Log Book
May 2008
May 2008
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| May 2008 |
La Paz
So we are still enjoying being in Marina de La Paz. Susie plays Bridge on Saturdays and
Wednesday, and Mexican Train Dominoes on Mondays and Thursday. For a while on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings she went for acupuncture treatments. Sam fills
in his time with little boat projects and routine maintenance, and grocery shopping.
Sam had a medical issue this month with a small amount of blood in his urine. After a
urinalysis, PSA and urine culture he was diagnosed with a bladder infection (although he
had no pain, discomfort or fever). About a week after he finished a course of antibiotics
the problem recurred, more so. He had to return for a scope procedure (very painful) and
turns out the problem is one he will have to live with for the rest of his life. The successful
brachytherapy (radioactive seed implants) he had 4 years ago for prostate cancer left him
with some radiation burn on his prostate, which will from time to time result in inflammation
and possibly infection. Each time he has similar symptoms in the future he will need to
testing to see if he has an infection. We will keep the medications on board that he was
treated with this time, in case it happens again in the future and we are not near a medical
facility.
Getting older certainly is not a day in the park, but it’s better than pushing up daisies!
We would like to relate one day in search of pain medications for Susie’s knees. One
could substitute a screw for some boat project, or a particular food, for the medications,
and the story would be nearly the same. So let’s call the medication we need Formula X.
You need Formula X. It is a controlled medication in Mexico. You call Doctor #1 who is
your regular physician for the condition you are trying to treat. Doctor #1 is not authorized
to write prescriptions for Formula X and tells you to call Doctor #2 who is so authorized.
You call Doctor #2 on Thursday and he says to drop by his office on Friday morning at 11:
00 AM. Since this fits conveniently into your schedule after your acupuncture appointment
is over at 10:30 AM, you think it will all work out just great. You arrange for a taxi at 9:00
AM, go to acupuncture while the taxi driver waits, and show up in Doctor #2’s office on
Friday at 11:00 AM. You don’t have an appointment so you wait until Doctor #2 can work
you in between his other patients. At 11:30 AM you get in to see him, discuss your
condition and your need for Formula X. Doctor #2 nods sagely and writes for you pre-
numbered controlled Prescription #1 and Prescription #2 and logs them into his controlled
medication book. He tells you that you can only get Formula X at Pharmacy #1. You get
back into the taxi which has been waiting for you in the parking lot. Because you are now
tired and hurting, you go back home and ask him to return for you at 2:00 PM. Fare for
Taxi Ride #1 is $12. At 2:00 PM you get back in the taxi and ask the driver to take you to
Pharmacy #1. You discover there that they do not have Formula X on Prescription #1 or
Prescription #2. They recommend you try Pharmacy #2. You return to the taxi and direct
the driver to Pharmacy #2. When you go in to Pharmacy #2 they inform you that
Prescription #1 is not available anywhere in Mexico and suggest a substitution but you will
need a new pre-numbered controlled prescription from Doctor #2. They also tell you that
Prescription #2 is available but not until after 4:00 PM because the person who has the
key to the cabinet where this medication is kept does not come in until after 4:00 PM. You
ask if they have a tip for your cane and they advise that you try a hardware store. You
return to the taxi which has been waiting in the parking lot and ask the driver to take you to
Hardware Store #1 where you can purchase a tip for your cane. At Hardware Store #1
they have tips for canes but not the size you need and they direct you to Plumbing Store
#1. You return to the taxi and ask him to take you to Plumbing Store #1 and he decides to
take you to the corner where there are amazingly Hardware Stores #2, #3, #4 and #5.
