Enfermo en Ecuador!

             

Getting sick in a foreign country is not good but it happens!  On Monday night (1/3/11), after a nightmare of a day, Will had kidney stone surgery.  He was in excruciating pain for most of the day and afternoon, which eventually led us to visit an Urologist.  We were fortunate to get the recommendation of a great doctor from Lindsay's landlords, which offered some comfort.  After traipsing from office, to hospital, to a clinic, we discovered Will would have to have the stones broken up due to their size.  The doctor said he could do the procedure in the early evening.  It was not anything any of us wanted, but Will, Lindsay and I felt there was no choice because of Will’s intense pain.  We felt good about the doctor, but it was still frightening being in Ecuador and not at home.  An hour and a half after the "scheduled" time, with only a wall between us the procedure began.  Lindsay and I watched the surgery on TV in the waiting room, as did Will and the doctor on their side, something that sure wouldn't happen in the U.S.  The procedure took less than 20 minutes, Will stayed overnight and is currently recovering in Lindsay's apartment.  His travel plans have changed, as he has to see the doctor again.   Hopefully he will be able to explore some more of Ecuador before he has to head home.  We are thankful that Will is feeling okay, that I was here, that Lindsay was here to communicate (she says she really extended her vocabulary through all this), that Will was in Cuenca and not on a bus or in a tiny town or in the jungle, that friends gave us the name of a good doctor, and that it is over.  There were many differences between the procedures that occurred here than those that probably would have occurred in the US: we were in the examination room with Will when he was examined, we needed no appointments for anything, there was no extensive paperwork, only short, handwritten notes on pieces of paper for all orders, the only thing done when people passed from the waiting room to the operating and resting room was that booties were put over shoes, we got to see Will right after surgery as he was moved into another room and we saw the doctor in less than five minutes after the surgery.  But all seems well!  Getting sick in a foreign country is sure not good, just ask Will about it!