Last Saturday, I remember noticing a small pimple-like bump on my leg but didn't think much of it. Sunday is Angie's typical day off and we all spent the day keeping busy with house projects, including assembling the garden bed and trying to fix the dresser drawers with new hardware. The closest town to us, Villa El Carmen, celebrated their yearly festival and we discussed going but felt content working at home. And I told the group my leg felt funny and I wasn't sure walking for hours would help.
On Monday, Angie and Osman left for an overnight work trip to Managua. This meant we had our first slumber party with Kaiden! Micah and I agreed the two days that they would vacate their room would be the optimal time to paint their bedroom. I was excited to surprise them with the newly painted room, which means we told them multiple lies when they called; that we'd been lazy all day, that we were at the office so they couldn't speak to Kaiden. Apparently we're not good liars (or Angie has really high expectations) because Tuesday night when they arrived home, she asked immediately how the room looked.
Prepping the closet for paint
The finished product. Kitty approves.
Besides the hours of prep work and painting, we had the evenings together with Kaiden. We read stories, played hide and seek, and he was our official photographer and DJ when we still had work to do in the room. He even played his guitar and sang to us, naked of course. Bedtime proved to be difficult until he asked for Micah to come lay down too. Once Micah faked asleep and Kaiden was quiet to not wake him, he curled right up and was sound asleep.
Taking a break from painting
Taking a break from painting
During the painting days, Micah and I noticed my leg was getting more red, it was warm and firm to the touch, and I had to be cautious of my position since it was tender. My support team analyzed the
situation on Tuesday night and it was decided that we'd drive 30 minutes to the local hospital of Villa El Carmen the next day.
situation on Tuesday night and it was decided that we'd drive 30 minutes to the local hospital of Villa El Carmen the next day.
Tuesday afternoon
Wednesday, it looked worse and I was beginning to feel guilty for not taking care of this obvious infection earlier. The guilt was I nterspersed with thoughts that it would be fine and maybe I didn't need to go but really, I just didn't want anyone to touch it. Osman drove Micah and I to Villa El Carmen in the early afternoon and we checked in at the Emergency Room. The hospital is a "Centro de Salud" or health center. It has an emergency room, a separate building that seemed to be used for appointments and specialties, and a pharmacy. The buildings are small, single level and painted bright pink and blue. I suspect it is the old town school. The hospital is government run which is amazing because that means all services, including medications, are free. The waiting room of the Emergencia was half full, mostly with mothers holding young babies. We were the only gringos and I seemed to be the only one with an open wound.
Osman was much more excited than I was
We checked in with the nurses who were standing inside a room that you looked into when you walked through the main door. Osman explained everything to them, I showed them my leg, the nurse looked grossed out and asked a few appropriate questions before we were told to wait. An hour and a half later, we met the serious and busy local doctor who scribbled on five prescription pads for me, glanced briefly at my leg, gave it a firmer than desired squeeze and told me I'd get penicillin injections today and need to return for more tomorrow. Her diagnosis was an infected abcess likely from an insect bite. Halfway through the three minutes with the MD, the electricity went out in the building, the flood light switched on and gave the room an eerie orange glow, and she continued scribbling without a pause.
The good news was the injections in my butt hurt so much that I couldn't feel my calf for a bit! The nurse cleaned the wound, squeezed it, and bandaged it. Micah held my hand and let me wipe my tears in his shirt.
In the "private" room waiting for two intramuscular penicillin injections
There's a fly just below the wound
Thursday morning we returned before 8am as they instructed. I swear when the same nurse saw me, she mumbled "oh yeah, this chic" in Spanish. She gave me another penicillin injection, an aggressive cleaning and had another nurse come look at it. You know you should have gone to the doctor sooner when they start nudging each other. The nurse then delivered the great news that they weren't going to slice me open right then, but only because the tissue around it is too firm. They threatened this the day before so I was anxiously expecting a mini operation but I am relieved they'll let the infection settle more.
I warned you
We were told to wait in another part of the hospital for the doctor consult. The same MD came in, scribbled on ten more prescription pads, and added an oral antibiotic to my treatment regimen. I'm not sure she even saw my leg, but I'm content with flushing my system with antibiotics before they poke and prod at it anymore. The MD instructed us to return on Saturday for them to cut or push it to release more.... stuff. Today, Friday, a retired nurse who lives on property is going to deliver my penicillin injection.
The good news about this is that we're at the resort with family, not traveling or sleeping in dirty hostals. We also have skilled interpreters so we know what the medical team is saying. The bad news is it hurts and is annoying, but it sounds like I'll get to keep my leg! The rest of yesterday, I laid low with my leg elevated since it hurts when gravity is winning. Micah is secretly thrilled that I'm most comfortable laying down with my leg elevated because he thinks that means we're going to spend the next three days watching the British Open. I'll happily lay low and lazy, and hope that this adventure means we get to check experience healthcare in a third world country off our list and not repeat it again this year.
Also- my friend interviewed us about our year for her travel consultation business. If you haven't seen it and would like to read more about this amazing year, click here: https://getoutoftown.squarespace.com/tips/gap-year-through-central-america
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