it's another. While the frig installation was coming along swimmingly, we had to put it on hiatus because Mike had to undergo a medical procedure. I realize it is not something people usually discuss, but he had hemmorhoids. They were very painful and refused to go away, even with every home remedy and liberal use of over the counter medications. So we went to the doctor, and it was determined he needed surgery. They did the surgery on Monday night. It is now Thursday morning, and he seems to be recovering. It was pretty traumatic for everyone involved, meaning Mike and me. The surgery was done in a little clinic, that was set up like a tiny hospital, except that the conditions are not what we in the US are used to dealing with. It sort of seemed more like going to the vetrinarian's office. Also, no one spoke too much English, so I was pretty much responsible for getting all the information accross. It was nerve racking. They kept him overnight, and I stayed there with him, on a cot in his room. He was awake but under an epideral - epidermal - I don't know the correct word, but where you get a big shot in the back that deadens you from the waist down. I got to take him home Tuesday afternoon, and that night after the operation was very hard on him - he was in a lot of pain, even with the pain pills. I was afraid they were being too stingy with it, but after consulting with my sister the nurse, I realized this was the only real option for him, opiates or other narcotics would cause more problems than they would solve. Yesterday (Wednesday) he was much better, and we are waiting to see how he does today. He did sleep real well last night, that is a good sign. I hope everything is going to be okay with him - he is worried about infection but so far no signs of that, and he is on antibiotics. I am just hoping against hope that everything is okay with him. This sort of surgery is a lot more extensive than I realized - I had thought it would be more like removing warts in the doctor's office. This was pretty major. I hope all the medical professionals knew what they were doing - they talked a good game, and so far it seems like it is healing as it should, but it is scarey to be doing all this in a foreign country. And while my Spanish is pretty good, this sort of situation calls for words and phrases I don't usually have to worry about. It has been awful to see Mike in this much pain - I wish it was me instead, I feel so helpless to do anything for him.
Then there was the payment issue. WHile the whole thing was much less expensive than a similar procedure would have been in the US, it still cost over $2000.00 USD. And we had to pay in cash, as they did not take credit cards. And of course and out of the country check is out of the question - they can take weeks to clear, and there are all sorts of complications (as we were told by the guy who sold us the frig unit). But who carries that sort of cash around? And the ATMs do not let you get but a certain amount out each day. Normally when we want to pay cash for something big (like a marina bill for a month or more) we just start going to the ATM every day until we have enough. But that was not an option here. So we ended up having to take a cash advance on our credit card, something I have never had to do before. And again, something hard to negotiate in Spanish. My phrase book does not have the phrase "cash advance" listed, and oftimes these sorts of things are not translated literally. But I managed to make myself understood, and got it all handled. Mike handles our money stuff - I am perfectly capable of handling money, and we are always on the same page philosophically about it, but dealing with it makes me nervous and I hate it. But this time I did it, even when I felt my panic level rise while in the bank. And truth be told (I know this is stupid) I felt like I was doing something wrong, that I shouldn't have to take a cash advance, that only worthless spendthrifts go this route. I am glad that part is over.
I just hope and pray that we never have to go through anything like this again. All I can think of is what would have happened in a country where neither of us spoke any of the language? I guess I would have to find a translator to go with us.
So the frig installation is on hiatus for the rest of this week, which means we are not going anywhere for a couple of weeks at least. The installation was going fine - and my only problem will be making sure Mike does not try to do too much too soon. Sitting around taking it easy is not his strong suit. And because of all the running around town I have had to do, I now know this little town pretty well. I know which streets lead where, what goes through and what doesn't, how to read the addresses (they are different than in the US, more numbers and whatnot to contend with) and my vocabulary has increased. We realized that this happened to Mike at least in part because we did not pay attention to our diet, and have made the commitment to ourselves and each other to eat healthier and take better care of ourselves in general. This was no fun, especially for poor Mike. I have to add he has been a good patient and handled himself well throughout everything that happened. He was brave and did not complain and fuss needlessly, nor did he get grumpy. I think maybe we both appreciate each other a bit more now.
But otherwise - things are fine! I am looking forward to being able to do something other than complain about stuff here on the blog, believe me. The other day we saw some new birds - they were about the size of large robins or grackels, and were coal black except for the tails, which were bright yellow. We have never seen them before. There was a big flock of them going from palm tree to palm tree along the road here in the marina, and they made quite a racket talking to each other. They looked gorgeous when they spread their bright yellow tails to fly.
Mangos are in season and they are wonderful. It always amazes me that something so delicious just grows on a tree, and you don't have to add anything to it to improve the taste. One thing I have discovered is the produce down here tastes better in general than does the produce in the US. The selection is not usually as large and varied, and the fruits and veggies are not as pretty, but they taste better, more flavorful. I suspect it is because they are not being grown for their good looks.
Well, I should end this up. Mike is still sleeping, that is a good thing as he needs all he can get. He told me that when he was under the anesthetic, even though he was awake, he was in and out and at one point thought he was in one of the Mayan pyramids we visited at Chiapas. He enjoyed that part of it! Hoepfully I will have more good news to report next time I post!
"Never, never be afraid to do what is right, especially if the well being of a person or an animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way." Martin Luther King, Jr
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