Chris has had 4 bacterial infections, one of which scared the shit out of me. Haha! No really. He had a fever of 103 and was sweating all over the place. Antibiotics are magic (sometimes), and they fixed him right up.
We have to be careful what we eat – fruits and vegetables should be peeled, or cooked well. Lettuce is out of the question, at least from our small town. We drink the water in Suchitoto, but we took time to get used to it.
Parasites are very common here. Almost everyone in El Salvador has had them at one time or another. If a foreigner gets a parasite in Central America, it is much better to get tested and treated here. From what I understand, US pharmacies do not carry many parasite medications and you have to call the CDC to get the medication you need!
El Salvador does not have the best health care system, but they are pros at treating parasites.
When we get sick we go to a Catholic clinic called La Malta. They have mass every morning for all those waiting in line (the mass is not optional by the way, since it's happening right in front of you) and a pupuseria in the back. The most common illness is of course stomach pains. You buy your canister at the pharmacy (really it's tiny), and bring your stool sample to the laboratory.
There is something so humanizing about being in line with other human beings holding their poop canisters. Everybody poops, we just prefer not to talk about it.
It is best to arrive at La Malta at 7:00AM. After waiting in line to pay, you wait in line to leave your stool sample. "Come back at 11:00AM," they say.
Then you get your results, but it's lunch time and the doctors don't have time to see you. "Come back at 1PM," they say. Then you wait in line after lunch to see the doctor and have your "fortune" (stool sample) read. Maybe you leave by 2:30PM, hopefully with a prescription for your parasites or bacteria.
Needless to say it's a long process, but in the end it only costs $4.00 to get your sample results and see the doctor. Worth the wait.
On Sunday Chris and I went to San Salvador and decided to treat ourselves to Pizza Hut. A couple of hours later our stomachs were turning. Was it the ice? The sausage? I guess we'll never know.
We were traveling with two large boxes with 3-ring binders for the choir at Centro Arte. Chris was turning green, so we hopped off the bus in the middle of a tiny community so he could take care of things. All the people on the road were watching him with curiosity. Poor guy. We waited for the next bus, got on with our two large boxes and managed to make it back to Suchitoto.
I decided to teach my music classes Monday morning, and by the grace of God I did not throw up in the middle of the "buenos dias" song.
I would talk about immigration, but I'll leave that for another day. Be careful what you eat!
Hope you are both feeling fine by now!
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed the mod presentation by Marion and Lane on their time spent with the two of you.
I'm wondering if you have met any artists would would like to sell some of their work at St. Luke from Nov.-Dec. when we promote fair trade items? Jewelry seems to go over well as does pottery---but would be fun to have different items. Let me know if you think it is something that might work out. Thanks! Connie Ryks