It was supposed to be easy...

This week, I mean. Yesterday, I was supposed to go to the cardiologist and then in the afternoon after briefly meeting with our MCC Rep to add official MCC emails to our computer, after which, Joel and I would be on the road to return to our house in Gondola. That was the plan. But as plans go here in Mozambique, it didn't happen that way.

The cardiologist appointment is happening in segments. Day one (yesterday): The MCC Administrator and his sixth-year medical school student daughter, got me an appointment with the cardiology department. This happened and day one included going to the hospital, waiting to be called, being ushered into a small (but air conditioned room), the technician shooing everyone, including Joel out of the room, getting an EKG, then waiting more, then the med student giving me two papers with appointments--one for the lab and one for an echocardiogram to be done on Wednesday! So we went to the lab to get the blood work done. They too gave me an appointment for another day - Tuesday! So much doing it all in one visit. Day two (today): I showed up before the appointed 7:30 time, to find a waiting room of 20-30 people also having an appointment at 7:30. I gave my paper to the lady and waited. Finally after about 15 minutes of various people walking in and out, carrying various papers, they called my name, gave me a small beaker with my name on it and told me to go to the other side of the room. There I waited until my name was called and then went and sat down at a chair with an armrest where the student nurse tied the plastic tube tournequet (like they use in the States) and tried to find a vein. I thought my little blue veins would have been easier to find against my tanned (for me) skin, but it took her two pokes and some pain before she got blood. In the meantime, I tried not to panic that it hurts, I'm in a Mozambican hospital (though very thankful she opened the brand new syringe in front of me), and there's a needle in my arm, but not very successful and so begin to black out. I didn't completely black out and was able to communicate that I was not feeling well. They told me to move across the isle and there I sat until I felt not so woozy. When I felt nearly ready to leave, I asked the student nurses when I could pick up my results--tomorrow afternoon. So elongates the saga. Day three (tomorrow): I will be at the hospital for an electrocardiogram (sonogram of my heart) at 6:30 AM. In the afternoon, I will pick up the results from my blood tests that the cardiologist ordered. I don't know when I'll actually meet with the cardiologist. Probably Thursday, the way things seem to be going.