Medical Solutions in Bolivia
So, apparently I didn’t knock on wood hard enough when I was writing home about the other “Canadian casualties” here in Bolivia with regards to illness. I have joined them. However, I am by no means at the same point as some of them!
The one girl that had typhoid and took intense antibiotics for 4 weeks has now been told (having fallen really sick yet again) that she has a resistant strain of typhoid. She’s now under going more tests. (And yes, she had the Typhoid vaccine before coming here!)
Another girl has gone through 2 rounds of antibiotics for her illnesses over the last few months and decided she wasn’t getting any better. She left last week to return to Canada and seek medical help there.
As for me, I’ve had my ups and downs over the last few weeks trying to stay on my feet, starting with my “I can’t make the 2-1/2 hour ride back to Potosi from Sucre” weekend. After a mad dash to the can in front of my boss in the office, the next thing I know I’m being ushered out the door with one of the female workers in the office, Roxanna, and heading to the doctor.
It appears like I was taken to one of the best medical facilities in Potosí. On the surface, it definitely does seem like a professional establishment. All the doctors were wearing white lab coats. All the nurses were wearing blue or green scrubs. Everything was clean. Each examination room even had a computer. In fact, the notes that the doctor took when I was seeing him went right into my file on the computer! However, every so often, there are a few things that I had to shake my head at...
- There is no “front desk” to sign in at, so to speak. Everyone congregates in the hall way and you each have to keep track of who was there before you. When a person leaves the examination room, the next person just files right in. Of course, this doesn’t mean that people don’t try to jump the unofficial queue. You have to be on your toes!
- When in the examination room, all bets are off. During my examination, I had everyone from nurses, admins, and even a repair man open the door and come into to get something.
- I ended up having to go for a bunch of tests, one of which was some blood work. I watched meticulously to make sure the needle that was used came out of a sealed package, etc. Yes. Everything was in check. But then, I watched as she put my blood into test tubes that all had broken tops, or were cracked / chipped.
- The nurse didn’t wear gloves.
- All the samples, tubes, etc. were just marked with a number. That number was then written on a list next to your name in accordance with the order you came through the door that day. Hopefully all the tubes get processed that day, or I can see some mix ups happening!!!
- The “professionals” all seemed to know what they are doing. However, I have to admit I thought I heard wrong (later confirmed that no, I had heard correctly), when the nurse who was taking my blood told me that “even stomachs can get colds, and maybe I wouldn’t be having problems if I’d worn a warmer jacket around my middle”. Say what?
- I was given a “jam jar” (complete with expiry stamp on the lid) to bring back my urine sample in.
A couple other funny things:
1) The lady from my office, Roxanna, came into the examination with me! I don’t think I’ve had someone in with me on a doctor’s visit since I was 10 years old! I know she was just trying to help, but since she didn’t speak any English, she wasn’t able to translate anything anyway! Either way, it was rather comical that the doctor treated her like my mom, and with everything that went on, first telling me, then regurgitated it over his shoulder to her: “your blood pressure is good…. Her blood pressure is good. Hum, you have a fever…. She has a fever. Etc. etc.”
2) Of the various things I was prescribed, one of them was something that was I was told to take 2 of right away, and then another one each time I went to the bathroom, up to a maximum of 5 extra per day. So, within 8 hours of leaving the doctor, I had taken 7. The next day, feeling somewhat worse, I went to the internet café to see if I could determine what this medication was for. It turned out to be a South American equivalent of Imodium. I don’t know anyone in their right mind that would take 7 Imodium in 8 hours! Needless to say, things were a little “plugged up” for a few days!
3) The lab for processing “samples” is on the same floor as the kitchen. Some how, I wouldn’t have thought that was the best combo for a layout plan.
4) When I went back to get my results from the lab, I just had to sign for them. I then walked out with a whole pile of papers of Spanish medical terms discussing the results. I went down to the floor where I had previously seen then the doctor and knocked on a locked door with no answer. When I went into work the next day, Roxanna asked me what the doctor said. When I told her that I wasn’t able to see a Doctor, she (and subsequently the rest of the office) laughed at how “stupid” I was for not knowing that I had to stay there banging on the door, until eventually a nurse would come unlock it. I went back the next day, and after 5 minutes of knocking, sure enough, I was admitted in to wait in the hallway for a doctor.
5) Opinions in the office on why I’ve been so sick over the last few weeks have been entertaining. They have ranged from the fact that I reheat vegetable soup (jury is still out on whether they mean I’m getting sick from reheating my soup despite the fact it’s kept in a fridge or if it’s because it lacks meat), that I eat lentils, etc. However, the best was yesterday... Someone splurged and bought a bottle of pop for everyone in the office to share. Since I don´t drink much pop, I turned it down. Of course, that led to “why?”, and the discussion developed into the realization that I don’t drink pop OR put a sugar in my tea, and THAT’s why I was sick… because I wasn’t giving my body the sugar that it NEEDS to function. Ha ha. I tried to educate them discretely on the fact that raw white sugar was the LAST thing your body needed and that you could get so much more beneficial sugars from fruits, etc., but they were too interested in confirming their own conclusion. Afterall, I must have been from mars for bringing up these WILD ideas on nutrition (yes, I got more of the "you´re so stupid" looks).
And so, with this new experience, I have yet again expanded my Spanish vocabulary to include medical terms. There is ALWAYS a positive side of things!
And my health? Well, the doctor looked at my results very thoughtfully and said “I can see that you were really sick last week”. And so, that was the prognosis.
But no, I don’t have Typhoid, which was what I was scared I did have. And, I’m slowly getting back into my regular activities of work from 9am – 7pm, an hour of Spanish class and then an hour of aerobics with my friend Evelin. Aerobics will DEFINITELY be an upcoming blog subject...
