Well, I did finally get my professional visa after a last few very stressful days going back and forth to Quito. But before I could celebrate, in the evening after I arrived in Mindo after getting it, I started to get pains in my chest. During the night they returned a few times, and I went to the local health clinic in the morning. Blood pressure and vitals and everything else seemed normal except for the pain that came and went sometimes and some fatigue, and after a long afternoon nap, the pain stopped recurring. But I went anyway the next day to the ER at a private hospital Vozandes in Quito. My blood pressure was high, but EKG, blood, and radiology turned out negative for heart attack. I have an appointment with a cardiologist on Wednesday morning, in another trip into Quito. Complications from stress (and maybe altitude effects?) are the primary suspect, but things are still not so certain, and I'm still not out of the weeds, so to speak. Last night I had sweats for no reason, for example, but my BP seems normal again, so we'll see.
I'm in Mindo, a relaxing place with good weather, pretty exhausted and trying to relax, while having canceled the rest of my plans until returning to Boston on January 11. I'm staying in a hotel managed by friends, have stayed in touch with family and friends for support in making decisions, and have been especially helped by a friend here in Mindo who has a lot of available time and speaks both languages. I'm so, so grateful for everyone's availability and support.
Here’s a picture when I was in the ER. (My friend Antonio accompanied me into Quito.) The World Cup match was wrapping up and I heard cheers from somewhere in the hospital when Argentina scored its last penalty kick. My own cheers for the good test results came later on. 😁
For some perspective, on our way back to Mindo on the bus from Quito, we and everyone else were stopped for 2 hours in a long line of cars backed up for 3 miles each way. Further up the road, there had been an accident in this 2-lane road that winds through the mountains. In one of the vehicles was a family of 6, all critically injured or deceased.
It brings me back to a part of a Psalm, a reminder of how short and delicate the gift of this life really is:
“LORD, let me know my end, the number of my days, that I may learn how frail I am.
To be sure, you establish the expanse of my days; indeed, my life is as nothing before you.
Every man is but a breath.”
Please keep me in your prayers, and when I have energy I'll provide updates.
[By the way, thank you again to everyone who has donated to the End of Year Fundraiser, it’s greatly appreciated, especially with current events. I’ve canceled plans to visit the school in the mountains near Chontal, and all other activities. I’ll look for another use for the Christmas supplies I bought for that school. Also, I haven't yet heard back about the bank transfer gone awry, the $150 that was supposed to go to a friend to give to the Child Care Center. Since I haven't yet heard again from Xoom (of PayPal), it could be that that money might be lost, but there's still a possibility things are just taking longer.]