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Vilcabamba Glimpse #11

First Hospital Visit

I had a pretty bad accident today at the end of the day. I thought I broke my right arm. When it happened, I was nearly in shock and great pain.

Everyone had left the hacienda but me. I had to make it back to town (about 4 miles) on my own in my truck. I had to shift with my left hand. My right arm throbbed with pain.

I was able to drive to town (Vilcabamba) to my assistant's house, Victoria (bilingual). She had just arrived home in her truck. My other assistant, field supervisor Roberto, was with her. As was her daughter.

They all got in my truck and took me to the emergency room of the small hospital in Vilcabamba.

A doctor and her assistant looked at my arm immediately. They gave me an injection to ease the pain. They examined my arm and cleaned the two wounds.

The doctor thought my arm was broken. The x-ray department was closed. She sent us to Loja, 35-minute drive.

The bill, incidentally, in the emergency room was $1.75 for the injection and $2.00 for a tetanus shot. That was all.

My arm hurt a lot as we drove to Loja. It felt like it was broken. It was the most pain I've experienced in a long time.

In Loja, I was seen immediately in the emergency room at a larger hospital. An assistant cared for me and sent for a physician.

The physician arrived and examined my arm thoroughly. He ordered an x-ray.

He and his assistant spent considerable time re-cleaning and bandaging the wounds on my arm.

I went to another area to have the x-ray taken. My arm was not broken, just badly bruised.

I was greatly relieved.

The bill at the hospital was $8 for the physician and $11 for the x-ray.

At both hospitals, the care was very personal and very professional (not to mention inexpensive)

The four of us (Victoria, her daughter, Roberto, and me) went to a restaurant for dinner.

We all had very tasty large meals and drinks. The bill, $13.90.

I'm happy to report my arm is feeling much better. I'm even able to type this email to you to relate this experience.

Best, Joe

Joe Simonetta
Owner/Architect
Hacienda San Joaquin
Vilcabamba, Ecuador


P.S. International Living named Ecuador "The Best Place in the World to Retire" http://www.haciendasanjoaquin.com/best_in_the_world.html