Mike Sees to it That Ours Medical Insurance Isn't a Waste

We were required by the Church to purchase medical insurance at $517.18 a month for the two of us.  That is quite a hefty price considering that they advised us not to put our regular insurance on hold for a six-month mission because it can sometimes take a while to get everything reinstated.  So the insurance for our six months here will be $3103.08 plus the PEHP we are paying in Utah.  I joked with another couple that had to have an emergency eye surgery this week that we would donate our money to his cause.  Little did I know that we would have a cause of our own and we still have 6 1/2 weeks to go.

Mike went for a walk this morning and was going to pick up a few things.  When he was almost to his second destination he tripped and landed on some cement with rusty wires sticking up that tore his shirt and deeply into his arm.

One of the tender mercies of the event was that he was right next to a taxi pick-up for the grocery store.  He got a driver who knew where the temple was and brought him directly to our place.  He walked in to the door and said something like, " I need a rag to catch some of this blood.  I tripped and tore my arm open and it is bleeding a lot."  I quickly wrapped it and told him to go to the CCM (MTC) where there is a nurse.  I called her to tell her that he was coming and she told me that they don't do stitches there but they would see what the could do to help.

Next I called Elder Larry Jenson from upstairs and asked if he would go over and see what was happening.  I wasn't dressed to go and don't speak Spanish (besides hating blood and stitches) and said I would stay by the phone.

A few minutes later I got a call from the nurse saying that they were calling an ambulance that has a doctor on board that they use when they need to at the CCM.  She told me that they would need Mike's passport number so I was glad that I had stayed here and could give it to them.

In just a minute I heard an ambulance pull up across the street at the temple.  The counselor at the CCM had called Pres. Norman to tell him what was going on so when John saw the ambulance he hopped in and rode with the ambulance across the street to the CCM.

Another tender mercy is that the church has an arrangement with this ambulance company so with Mike's insurance card and passport number everything is automatically covered-- no paperwork, claims to make, etc.

The doctor stitched him up, Larry walked him home and he and another missionary gave him a blessing and in a few minutes John showed up with the prescription that the doctor had ordered.  It was so cheap that I don't think we will even bother to turn it in.

Mike is sleeping and I am home to try to care for him.

John took some shots so that I could share them with you.

I'm so glad that he had a doctor take care of it.  Five stitches deserve an expert.

John told him that next time he wants a day off he should just ask for it rather than try something like this!

This is a picure of the arm 30 hours later.

 

And this one is Monday morning.

                                                                                  And this one is Monday morning

The stitches were removed this morning by a female doctor.  She has him on another five days of antibiotic because it is a bit red and swollen around the stitches.

One week later. 

Thanks to Elder Larry Jenson we now have a picture of the healed arm and the weapon that was guilty of causing the wound in the first place.   (March 21)

 He tripped on an uneven sidewalk and fell with his right arm landing directly on these spikes.

Larry is really gifted with his computer work and sends out a very professional looking blog.  He allowed me to steal these pictures from him.