Third World
I live in a small country most of you have never even heard of. I love my country, I especially love my city and I can't imagine living anywhere else.
However, there are disadvantages to living in such a small country. One of them is the public hospitals.
When I was diagnosed with a molar pregnancy my ob sent me to the public maternity hospital because they have the best equipment and they also have the only doctor in Portugal who specializes in Molar Pregnancy. That was the beginning of my nightmare.
When I got there I told them I had had an ultrasound earlier that day that showed a "problem" and the doctor had recommended an urgent beta count. They drew my blood and told me they would only have it ready by the next day, for me to be there early in the morning and not to have breakfast.
The next day I got there (with an empty stomach) and they told me the results would only be back by 2 pm. At 2 pm the beta was in and it was over 100.000 and they decided I should have a D&C imediately. By 6 pm they finally found a bed available and I got to lie down and by 11 pm they finally put and IV on me and prepared for the D&C. By then I had not eaten anything in 36 hours!!
When I woke up from the procedure they told me I had to stay a few days and put me in a room with 7 (!!) women who gave birth and had newborns. I remember hiding under the sheets and crying for hours while I heard those babies crying and their moms talking, laughing, feeding the babies, changing their diapers....
Several nurses came in and asked me where my baby was, they wanted to know how breastfeeding was going, they wanted to give me gifts for my baby... When I answered for the millionth time that I had lost the baby one nurse asked me "You lost it? You don't know where they put it?"..... I can't help crying even now as I remember those days, the pain I was put through that could have been avoided.
I love my country, but sometimes it is almost like the Third World.
However, there are disadvantages to living in such a small country. One of them is the public hospitals.
When I was diagnosed with a molar pregnancy my ob sent me to the public maternity hospital because they have the best equipment and they also have the only doctor in Portugal who specializes in Molar Pregnancy. That was the beginning of my nightmare.
When I got there I told them I had had an ultrasound earlier that day that showed a "problem" and the doctor had recommended an urgent beta count. They drew my blood and told me they would only have it ready by the next day, for me to be there early in the morning and not to have breakfast.
The next day I got there (with an empty stomach) and they told me the results would only be back by 2 pm. At 2 pm the beta was in and it was over 100.000 and they decided I should have a D&C imediately. By 6 pm they finally found a bed available and I got to lie down and by 11 pm they finally put and IV on me and prepared for the D&C. By then I had not eaten anything in 36 hours!!
When I woke up from the procedure they told me I had to stay a few days and put me in a room with 7 (!!) women who gave birth and had newborns. I remember hiding under the sheets and crying for hours while I heard those babies crying and their moms talking, laughing, feeding the babies, changing their diapers....
Several nurses came in and asked me where my baby was, they wanted to know how breastfeeding was going, they wanted to give me gifts for my baby... When I answered for the millionth time that I had lost the baby one nurse asked me "You lost it? You don't know where they put it?"..... I can't help crying even now as I remember those days, the pain I was put through that could have been avoided.
I love my country, but sometimes it is almost like the Third World.
posted by Ana @ 11:57 AM
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