Life, no matter where you live, sometimes takes unexpected turns. Life took quite a turn a few weeks ago, when I took my husband, Joe, to the emergency room in Muscat! It all began with a terrible headache that just wouldn't go away. I wasn't really sure just where to go or where to take him. I called my friend Mary, and her physician husband, Mohan, met us at Muscat's Royal Hospital. Side note: if you need to get someone to an emergency room in Muscat and can take them there, do it. Or call a good friend, as I did. Don't wait for an ambulance to come to you! Joe saw a doctor right away. You know how doctors look at your eyes with a flashlight? This doctor used his iPhone! A CT scan showed a brain hemorrhage, and so began our journey.
While the Royal Hospital is a very good hospital, it does not offer the chance for neuro surgery, as we thought Joe might require. He was transferred to Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, in an ambulance. Side note: if you do get an ambulance, make sure the ambulance driver knows which hospital to take you to. Once there, Joe needed an angiogram. He was wheeled down to radiology, but they were not ready for him. Where was he placed? In the women's waiting area. An older Omani woman came up to Joe and covered up his arms! I guess he was flashing too much skin in his hospital gown.
I was a bit too busy and distracted to take a lot of pictures. Actually, SQUH has a beautiful courtyard, but did I get a picture of it? No. But I did get a blurry picture of my lunch tray. Yes, they always brought a meal for me and I have to say, the food was really good. Plenty salty. I guess Omanis have no fear of sodium. Just don't expect a fork with your meal. I never saw one!
I can't remember the last time I saw a pay phone.
Here is a sign I have never seen in a hospital!
Joe didn't watch any TV for the first few days, but when he did try, there were not a lot of choices. One option was the camel beauty pageant.
Or a mosque prayer meeting.
Joe was battling debilitating headaches. Every sound was amplified in his head. The door to his room was really squeaky. I could have hunted someone down and waited until they got around to fixing the door. Or I could bring PAM from home. Squeaks gone in 15 seconds!
My friend, Debi, came to see me in the hospital. I was telling her about how I fixed Joe's door. She pulled out her bag and showed me what she had brought! Great minds think alike!! :)
It took about a week before Joe really felt like eating. What was Joe's request? A McDonald's Happy Meal! It hit the spot!
Joe spent over a week in two hospitals in Muscat. Even though I had been in Oman just over a year, we had so many amazing friends who jumped in and helped get us through this time. Friends drove us to the hospital, stayed with me during tests, took care of my kids, brought us meals, helped me pack, and on and on. Joe's boss, Jenny, just happened to be in town from the US, and handled a lot of the red tape for me. She and Joe's employers have been awesome! The package above came from my amazing friend, Jennifer. Besides the Bible verse, the container held yummy oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies.
Ultimately, it was decided that Joe should continue treatment in London. How do you get a person to another country when they are too ill to fly commercial! Air Ambulance! Next post.
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