We went to Xalapa Friday evening to have a birthday dinner for a friend with some other friends. We had a lovely meal, and then we all walked the two or so blocks over to El Teatro del Estado for the symphony. And then we got into the theater and got our seats and started to sit down and I got dizzier than I've ever been. So I put my head on Jim's shoulder and closed my eyes hoping like mad that it would just fade away. But it didn't. It got worse. To be altogether too graphic, I started to barf. And barf and barf. I couldn't stop. RIGHT THERE IN THE THEATER! It was awful. BUT a bunch of symphony people and John and Jim got me out and down to the bathroom. I couldn't stand up or walk by myself. In the bathroom, it became obvious things weren't going to improve. They -- Jim, John, and the symphony people decided to call an ambulance which, on the one hand, seemed way too dramatic, and on the other, seemed like the only thing to do since I couldn't imagine how I could otherwise get to the car. So I had my first trip in an ambulance. I was trying very hard not to open my eyes, since that just made everything worse, but I was aware that everyone helping was gentle and patient with me and soft-voiced.
The ambulance bumped (inevitable here) its way to the hospital, siren going for me. When we got there, I was moved from the ambulance guerney to a hospital guerney and then to a wheelchair and then to a room, barfing and dizzy all the way. I really thought I was going to die. Jim was right there the whole time. I know now for the first time one of the real benefits of a marriage to someone you love. He just stayed and stayed and helped and wiped my face and was so good to have around. John, my brother-in-law, knows good Spanish. Jim's Spanish is much better than it was, but it failed him under the circumstances to some degree, so John calmly and competently took over the communications making sure he and Jim understood everything right. I don't know what we would have done without him, since I was rendered speechless and useless by my problems.
Anyway, I was given intravenous solutions and a shot in the rear and over a number of hours, the world stopped spinning and I could open my eyes and my stomach calmed. And the whole time, people in the hospital were gentle and kind and soft-spoken and very attentive. I couldn't have asked for better care.
The whole thing, including ambulance cost about 900 pesos, about 80 dollars. 100 pesos for admission to the emergency room and 70 dollars for the medicines they gave me and the medicines Jim and John bought for me to take home. The ambulance cost nothing. And there was NO paperwork. They asked Jim more than me my name, my full name, asked my birthdate, and then asked medical questions pertinent to treatment.
By Saturday morning, I was fine, just a bit weak. Yesterday even better, and today we did our morning run.
I don't understand the mess US medicine is in. I just know that people who have been in far worse straits than I have also found the system here more what you'd like to have when you're sick, not only from the point of view of being reasonably up to date and competent, but for being, yes, kind and gentle.
Anyway, the general feeling seems to be that I was the victim of some kind of food poisoning. Jim and I wondered what might have happened if I hadn't gotten treatment.