Getting to know the OW Hospital

UPDATE ON EDGAR: Edgar came home today! He's a little bit better.  I'm glad he is out of the hospital.

Edgar and his mom watching a movie on the DVD player.

The hospital in Orange Walk is a scary place.  On Monday I took Edgar and his mother to the hospital to find out why he has lost 30 pounds, has no appetite, and feels very weak.  My job was to give support and translate for Edgar. We arrived at 7:00 AM. At 7:30 we got a ticket (#11).  So there were 10 people ahead of us. We waited in plastic chairs in a crowded room where everyone around us is coughing and sick with something...I wished I had a mask.  At  11:30 we finally saw a doctor. The doctor poked a little and asked questions and then sent Edgar to the emergency ward to have his blood drawn and an x-ray of his liver. The Dr. never told us what she thought it was.  I think they are used to not explaining. The nurse took his blood ...not wearing gloves and not washing his hands between patients. Edgar was told to lie down on a bed with a soiled sheet.  We waited for the blood test results.  He was told not to eat or drink anything. At 2:30 the nurse came in and said he has the results of the x-ray and blood but we have to wait to see a doctor. Just about that time two people came into emergency with head wounds and gushing blood.  It took 4 people to sew them up and try to stop the blood flow.  Then someone else came in with a machete wound on the top of his head.  There wasn't a doctor free until 5:10.  When the doctor spoke to the mother he never explained the tests...he just said Edgar has "low blood". A lot of people here go to the hospital and the diagnosis is "low blood" (???) I think he probably has Hepatitis A. You just kind of get treated.  No one does much explaining.

At 6:00 Edgar was wheeled over to be admitted in the Hospital Ward.  There is one room for men (6 beds), one for women, and one for children.  There is one room they call ICU, one private room, and the isolation room for people with extremely contagious diseases like AIDS.    After Edgar was situated and eating something the hospital provided, I left.  The next morning when I returned he said the man in the bed next to him died in the middle of the night.  The family was called and came to pray for him and the hospital staff tried to clean up the diahhrea and vomiting. Edgar was "sleeping" three feet away. EWWW. 

  I asked for a pillow and they said they did not have one for him...but he had clean sheets.   Today I noticed a pillow on his bed.  I guess they cleaned them and he got one ...this his 4th day in the hospital.  Still I wonder if I would sleep on it.

So how is Edgar?  He is still weak and tired.  He is still thin, but he is more alert.  His palms are yellow and his eyes are white as if the veins are very dried out or gone, but he is definitely on the mend.  They are giving him a dextrose drip, along with food.  He is getting a vitamin drip (potassium and saline and other things).  I think they are giving him electrolytes because that is typical of this hospital.  He also has some antibiotics in the drip and oral iron pills. They said they will give him blood tonight. I dunno.  I'm not a doctor.  I don't know what's right.  I just know this hospital is a very very scary place.  I brought my DVD player and some movies for him to watch to help pass the time.  He liked that.  And I pray with him.  He likes that too.  The doctors said he can go home on Saturday. Please pray Edgar's body is able to kick whatever he has.  Thanks