.

The hospital was what I expected, very shabby looking on the outside, dark, all cement, cold and old school. We started off seeing the head of the hospital, who was very nice. He ended up calling in another specialist, who was also very nice. Together they examined me and decided to run some tests.

So we went up a few flights of stairs (definitely not handicap friendly!) where I was to get blood drawn. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but the "lab tech" came with a tray of glass viles with liquids already in some of them and a box full of glass slides. She went on to tell me not to worry, everything was sterile, a speech I heard with each new person. Then she pulled out a suction bulb connected to a long, skinny glass tube that narrowed on one end. Then she opened up a package to reveal a small looking scalpel which she then used to "prick" my finger. Then she used the suction bulb connected to the glass tube I described earlier to "suck" the blood out of my finger. I felt like I had went back in time for sure!

After getting blood drawn they wanted to do an ultrasound, which was in a completely different building. So we walked over in the snow, and got right in (I think it was because I was an American!). The ultrasound doctor was the only one who spoke any English, and his was very limited. Very thankful for our translator!

Then we waited. Finally one of the doctors got the test results and looked over them. She wanted me to see two more doctors, the chief of surgery and a doctor of infections. I asked what she thought was wrong, and we were told that my white blood cell count was really high and something about an appendix. Not really sure, and knowing how much pain I was in, we went along with what they suggested.

The chief of surgery checked me out and deemed me "healthy." This was a huge sigh of relief! Then we saw the doctor of infections. So 6 doctors, bloodwork and an ultrasound later, I was finally diagnosed with a severe kidney infection. Then we debated over the treatment. The doctor wanted to hospitalize me, and I was hearing none of it. We finally compromised. I would stay at the hospital and receive antibiotics and fluids via IV, rest at the hotel for the night, then return in the morning.

So Matt and Cavin headed back to the hotel to get things ready to go see Rance while our translator and I went and bought the supplies and drugs for my IV and then headed to the hospital to begin my treatment. My IV was classic, a metal stand in which the two glass bottles were placed, one with antibiotics and one with saline solution, held onto the stand with rubber bands. It took about three hours in all. We finally got back to the hotel and I climbed into bed and tried to warm up as my fever rose.

In the meantime, Matt and Cavin had a great visit with Rance. He said Rance asked several times where mama was and Matt did his best to tell him/show him that I was sick. Matt took a few pictures of their visit to show me as well, which was very thoughtful and sweet of him.

My fever finally broke late Wednesday night so I was able to get a much needed good nights rest.

I returned to the hospital Thursday morning, and after an examination it was decided to do another round of antibiotics via IV. I asked about pills but the doctor was worried about them being effective enough, so I didn't argue, having never been this sick before.

Today, Friday, I am feeling much better, although I am still feeling weak and a bit queasy. I hate being sick, and it is even worse when you are not home, harder in a foreign country, and well, a bit scary when you are in a very poor area. However, I am very thankful for nice doctors and medicine, even if it was all "old school" to make me feel better.

Please continue to pray for me as I regain my strength and appetite (I would love some of my mom's Chicken Noodle Soup!), and for Matt as he mainly takes care of Cavin while I rest.