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Health Care in Cuenca
Can you
believe that we have been in Ecuador for one year and we have not even
touched the surface of traveling through this beautiful
country. What's the saying, "How time flys when your having
fun". Lately it has not been about fun. As I
mentioned in a Newsletter John had a bad fall down some stairs
in Ayampe,
just before we returned to Cuenca.
Since that fall John also came down with the flue.
Last week his elbow (codo in Spanish) which he gashed quite badly in
the fall became very infected. Altogether he was NOT
a "happy chappy" - on top of dealing with a lot of business stress. Our
driver friend arranged for John to go to the Santa Ana
clinic in Cuenca to see ear, nose and throat specialist Dr
Manolo Maestre. Ok you are probably thinking why a ear, nose
and throat specialist when his elbow is infected. Because
it's Ecuador. No I am just kidding. John as
mentioned also had the flue and was constantly coughing and had a
temperature. The Doctor who spoke a little English was
wonderful along with our friend who translated.
When the doctor examined John he found that his blood pressure
was sky high and that his temperature was up and also his elbow needed
urgent attention. He was put into a wheel chair and taken
over to the hospital where he had xrays and tests and put to bed with a
drip of antibiotics and glucose and given blood pressure pills.

John above having a sleep in his large spacious hospital room waiting
for the next Doctor to come and visit. This room was absolutely huge
and had a great view over towards Turi.
That same afternoon John was visited by a Cardiologist and a
Traumatologist (a Doctor that deals with the treatment of serious
wounds, injuries and disabilities). The Traumatologist
advised that the elbow was badly infected and that John would need
surgery the next morning so that they could remove all the visible
infection inside.
View from the
Window.
See the red couch in John's room, well that is a fold out
bed. You see here in Ecuador a family member always stays
with the person in the hospital. Mmmm, so the Nurses looked
at me with surprise when our friend told them that I was not
staying.
This is John and his special friend who followed him everywhere for 4
days. Here she is watching John sending out an
email. For the photo we dressed "her" up in John's surgery
gown!! She never left his side day or night. Yes the
hospital had WiFi in the rooms which was great and TV Cable so
you could watch English speaking programs.
John jokes that he was only there because he just wanted to
check out the hospital and medical service facility first hand so that
we could include the information in a newsletter!! I believe he has
been very happy with the level of service. The room was
extremely large. Like most hospitals, the food could have been
more nutritional and have some healing value, and it would be good if
we could speak fluent Spanish. All our friends were only a
call away if we wanted anything translated and there were a few young
Doctors that could speak English a lot better than we can speak
Spanish. The Doctors were fantastic. Finally, after spending
four days in the hospital, John came home to where he could
facilitate his healing much faster with appropriate juices.
Now your probably wondering what the cost of all this was. The
room was $80 per night. The total bill after four nights was
$2,300.00. This included the operation all xrays and other
examinations, medications and of course the room. The
medication was $240.00.
At present we do not have health cover here. We are looking
into it for the future. It's just one of those things we
thought we did not require just yet............
When John left the hospital, his blood pressure was still quite
high. In Australia John would attend
a Health Retreat every few months and have a total detox if he
found himself in that sort of situation. So when we came home
he went straight into juicing beetroot, celery, garlic, carrot and
more. Beetroot and celery are great for reducing blood
pressure. In two days John has reduced his blood pressure
just by juicing. We are not saying the medication has not
also helped. But in the hospital even with medication the
blood pressure could not be reduced.

This is John after juicing beetroot juice which unfortunately did not
make it into his body. Instead our kitchen ended up looking
like a crime scene. Yep, John's home again.

Kitchen cleaned up after the crime scene.........but for how
long. Just as well I don't mind cleaning up but I must admit
I do also receive the benefit of drinking healthy juices.
Yesterday afternoon we went to the hospital to have John's elbow
attended to with Dr Pasantes and when he saw John's blood pressure,
he was very impressed. It was already down to be lower than
normal (after only two days of juices).

It's 5 p.m. on a Sunday and Dr Pasantes and his English speaking
daughter arrive from home to re dress John's elbow. I had a
look when the dressing came off and it is healing very
nicely. No swelling or infection and I did take a photo but
believe it may be off putting for some.
That's what we have been up to in the last week. We would
like to thank all the Doctors and staff at Santa Ana Hospital in
Cuenca. Even though we cannot speak the language they were
very helpful. We also thank our friends who helped
in translations.
We also believe that the altitude (being 8,000 feet above sea level)
here in Cuenca can make a difference to a persons blood
pressure. We checked it out on Wikepedia and came up with
this.
"Increase of altitude
does affect blood pressure, but not by much. And your body will adapt
over time. For example, people at higher altitudes produce more red
blood cells to carry oxygen. If you have chronic hypertension or you
are on meds for high blood pressure you should probably talk to your
doctor before going to an altitude of over 4000 feet. "

In another article, it was stated that the blood pressure effects can
be greater on people who alternate between high and low altitudes - and
that is what John has been doing.
We have been traveling from the coast and back for some time and this
must take it's toll on your body. I feel it in my breathing
as well. But you can adjust. It may be a reason why
many people who travel to Ecuador and see so much of this country in
such a short stay go home sick. They may fly in, having lived
at sea level or a little higher, go to the mountains and be 8,000 above
sea level travel around and then go to the coast and may even go back
to the mountains. Probably this is a lot for the body to take
so be aware if you do suffer from high blood pressure.
Although this is a small country, there is a lot to see, and you cannot
travel the same distances in one day that you might in your own
country. If you can take your time. Enjoy a smaller
chunk rather than rush around thinking you can see it all in
two weeks.
I hope this has been of some help sharing our personal experience in
an Ecuadorian Hospital in Cuenca.
For more about our Healthy Living in Ecuador Click
Here

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