Katelyn Goes to the Cardiologist

Raise you're hand if you've been to a cardiologist. Now, raise you're hand if you've ever been to a cardiologist in a foreign country. You can't see me right now, but my hand is held high! Interesting and unexpected day here in Santiago!

Let's go back a few days to last Wednesday in Starbucks. I was sitting there with Bonnie Grace and all of a sudden felt like somebody was stabbing me in the heart. I couldn't move. It paralyzed me for about eight seconds.

Now fast forward to this Wednesday afternoon around 3 p.m. It happens again at home in my kitchen. Knife in my heart. Paralyzed again. Then around 7 p.m., it happened again, only this time it didn't stop. It stayed constant. I had chest pains throughout the night to the point where I couldn't stand up straight. Walker, who literally thought I was dying, looked up the symptoms of a heart attack and made me check every single one off my list. No, I do not have chest pains when I develop a rash. Against my will, he made me promise to tell my American mom. I figured it would go away with sleep, but I awoke this morning with the same pain. My Chilean mom insisted I go to the doctor and my parents agreed due to our terrible family history with heart problems.

I saw a general doctor this morning. Nicest doctor I have EVER been to. Seriously. She cared about my feelings. She didn't rush me out of her office. She didn't answer my questions before I asked them. She listened, showed concern and was the doctor I've always wanted, although she made my strip down to nothing on my top. When I left, she kissed my cheek goodbye. She was pretty sure my problem was only muscular, but wanted to be thorough. She sent me to get an echocardiogram. What? This is what I was thinking as I lay on a Chilean hospital bed with wires hooked up to my bare chest. If I weren’t naked, I would have taken a picture.

All of my forms say Katelyn Foster Foster. Here, everybody has two last names, one from their mother and one from their father. It's obligatory to have two last names on the forms; so today I was Katelyn Foster Foster.

On our way home, Monica was robbed on the bus. A man came up to her, pushed her and yanked her gold cross necklace off of her neck. He ran off the bus. Nothing could be done. She was left with a red marking all the way around her neck. I kept air kicking an invisible man all the way home. I'm still furious.

Later this afternoon, I returned to see the CARDIOLOGIST. What? The second nicest doctor I've EVER met. Also the most unique. He looked like a Chilean Mr. Rogers of about 70 years. The sweet grandpa type. He meets Monica and I at the door and then starts walking at a pace we couldn't keep up with. Then he turns the corner and he's out of our sight. We finally reach the corner and see him literally running down the hallway, waving his hand yelling "come on, come on." What?? He reached his office before we are halfway there. I was gasping for breath when I finally got there. He explained that he likes to exercise during the day. Monica and I have been laughing about this all night long. And of course, I had to take my shirt off, again.

He performed a third exam and came to the conclusion that it is probably an irritated muscle in my chest giving me the pains but that my heart is completely normal. He also said the upper portion of my colon was inflamed and I had air in my stomach. I explained I drank Canada Dry (ginger ale is not soda) the night before and that I haven't had a sip of soda in 5 years. This led him to the conclusion that it was the Canada Dry giving me the pain. Although there is no way this is true, its funny to think that all of this was caused by a glass of ginger ale. I get scrutinized every time I drink water over here, so now I have a perfectly good excuse to only drink water!!! I'm so happy! On my way out, he gave me a big hug and said "Ketalin, you a healthy young." I think he meant to add "lady" to the end. A hug!

To see the general doctor without insurance, it cost me about $65 dollars. To get the echocardiogram $16. To see a cardiologist $30. Are you kidding me? It was cheaper for me to see these doctors without insurance in Chile than it would be to see them with insurance in the states. Chilean health care has got it going on!! The NICEST DOCTORS and the CHEAPEST healthcare ever!

So rest easy friends and family, I'm a healthy young! I still have pain, but it's much easier to handle knowing it's not mi corazón. For the rest of my time here, I will continue to laugh about the running doctor, rest my strained heart muscle, keep my clothes on in front of strangers and stay away from Canada Dry!

Love from my healthy heart,
Katelyn Foster Foster