General Synopsis of Bolivian ER

Yes, my (Aileen's) latest adventure was a trip to the ER at around 3:30 Monday morning. What started out Sunday morning as a typical day of stomach pains and more frequent trips to the bathroom took a turn for the worse the next night as I tried to sleep with a constant cramp and burning in my stomach. I was feeling by this time that it wasn't just a normal pain associated with diarrhea so, as I sat on the bathroom floor, Mike went to a website my mom recently made known to us, healthline.com and started evaluating my symptoms and possible causes for them. The pain would come in waves and centralize right around my belly button. It was when Mike saw these symptoms under the category of appendicitis that we decided to call our mission's field director whose wife happens to be a nurse. They were gracious enough to come right over and after a quick assessment and a prayer for the Lord's protection, we were off to the ER. The doctor and two nurses that were at my side made me feel calm and at home. Bonnie, the field director's wife, followed closely the doctor's examination and we were all relieved when I didn't respond to classic tests to affirm appendicitis. Thus, the next logical answer was a stomach infection caused by a bacteria I probably picked up in something I ate. They administered two drugs into an IV, one was an anti-spasm drug and the other to help the nausea, during which they took blood from the other arm to run through the lab. I was sent home to rest until later that morning when I could pick up the results, which would indeed confirm an infection. Now I am resting, taking the needed antibiotics, and feeling much better. All in all I give a shining A+ to the hospital and staff, but do not intend on giving them another evaluation any time soon.