You go into Hardware Store #2 and are shocked to find the correct size rubber tip for your
cane. You realize with glee that you do not have to go to Hardware Stores #3, #4 or #5, or
even Plumbing Store #1. You are happy with this. You are tired once again and ask the
taxi driver to return you home and come back again at 4:00 PM. Fare for Taxi Ride #2 is
$17 and all you have to show for it is a 40-cent rubber cane tip. Because you think you
are smarter now you phone the office of Doctor #2 and are told that he will be back in his
office at 4:00 PM. So at 4:00 PM you get into the taxi again and go back to see Doctor
#2. You are now informed that he is in surgery and will not be back into the office until at
least 5:30 PM. By now you might be frustrated or in tears. You get back into the taxi and
ask the driver to recommend a restaurant where you can have dinner close by. The driver
takes you to a buffet restaurant and you are pleased to find the food is palatable and only
slightly expensive. You ask the driver to return for you at 6:00 PM, because you don’t
really believe the doctor will be back at 5:30 PM. You arrive at the restaurant at 4:30 PM
and start enjoying your food and watch the employees put the chairs up on the other
tables because you and your spouse are now the only patrons in the restaurant at 5:00
PM. Fortunately the restaurant owner says it is OK for you to stay until the taxi arrives
later. So you kill time until 6:00 PM and ride in the taxi back over to the office of Doctor
#2. Of course he has not returned from surgery and you are waiting in his office along
with a bunch of other angry people who are waiting to see him too. Doctor #2 finally shows
up in a big hurry and a huff at 7:00 PM. He takes someone into his office and flies back
out and grabs Prescription #1 from your hand and the paper on which you have written the
name of the only drug of this type available right now in Mexico. He is in a bad mood and
he wonders why you are in a bad mood. He goes into his office and voids out of the
controlled system Prescription #1 and writes Prescription #3 for the medication you
allegedly can purchase. You return to the taxi which has been waiting in the parking lot
and ask the driver to take you back to Pharmacy #2. You finally get Prescription #3 and
Prescription #2 filled and it only cost you $57. By now you are really exhausted and in
pain and ready to go back home. After you have paid for Taxi Ride #3 which is $17 you
get back home at 8:00 PM and discover that Doctor #2 has only prescribed enough
medication to last 20 days. You have spent $46 dollars on transportation and $57 on
medication and $24 on mediocre food and 40 cents on a rubber cane tip and 8 hours
riding in a taxi, sitting in a taxi waiting or sitting in a restaurant or medical office waiting.
And you get to do it all again in 20 days when you run out of the pills! You think perhaps
you will call your doctor in California and ask him to write you a prescription for what you
REALLY want and hope your daughter can pick it up and pack it with your grandson’s stuff
when he comes down to visit in 20 days, and hope that a 6-year old traveling alone will not
get the red light when he goes through customs and have his luggage inspected. You
really hope.
We will post this month’s narrative early, because on May 29 we will drive to Cabo. On
May 30 we plan to visit the US Consulate office to have boat title documents notarized in
the morning, and go shopping at Costco and Home Depot in the afternoon. May 31
Hunter, Susie’s grandson, arrives at the airport. June 1 we will drive back to La Paz. June
2 Sam will have one more doctor visit. And June 3 we hope to depart La Paz to spend
some time playing in the beautiful Sea of Cortez, before Hunter leaves on July 10.
So we are still enjoying being in Marina de La Paz. Susie plays Bridge on Saturdays and
Wednesday, and Mexican Train Dominoes on Mondays and Thursday. For a while on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings she went for acupuncture treatments. Sam fills
in his time with little boat projects and routine maintenance, and grocery shopping.
Sam had a medical issue this month with a small amount of blood in his urine. After a
urinalysis, PSA and urine culture he was diagnosed with a bladder infection (although he
had no pain, discomfort or fever). About a week after he finished a course of antibiotics
the problem recurred, more so. He had to return for a scope procedure (very painful) and
turns out the problem is one he will have to live with for the rest of his life. The successful
brachytherapy (radioactive seed implants) he had 4 years ago for prostate cancer left him
with some radiation burn on his prostate, which will from time to time result in inflammation
and possibly infection. Each time he has similar symptoms in the future he will need to
testing to see if he has an infection. We will keep the medications on board that he was
treated with this time, in case it happens again in the future and we are not near a medical
facility.
Getting older certainly is not a day in the park, but it’s better than pushing up daisies!
We would like to relate one day in search of pain medications for Susie’s knees. One
could substitute a screw for some boat project, or a particular food, for the medications,
and the story would be nearly the same. So let’s call the medication we need Formula X.
You need Formula X. It is a controlled medication in Mexico. You call Doctor #1 who is
your regular physician for the condition you are trying to treat. Doctor #1 is not authorized
to write prescriptions for Formula X and tells you to call Doctor #2 who is so authorized.
