the hospital again.

In my coming to Nicaragua, God has given me this as my biggest challenge. . . the public healthcare system. After the first time Ruby was in the hospital, I knew that it was one of the few things that I had found to nearly despise in all Nicaragua.
Wednesday night, Ruby had another seizure. It was short, but still scared us all, and led us to take her to the clinic here in El Crucero, where they took us by ambulance to the hospital in Managua (about half an hour down the mountain). During this trip though, I did realize the benefits to small communities. Even though Ruby and I were in the ambulance with another lady and her caregiver, we stopped by our house so that I could get a diaper bag and change of clothes for Ruby before heading down to the hospital. I can't imagine many other times that would happen. 



Ruby and Ofelia on the sofa :)


Ruby was feeling better by the time we got to the hospital, (she started laughing when got there!) But they kept us over night for observation, and in the morning we saw the neurologist, who diagnosed her as having epilepsy, and has put her on some medicine until we can come back and see him for an appointment (his first available is the morning of May 4). I do have to say though that this hospital experience was better than the first. Maybe it is because I know what to expect, maybe I came in more confident, or maybe it is simply God giving me a little more patience every time i have to go, but regardless, this is my challenge. I feel kind of selfish saying that the hospital is hard for me when I am not even the one who is facing these medical issues, and am not the patient myself. But knowing that Ruby is okay, I can be honest and I can tell you that it is a challenge to sleep in an upright chair in a big room with a dozen other patients, while the lights are all on, and every two hours someone is using the nebulizer that sounds like a bulldozer coming through. Thankful Ruby is a sound sleeper once she falls asleep, and did get to sleep a decent amount in her crib. So although the time passed relatively well for her, she was definitely getting antsy as the morning dragged on! But eventually they let us go (even though I hadn't been able to collect her urine for a sample to test), confident that considering her syndrome, she was in good health! (Just a question though, how do you collect urine samples from kids in diapers in the States? There has to be someone in the world that could create a more successful way than what they had me doing.)

So anyways, more than anything we are praising God that Ruby is doing well, and back to normal. Hopefully the seizures do not become anymore common, and the medicine as well as our prayers will help her avoid them, but just to let you know, that still doesn't make me like the public hospital any more. It just makes me all the more happy when we get back home!


This is after we got home. Also can you see how she can stand with support with no problems at all!