My Time In An Ecuadorian Hospital Part 2
It was Wednesday, October 4th.
While in Ecuador our focus is on Education so to better understand varying pedagogy and the flaws in the education system all 17 of us have been separated into the various primary and secondary schools in San Jose de Minas to help teach English.
I am working in El Colegio Municipal. It´s grades 8, 9, 10 (which more closely correlates to an American system middle school grades 6, 7, and 8) and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Year of Bachillerato (kinda like Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior year of American high school). There are 6 of us working there: Madison, Avery, Gabi, Chris, Kamea, and I.
This post is not about our experience in the school, however. Although, it´s coming soon.
Madison was helping to teach a different subject and Gabi, Chris, and Kamea had all taken the morning shift. So that left Me... and Avery?
It took a while for Avery to show up and once she did, explained that she had experienced a sever allergic reaction the night before and had gone in to the clinic for her next follow-up injection.
After classes we headed home. While walking she started feeling naseous. Then it got to a point where she was going into shock. She handed me the phone and told me to call the Program Leaders.
I have never before experienced this kind of lightning fast speed as displayed by Isaac and Giorgio, our two other program leaders. We hustled Avery in the taxi and when she signaled that she could not breathe, Giorgio administered the epi pen.
Once at the clinic, though feeling better, since she had had this sort of severe reaction two days in a row it would be better for some more thourough tests that the clinic could not provide. Avery would have to go to a hospital. Avery would have to go to Quito... which is one extremley long, windy, almost 2 our drive away.
Since Avery´s roomate wasn´t there and she wanted someone to keep her company, Giorgio. Avery, and I piled into a car bound for Quito.
Not much happens after this. We spent the rest of the day in the hospital. Avery is feeling much better, I ate a wonderful hamburger for lunch (and with it came a realization that will involve another post), and we found maybe the only cab driver in Quito that did not know the way to Minas and made so many wrong turns that we did not get back until well after sundown and dinner time.
Why write about it? I think it just goes to show that in life, and especially when travelling, it´s impossible to be prepared for every situation or to know what´s coming next. It´s about being flexible and having the ability to change directions at the drop of a hat. I know that things not going according to plan is something I´ve always had a hard time with, but that´s what this gap year is for: learning to adapt and develop life long skills and lessons and I´m doing just that.
I hope that I can learn even more as my Gap Year continues... but let´s hope I don´t end up in any more hospitals, Ecuadorian or otherwise.
While in Ecuador our focus is on Education so to better understand varying pedagogy and the flaws in the education system all 17 of us have been separated into the various primary and secondary schools in San Jose de Minas to help teach English.
I am working in El Colegio Municipal. It´s grades 8, 9, 10 (which more closely correlates to an American system middle school grades 6, 7, and 8) and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Year of Bachillerato (kinda like Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior year of American high school). There are 6 of us working there: Madison, Avery, Gabi, Chris, Kamea, and I.
This post is not about our experience in the school, however. Although, it´s coming soon.
Madison was helping to teach a different subject and Gabi, Chris, and Kamea had all taken the morning shift. So that left Me... and Avery?
It took a while for Avery to show up and once she did, explained that she had experienced a sever allergic reaction the night before and had gone in to the clinic for her next follow-up injection.
After classes we headed home. While walking she started feeling naseous. Then it got to a point where she was going into shock. She handed me the phone and told me to call the Program Leaders.
I have never before experienced this kind of lightning fast speed as displayed by Isaac and Giorgio, our two other program leaders. We hustled Avery in the taxi and when she signaled that she could not breathe, Giorgio administered the epi pen.
Once at the clinic, though feeling better, since she had had this sort of severe reaction two days in a row it would be better for some more thourough tests that the clinic could not provide. Avery would have to go to a hospital. Avery would have to go to Quito... which is one extremley long, windy, almost 2 our drive away.
Since Avery´s roomate wasn´t there and she wanted someone to keep her company, Giorgio. Avery, and I piled into a car bound for Quito.
Not much happens after this. We spent the rest of the day in the hospital. Avery is feeling much better, I ate a wonderful hamburger for lunch (and with it came a realization that will involve another post), and we found maybe the only cab driver in Quito that did not know the way to Minas and made so many wrong turns that we did not get back until well after sundown and dinner time.
Why write about it? I think it just goes to show that in life, and especially when travelling, it´s impossible to be prepared for every situation or to know what´s coming next. It´s about being flexible and having the ability to change directions at the drop of a hat. I know that things not going according to plan is something I´ve always had a hard time with, but that´s what this gap year is for: learning to adapt and develop life long skills and lessons and I´m doing just that.
I hope that I can learn even more as my Gap Year continues... but let´s hope I don´t end up in any more hospitals, Ecuadorian or otherwise.
I also hope you don't end up in any more hospitals! And I am really looking forward to your post about hamburgers.
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