The one girl that had typhoid and took intense antibiotics for 4 weeks has now been told (having fallen really sick yet again) that she has a resistant strain of typhoid. She’s now under going more tests. (And yes, she had the Typhoid vaccine before coming here!)
Another girl has gone through 2 rounds of antibiotics for her illnesses over the last few months and decided she wasn’t getting any better. She left last week to return to Canada and seek medical help there.
As for me, I’ve had my ups and downs over the last few weeks trying to stay on my feet, starting with my “I can’t make the 2-1/2 hour ride back to Potosi from Sucre” weekend. After a mad dash to the can in front of my boss in the office, the next thing I know I’m being ushered out the door with one of the female workers in the office, Roxanna, and heading to the doctor.
It appears like I was taken to one of the best medical facilities in Potosí. On the surface, it definitely does seem like a professional establishment. All the doctors were wearing white lab coats. All the nurses were wearing blue or green scrubs. Everything was clean. Each examination room even had a computer. In fact, the notes that the doctor took when I was seeing him went right into my file on the computer! However, every so often, there are a few things that I had to shake my head at...
- There is no “front desk” to sign in at, so to speak. Everyone congregates in the hall way and you each have to keep track of who was there before you. When a person leaves the examination room, the next person just files right in. Of course, this doesn’t mean that people don’t try to jump the unofficial queue. You have to be on your toes!
- When in the examination room, all bets are off. During my examination, I had everyone from nurses, admins, and even a repair man open the door and come into to get something.
- I ended up having to go for a bunch of tests, one of which was some blood work. I watched meticulously to make sure the needle that was used came out of a sealed package, etc. Yes. Everything was in check. But then, I watched as she put my blood into test tubes that all had broken tops, or were cracked / chipped.
- The nurse didn’t wear gloves.
- All the samples, tubes, etc. were just marked with a number. That number was then written on a list next to your name in accordance with the order you came through the door that day. Hopefully all the tubes get processed that day, or I can see some mix ups happening!!!
- The “professionals” all seemed to know what they are doing. However, I have to admit I thought I heard wrong (later confirmed that no, I had heard correctly), when the nurse who was taking my blood told me that “even stomachs can get colds, and maybe I wouldn’t be having problems if I’d worn a warmer jacket around my middle”. Say what?
- I was given a “jam jar” (complete with expiry stamp on the lid) to bring back my urine sample in.
A couple other funny things:
1) The lady from my office, Roxanna, came into the examination with me! I don’t think I’ve had someone in with me on a doctor’s visit since I was 10 years old! I know she was just trying to help, but since she didn’t speak any English, she wasn’t able to translate anything anyway! Either way, it was rather comical that the doctor treated her like my mom, and with everything that went on, first telling me, then regurgitated it over his shoulder to her: “your blood pressure is good…. Her blood pressure is good. Hum, you have a fever…. She has a fever. Etc. etc.”
2) Of the various things I was prescribed, one of them was something that was I was told to take 2 of right away, and then another one each time I went to the bathroom, up to a maximum of 5 extra per day. So, within 8 hours of leaving the doctor, I had taken 7. The next day, feeling somewhat worse, I went to the internet café to see if I could determine what this medication was for. It turned out to be a South American equivalent of Imodium. I don’t know anyone in their right mind that would take 7 Imodium in 8 hours! Needless to say, things were a little “plugged up” for a few days!
3) The lab for processing “samples” is on the same floor as the kitchen. Some how, I wouldn’t have thought that was the best combo for a layout plan.
4) When I went back to get my results from the lab, I just had to sign for them. I then walked out with a whole pile of papers of Spanish medical terms discussing the results. I went down to the floor where I had previously seen then the doctor and knocked on a locked door with no answer. When I went into work the next day, Roxanna asked me what the doctor said. When I told her that I wasn’t able to see a Doctor, she (and subsequently the rest of the office) laughed at how “stupid” I was for not knowing that I had to stay there banging on the door, until eventually a nurse would come unlock it. I went back the next day, and after 5 minutes of knocking, sure enough, I was admitted in to wait in the hallway for a doctor.
5) Opinions in the office on why I’ve been so sick over the last few weeks have been entertaining. They have ranged from the fact that I reheat vegetable soup (jury is still out on whether they mean I’m getting sick from reheating my soup despite the fact it’s kept in a fridge or if it’s because it lacks meat), that I eat lentils, etc. However, the best was yesterday... Someone splurged and bought a bottle of pop for everyone in the office to share. Since I don´t drink much pop, I turned it down. Of course, that led to “why?”, and the discussion developed into the realization that I don’t drink pop OR put a sugar in my tea, and THAT’s why I was sick… because I wasn’t giving my body the sugar that it NEEDS to function. Ha ha. I tried to educate them discretely on the fact that raw white sugar was the LAST thing your body needed and that you could get so much more beneficial sugars from fruits, etc., but they were too interested in confirming their own conclusion. Afterall, I must have been from mars for bringing up these WILD ideas on nutrition (yes, I got more of the "you´re so stupid" looks).
And so, with this new experience, I have yet again expanded my Spanish vocabulary to include medical terms. There is ALWAYS a positive side of things!
And my health? Well, the doctor looked at my results very thoughtfully and said “I can see that you were really sick last week”. And so, that was the prognosis.
But no, I don’t have Typhoid, which was what I was scared I did have. And, I’m slowly getting back into my regular activities of work from 9am – 7pm, an hour of Spanish class and then an hour of aerobics with my friend Evelin. Aerobics will DEFINITELY be an upcoming blog subject...
posted by Sandra @ 5:28 PM
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