One key step to being relocated to Indonesia is for me and my family to obtain "medical clearance" to travel there.  Now, quite frankly, this is a bit of an oxy-moron ... because one of the key aspects is to ensure that we don't have any medical conditions that would put us at risk due to the "lack of adequate medical facilities in the host country".

So, what happens if we DO have a medical condition?  Does that mean we can't transfer to Indonesia and we must stay in Angola?  Presumably not, the medical facilities here SUCK (sorry for the strong language ... but you will understand later).

And, is the company really going to tell my Indonesia wife and step-daughters ... "sorry, hubby/daddy can go to Indonesia but you cannot"?  I think not !!!!  So why are we going through the ordeal of a medical release?  Because its a REQUIREMENT.

Read the story below ... and remember much of the below happens with folks who do not speak English.

About 10 days ago I get about 40 pages of paperwork to fill out and take to the Angola hospital.  I fill out my portions of the paperwork.  Then find out that the appt's are on Monday at 10am.  Ok, all set.

Monday at 8am, I get a phone call from our company medic, wanting to review my paperwork .... so I show her ... gasp, my forms are not her forms .... (even though my forms were given to me by the same medical department) ... and I must use "their" forms.  So, I rush to recomplete all the pages.

Get to the hospital at 930am with the family.  Am handed another 8 pages of forms to complete .... 90% of which is redundant to the forms already recompleted.

1015am get to see the ISOS (International SOS) Dr.  He starts reviewing the paperwork ... his response:  Wow, this is a lot of stuff, is this all required?.  My response: Don't know, these are the forms they gave me.

Power outage #1.

1030am, Dr calls company. Learns that ALL is required.

11am, all the forms and procedures are sorted out.  Paperwork is handed to a clerk, who is told to "start making appts".

1145am, get first set of blood work for all four of us.

12noon, am told our appts for the eye exams are set ... mid July ... yeah right (I will work on that later).

Power outage #2

1230pm, get into a bit of scuffle with the hospital as they are trying to give Chely a procedure that nobody else needs ... but I know (from watching the ISOS Dr that I am supposed to get EVERY procedure and the family gets the same or less ... so, if Chely has to go through it, then so do I).  I review the paperwork and it has somebody else's name on it ... requesting an HIV test.

Power outage #3.

1245-130pm, Chely, Decy and I give this HORRIBLY painful arterial blood sample .... WOWSER !!!!  Chely pretty much goes into shock.  We have to manage.  FYI, while waiting for Decy to get her shot, some laborer comes into the hospital with flipflops .... with a construction wheel barrow (covered in dirt, dust, trash, cement).  Inside is about 5 boxes of copy paper, which he carries to the 2nd floor.  Gee, that looks sanitary ... but then I forgot, the wheel barrow is AT LEAST 5 feet from the emergency room entrance where we are getting our shots and patients are wheeled around.  Rumor has it that germs, virusus, and infections cannot travel more than 3.5 feet ... so the rumor goes.

145pm, I am taken to a place where Decy and I are to get an EKG ... am told I need to come back at 6pm.  Dr explains the upcoming "stress test" and that my chest will have to be shaved (I wonder if they need to shave Decy's too).  Then the Dr learns that this is only an EKG baselines (rest test) .... quick change up of protocol, 5 minutes later I'm done ... after 5 ounces of lube oil on my chest to "cut through" the hair.  Decy's missing.

Power outage #4

200pm, find Decy at Pharmacy getting shots/vaccinations.  Well sort of, we are given the medicine and needles.  Now what?  Inject ourselves?

Power outage #5

215pm, find ISOS Dr.  He goes through the vaccines.  Hmm, some missing.  One of mine is clearly wrong.  Dr decides not to give me that one, as it would make be sick (thank God for little things).  I get my shots, then Decy, then Chely, then Thasya

230pm, Decy goes and gets EKG.

230pm, I talk to the Dr about the arterial blood. He goes ballistic.  Extremely painful he says (no kidding).  Its a long story with lots of conversation and discussiong/arguments between two Drs in a forgeign language I don't know (S. African something or other), but understand well enough to understand there was a difference of opinion.  Bottomline:  Seems the hospital doesn't have the right machine to do one kind of test.  But by taking arterial blood they can do the test on a different machine .... yikes !!!!  Glad I'm into S&M.

245pm, find out that we have to come back on Tuesday for the TB test as they forgot to do that in the morning, which is the time of day they give TB tests.  Thanks !!

300pm, rush to other side of town to get hearing test.  Office is on 2nd floor of nearly gutted out building. No sign. Garbage and stench everywhere at the entrance.  Get up to the office, its "so so".  I'm first on the test.  I'm quite sure it will be quite accurate and reflective of my excellent hearing ... because during the entire tests I could hear Decy and the girls talking and laughing in the room next door ... did anybody say "sound proof" or "background noise".

430pm. Done (for today). Exhausted. Hungry (didn't have any lunch).  Go to local pizzaria and beg for food, water, anything.

530pm, call for kilo.  Let's not go there.

700pm. Home .... exhausted ... nightey night family.  Me, I have to "unwind" a bit before sleeping.

>>> and to think we get to do more of this tomorrow.

### I feel so much healthier now ...     ; )

ciao ciao