Another Adventure at Clincia Biblica

We were really sick around here.  You know, for like a week and a half.  And we finally got to the point where Forrest was still throwing up at night after a week and a half that we figured we needed to go to the doctor.  There was the possibility that this could be more than just a stomach bug, and maybe, (gasp) a parasite!  Which really, is not uncommon here, although we have done a lot to try and keep it from being common in our family.  But still, they are little boys who play in the dirt, it could happen.

So we called the doctor.  And got an appointment for 5 pm.  Ha!  That's dinner time, right?  Not here.  Most Ticos eat between 7 and 8 at night, kids go to bed around 9, so 5 is a great time to have an appointment.

We went to a pediatrician this time, and while he spoke some English, most of the appointment was in Spanish.  And we were able to do it!  So maybe we have learned something this year.  At one point, Forrest told the doctor, "we are learning Spanish, but we grew up in Michigan."  Ha!   And it was quite fun to see Forrest respond to the doctor in Spanish and follow all his directions. The doctor even said "very good Spanish!"  to him a couple of times.

We had decided we wanted to investigate the possibility of the parasites, because we are leaving in 3 weeks.  And doctors stateside don't really know how to deal with parasites quickly.  Here you can almost buy the medicines you need over the counter.  The doctor didn't think it was parasites based on how Forrest's tummy felt to him, but he ordered lab work and also gave medicines for killing a bacteria infection, and some probiotics to help restore the good germs in both boys' guts.

So our next stop at the hospital (because remember doctors' offices are in the hospital here) was the pharmacy for the meds.  Then it was to the lab area to get the next awful part over with, blood work.  Gosh, that was terrible, and I wasn't even the one in the room with them as they had it drawn!  I kept one boy while Noah went in with the other.  But once it was done, it was done. 

Next, since at this point it was almost 7, was to eat dinner.  We decided to just eat at the hospital and they were kind enough to make our boys French toast.  There were some fountains to watch, which of course Elliot tried to play in and Forrest was more hysterical over the band aid than any other part of the night.

And then, we worked, well, Noah did most of this work, on getting the boys to produce a stool sample.  Ha!  We played it up, you know, appealing to a boy's warped sense of what is funny, pooping in a cup.  Elliot giggled so much and the other day even drew a picture of pooping in a cup.  I am so outnumbered here.

Anyway, we got one sample, but the other kid of course wouldn't cooperate, which meant that Noah had to head back downtown the next day with, well, poop in a cup, in a taxi.  But the nice thing about using the hospital lab was they emailed us the results as soon as they were available, so we knew really soon, that both boys are worm free!  So glad!

And the other meds seemed to clean out the rest of the bacteria and everyone is in tip top shape now.  What an ordeal!  But now we know just a bit more about Clinica Biblica and a little more about our boys!