Eye exam, Part 2

I was going to title this, "Unfortunately, Color Does Make A Difference," but I decided I needed to explain it, instead. Sarah and I went to Moshi, about 2 hours away, early this morning to KCMC, a major hospital in the area. Took some investigating and navigating, but we found the hospital, parking, and the eye department. When we walked into the eye department, there must have been 100 people in the waiting room, all Tanzanians, but men, women, children, and babies. I had been given a doctor’s name and an actual appointment, which may have made some of the difference, but I’m pretty sure my skin color made the most difference, sadly for all those who were there before me. I found “my” doctor, a German lady, and we went into her office, sat down, and talked. For the next 2 hours, I was treated pretty much like royalty would be if doctors didn’t come to them! Either Dr. Mapoka or a nurse she assigned to me, showed me or took me to every line or room I needed to go to – and there were many! Though I never actually stood in a line, because they took me to the front of each one (which I felt very badly about). • Had to register at one place • Go pay at another place (cost in the last paragraph) • Go to another room for an eye exam (my second of the week) • Go for a consult in another room • Have another eye test somewhere else • Get my eyes dilated and wait 30 minutes • Go back and pay some more for the last procedure • And lastly, have an OCT. I don’t know what that stands for, but it’s very high tech, probably involves lasers, and a Dutch doctor I spoke with said there are something like 10 of these machines south of the Equator. This was the one that found the problem! I have a thickening of the membrane over my pupil (or cornea? Now I'm not sure which!), and it needs to be removed, or eventually I will lose my sight in that eye. However, the last of the doctors and Dr. Mapoka agreed that this can wait till I get home, thankfully. I don’t mind having this diagnosed in TZ, but I‘m perfectly happy to have it treated at home! Now for the amazing cost of this whole 2 day ordeal, counting Wednesday’s visit to 2 doctors, referral to Dr. Mapoka, and all of the above tests: 24,000 Tshillings! How much is that? About $17.00!! Seventeen dollars!! I spent twice that on the gas to and from Moshi! Can you imagine what this would have cost at home and how many days it would take to see that many people and have that many tests?! It’s almost too bad I can’t have the procedure here! So, overall, I am pleased to know what the problem is, that there is a solution, and that it can wait. Still disturbed that in their own country, in one of their own hospitals, I got special attention because I’m white. I got plenty of dirty looks and raised eyebrows along the way, and I kept wanting to say, “This is not my idea! This is not who I am.” Sigh.