La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Today has been quite a crappy day. I had to go to the lab to have blood drawn. I also had to deliver my pee that I collected for 24 hours. A little over a litre. I could go to the lab at the hospital, a 20-minute drive or the lab here in town, a 5-minute drive. San Geraldo dropped me off at the lab in town at 8:30 and I planned to have a nice walk back to Mesón Salvador where we would meet for breakfast. I took a number and waited 20 minutes to be called to the check-in desk where I would get another number for the lab.
The desk staff at the hospital are always pleasant. The desk staff at the center here in town are usually not. I got one of the always haughty ones. She took my information, spent a few minutes on the computer and then looked at me and said, “The lab doesn’t accept your insurance anymore.” “My insurance?” I asked. “Well, Sanitas,” she said, “since a few days ago.” “Can I pay?” I asked. “No.” “Well, how am I supposed to get my lab work done for my doctor at the hospital?” “You can get it done at the hospital.” I asked if she knew why things had changed and she said she didn’t.
I took my litre of pee off the counter, phoned San Geraldo who came and picked me up, and we drove to Benalmádena to start over. Everyone there was very pleasant. I gave the nurse the pee jug and she gave me a cup. She needed another sample. I wondered why she couldn’t just pour off a little. I was in a foul mood when we returned home and I finally had breakfast at 11:00. I went back to bed at 12:30 and got up for lunch at 1:30.
After lunch, I walked to the pharmacy to fill all my prescriptions. I’ll be out of a couple of things tomorrow. I got the one mostly unhelpful, personality-less technician in our large pharmacy. I gave him my public health card and said I wanted to get whatever I had available. He took my card and said, “I don’t think you have anything available.” “Excuse me?” “It won’t come up,” he said as he pointed to his computer screen. “My card or your system?” I asked. “The computer,” he said and added, “Try later.”
I left and walked up the hill to another pharmacy. My legs were not enjoying the walk today, but I pushed myself. When I stepped up to the counter with my card, the technician said, “I’m so sorry. The entire system is down everywhere. It should be up in an hour or so.” Ah.
I made a side trip to the Scandinavian market to pick up some more Ocean Spray sugar-free cranberry juice. They were all out. “Maybe it will come in tomorrow’s delivery. Maybe not.”
I bought a chocolate bar.
By the way, sorry I failed to mention that I’m supposed to be scheduled for a kidney biopsy. I knew before I left the hospital but I think I wasn’t much in the mood to go into more detail by that point. Also, if this is all I have to complain about, I should probably just shut up and eat my chocolate.
Hoy ha sido un día bastante malo. Tuve que ir al laboratorio para que me sacaran sangre. También tuve que entregar mi pipí que recogí durante 24 horas. Un poco más de un litro. Podría ir al laboratorio del hospital, a 20 minutos en auto, o al laboratorio aquí en la ciudad, a 5 minutos en auto. San Geraldo me dejó en el laboratorio de la ciudad a las 8:30 y planeé dar una agradable caminata de regreso al Mesón Salvador donde nos encontraríamos para desayunar. Tomé un número y esperé 20 minutos hasta que me llamaron al mostrador de facturación, donde conseguirían otro número para el laboratorio.
El personal de recepción del hospital siempre es agradable. El personal de recepción del centro aquí en la ciudad normalmente no lo es. Me quedé con uno de los siempre altivos. Ella tomó mi información, pasó unos minutos en la computadora y luego me miró y dijo: “El laboratorio ya no acepta su seguro”. “¿Mi seguro?” yo pregunté. “Pues Sanitas”, dijo, “desde hace unos días”. “¿Puedo pagar?” yo pregunté. “No”. “Bueno, ¿cómo se supone que debo hacerle los análisis de laboratorio a mi médico en el hospital?” “Puedes hacerlo en el hospital”.
Cogí mi litro de pis, llamé a San Geraldo que vino a recogerme y nos fuimos a Benalmádena para empezar de nuevo. Todos allí fueron muy agradables. Le di a la enfermera la jarra para orinar y ella me dio una taza. Necesitaba otra muestra. Me pregunté por qué no podía simplemente desahogarse un poco, pero no discutí. Estaba de mal humor cuando regresamos a casa y finalmente desayuné a las 11:00. Me volví a acostar a las 12:30 y me levanté para almorzar a la 1:30.
Después del almuerzo, caminé hasta la farmacia para surtir todas mis recetas. Mañana me quedaré sin un par de cosas. Conseguí al único técnico, en su mayoría inútil y sin personalidad, en nuestra gran farmacia con una multitud de excelente personal. Le entregué mi tarjeta sanitaria pública y le dije que quería conseguir todo lo que tuviera disponible. Tomó mi tarjeta y dijo: “No creo que tengas nada disponible”. “¿Perdon?” “No aparece”, dijo mientras señalaba la pantalla de su computadora. “¿Mi tarjeta o su sistema?” yo pregunté. “El ordenador”, dijo y agregó, “Inténtalo más tarde”.
Salí y subí la colina hasta otra farmacia. Mis piernas no disfrutaban la caminata hoy, pero me esforcé. Cuando me acerqué al mostrador con mi tarjeta, el técnico dijo: “Lo siento mucho. Todo el sistema está caído. Debería estar listo en aproximadamente una hora”. Ah.
Hice un viaje al mercado escandinavo para comprar más jugo de arándano sin azúcar Ocean Spray. Estaban todos fuera. “Tal vez llegue en la entrega de mañana. Tal vez no.”
Compré una barra de chocolate.
By the way, sorry I failed to mention that I’m supposed to be scheduled for a kidney biopsy. I knew before I left the hospital but I think I wasn’t much in the mood to go into more detail by that point. Also, if this is all I have to complain about, I should probably just shut up and eat my chocolate.