April 14, 2015

Is there a doctor in the hospital?  It sure takes a lot of patients to see a doctor in El Salvador.  Edgardo had asked us on Sunday if we could go with him on Tuesday to take a lady to see a doctor at a hospital in Santa Ana.  He wanted Charlotte to go if possible because the lady and her adult daughter were going and they were not Christians.  The lady is the step-daughter of Rosaria that we have been studying with.  We understood that she was supposed to be in Santa Ana at 6 so we got up at 3:15 and left the house at 4:15.  When we got over to pick them up they were all already down at the bottom of the high steep hill that Edgardo lives on.  The lady is his neighbor.  How they did it we don’t know because she could barely walk at all.  We had to stop a few times and ask directions along the way but we made it to the hospital on time.  There was a long line of people outside waiting to go through a walk-in door but they did direct us around to where we could drive in and let the ladies and Charlotte off near the inside entrance.  Then Edgardo went with me to take the car back outside to park it.  When we walked back up to the gate the guard said only one of us could enter so I stayed outside.  I waited in the car awhile but fell asleep and woke up covered with sweat.  Then I got out and walked around awhile.  Then I walked over to the restaurant that was across from the gate.  I started talking to a couple of ladies who worked there and they were very kind.  I sat in the restaurant awhile but hated to take up their space so I went to stand in the shade near the gate.  One of the ladies brought out a stool for me to sit on.  Across on the other side there were more than 100 people waiting to go in as walk-ins without an appointment and I guess all of them were sick in some way but they were all standing and the ladies only offered a stool to the grey headed old American guy.  Charlotte would call off and on and say they were still waiting to see the Dr.  I finally got her to join me since all she was doing was sitting in there and we could at least walk and talk together.  I (Charlotte) went inside the hospital.  There were immediately four long lines that formed.  The daughter was toward the front of one line, but alas, it was the last line to be taken in.  She was told that they could see the doctor about 9:30.  When we went in the hospital, the waiting area was full and I finally sat on a small concrete ledge about 4 inches wide against a wall and low to the ground. That was very hard after an hour an a half. As we waited we saw several prisoners brought with armed guards.  I wanted to take a picture, but Edgardo said that would be dangerous. We did  discover a restaurant, so we got a cup of coffee and pupusas for breakfast.  During this time Edgardo and I shared Bible verses and studied for over an hour.  Not only did the ladies hear the study, but another man sitting at the table heard the message. Of course 9:30 came and went so the daughter went to get in another line.  About 10:30 she finally got to the window where she was put on another list for a consult.  We finally got to sit in chairs and I was in a corner up against a post.  I leaned against the post and dozed for about 20 minutes.  Edgardo woke me up and it was funny because the first three sentences that came out of my mouth were in English.  It took me a minute to realize I needed to be talking in Spanish:).  Anyway, he said I could go out and sit with Dwaine.  He walked me to the gate and Dwaine and I walked for several blocks and finally came back to the restaurant and ate.   We sat there for a long time and then decided to walk to Bon Bon for a pastry. We weren't hungry, but they had air conditioning.  While we were there we got a call that  the lady and Edgardo had come outside the hospital.  They said they could not see the doctor today.  We ordered food for her and then the daughter called and said for them to come back quickly, a doctor was available.  So, Dwaine was able to move the car to the shade and we sat until 3 when they returned.   After this whole day, the doctors did absolutely nothing in terms of medicine that could help her severe pain.  They did order some blood tests and another visit in a month.  She would have to return to Santa Ana several times.  When we got back to Shucutitan, she was exhausted and in much pain.  I cannot begin to describe the long climb that faced her to return to her house.  After about a fourth of the way, she was overcome and we thought she might have a heart attack and die. We prayed, comforted, cried, gave first aid and I don't know what else.  Her family gathered and we asked for a chair.  They brought down a plastic chair and Dwaine and Edgardo carried the lady the long distance to her home.  We had missed all our afternoon studies, but the lady we think may be close to a decision was there.  She is the stepmom to the lady, Navidad.  We left about 6:30 and took a back route to Edgardo's house.  We had to climb down to his home, at times at 90 degree dropoffs. It was quite a trek in a skirt.  We came on home, exhausted.  We took showers and went to bed early. Keep Navidad and her family in your prayers.  

Long lines at the hospital

Eye ball in my soup!....We laughed,

just an egg yolk.

Straight dropoff that we had to descend.

As a note, for a large part of the day, it just wasn't the setting for picture taking.  This often seems the case.  While we want to share all our experiences, sometimes the heart just says,  not now.