Achy Breaky Heart

Something hit me this past week. I've noticed it before, but seeing it again really hurts. I've never been one to be afraid of going to the hospital. When a family member or friend of mine is admitted into the hospital, I'm the first to get in my car and head over to see them. The good Lord did not give me a gift of words, and that's okay, I am more of an action type of gal. If you are in need I will be sitting next to you holding your hand, but please don't ask me to give you words of comfort/encouragement...I will open my mouth and you will probably wish I never did. Maybe I'm exaggerating little, but you get the picture.

The other night I heard news of a friend being admitted into the hospital here in Jinja. She is a guard at the compound of an organization that I often visit; she's always opening the gate with a smile. Amber, Job, and I decided that we would go to the hospital in the morning to pay her a visit. Now, the last time I went to the hospital here in Uganda, it was very hard. It was when the Fisher's brought sweet David to the hospital a few months ago, and he ended up passing away before we could say goodbye. Seeing his suffering made my memory of the hospital dismal. He was a patient in the nicest hospital in the Jinja district. Ever since then, I decided that if I could avoid going to another hospital while I'm here (especially if the others were worse than this one), I would. As I put my shoes on to go visit our friend, I thought to myself, "Oh, we're going to the hospital today. WAIT, we're going to the HOSPITAL!!" I instantly began to panic. With every step we took, my heart began to beat faster and faster. What has gotten into me? I even asked Job if he would make sure I didn't run into anything because I couldn't lift my head once we entered the hospital gate. This is not like me. What was I so afraid of? When Jesus was on earth, he was constantly surrounded by the sick and he never got sick himself. But it was then that I realized I wasn't afraid of becoming sick. It was the amount of suffering that goes on in the hospitals that really makes my heart ache. In America, you walk through the hospitals and rarely see people suffering, and I mean really actually SEE them suffer. For every 2 people there is a room behind closed doors. And for those sharing a room, there is even a curtain to block each other from seeing. 

Here in Uganda, there is no curtain. There is no closing of the door. Yes, there is a wall, but it's only about 4 feet high - almost any human being can see over to the other side. In these 'rooms' there are about 3 beds. Most of the beds I have seen are worn and torn. You have to provide your own blankets if you want to be covered and stay warm. Also, if you want drinking water - your best bet is to have someone bring you some from the nearest super market. The water available is not clean. Can you imagine that?! No clean water in the hospital, of all places. In American hospitals you can get fresh ice cubes all day long, if you want - can you say luxury?
After all is said, I guess providing your own blankets and drinking water is not too hard. I think it's manageable for most everyone. The thing that really strikes me as odd is the fact that everyone who is admitted into the hospital is advised to bring along a caretaker. Like your own personal nurse. Most of the time in America we tend to have our family members along side us through our suffering, but usually they come IF they are able to get off work for the day. In Uganda, there are no nurses available to aide everyone, so a personal caretaker should be there to help with any needs. Also, if the doctor prescribes a prescription, you have to go get the medicine from the nearest pharmacy. They don't store anything but the basics at the hospital. You even have to provide your own bandages for any wound that may be healing during your stay. Bringing a caretaker is almost a necessity since you are required to provide all these things yourself.
I'm sorry this post is a little depressing, but I think it's good for everyone to get a picture of what health care is like in a 3rd world country. Please pray for the sick and suffering, especially our friend J. I'm not sure what is in the air these days, but it seems like this is the season for the sick around these parts. And I'm sure the cold temperatures back in the Michigan is not helping anyones health either.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. Since the Fisher's are gone, and I'm not teaching anymore, I'm sure a lot of you are curious as to what I've been doing. I will fill you in in the next couple of weeks on what the Lord has been doing in my life. He is ever present in my daily life.