You call Doctor #2 on Thursday and he says to drop by his office on Friday morning at 11:
00 AM. Since this fits conveniently into your schedule after your acupuncture appointment
is over at 10:30 AM, you think it will all work out just great. You arrange for a taxi at 9:00
AM, go to acupuncture while the taxi driver waits, and show up in Doctor #2’s office on
Friday at 11:00 AM. You don’t have an appointment so you wait until Doctor #2 can work
you in between his other patients. At 11:30 AM you get in to see him, discuss your
condition and your need for Formula X. Doctor #2 nods sagely and writes for you pre-
numbered controlled Prescription #1 and Prescription #2 and logs them into his controlled
medication book. He tells you that you can only get Formula X at Pharmacy #1. You get
back into the taxi which has been waiting for you in the parking lot. Because you are now
tired and hurting, you go back home and ask him to return for you at 2:00 PM. Fare for
Taxi Ride #1 is $12. At 2:00 PM you get back in the taxi and ask the driver to take you to
Pharmacy #1. You discover there that they do not have Formula X on Prescription #1 or
Prescription #2. They recommend you try Pharmacy #2. You return to the taxi and direct
the driver to Pharmacy #2. When you go in to Pharmacy #2 they inform you that
Prescription #1 is not available anywhere in Mexico and suggest a substitution but you will
need a new pre-numbered controlled prescription from Doctor #2. They also tell you that
Prescription #2 is available but not until after 4:00 PM because the person who has the
key to the cabinet where this medication is kept does not come in until after 4:00 PM. You
ask if they have a tip for your cane and they advise that you try a hardware store. You
return to the taxi which has been waiting in the parking lot and ask the driver to take you to
Hardware Store #1 where you can purchase a tip for your cane. At Hardware Store #1
they have tips for canes but not the size you need and they direct you to Plumbing Store
#1. You return to the taxi and ask him to take you to Plumbing Store #1 and he decides to
take you to the corner where there are amazingly Hardware Stores #2, #3, #4 and #5.
You go into Hardware Store #2 and are shocked to find the correct size rubber tip for your
cane. You realize with glee that you do not have to go to Hardware Stores #3, #4 or #5, or
even Plumbing Store #1. You are happy with this. You are tired once again and ask the
taxi driver to return you home and come back again at 4:00 PM. Fare for Taxi Ride #2 is
$17 and all you have to show for it is a 40-cent rubber cane tip. Because you think you
are smarter now you phone the office of Doctor #2 and are told that he will be back in his
office at 4:00 PM. So at 4:00 PM you get into the taxi again and go back to see Doctor
#2. You are now informed that he is in surgery and will not be back into the office until at
least 5:30 PM. By now you might be frustrated or in tears. You get back into the taxi and
ask the driver to recommend a restaurant where you can have dinner close by. The driver
takes you to a buffet restaurant and you are pleased to find the food is palatable and only
slightly expensive. You ask the driver to return for you at 6:00 PM, because you don’t
really believe the doctor will be back at 5:30 PM. You arrive at the restaurant at 4:30 PM
and start enjoying your food and watch the employees put the chairs up on the other
tables because you and your spouse are now the only patrons in the restaurant at 5:00
PM. Fortunately the restaurant owner says it is OK for you to stay until the taxi arrives
later. So you kill time until 6:00 PM and ride in the taxi back over to the office of Doctor
#2. Of course he has not returned from surgery and you are waiting in his office along
with a bunch of other angry people who are waiting to see him too. Doctor #2 finally shows
up in a big hurry and a huff at 7:00 PM. He takes someone into his office and flies back
out and grabs Prescription #1 from your hand and the paper on which you have written the
name of the only drug of this type available right now in Mexico. He is in a bad mood and
he wonders why you are in a bad mood. He goes into his office and voids out of the
controlled system Prescription #1 and writes Prescription #3 for the medication you
allegedly can purchase. You return to the taxi which has been waiting in the parking lot
and ask the driver to take you back to Pharmacy #2. You finally get Prescription #3 and
Prescription #2 filled and it only cost you $57. By now you are really exhausted and in
pain and ready to go back home. After you have paid for Taxi Ride #3 which is $17 you
get back home at 8:00 PM and discover that Doctor #2 has only prescribed enough
medication to last 20 days. You have spent $46 dollars on transportation and $57 on
medication and $24 on mediocre food and 40 cents on a rubber cane tip and 8 hours
riding in a taxi, sitting in a taxi waiting or sitting in a restaurant or medical office waiting.
And you get to do it all again in 20 days when you run out of the pills! You think perhaps
you will call your doctor in California and ask him to write you a prescription for what you
REALLY want and hope your daughter can pick it up and pack it with your grandson’s stuff
when he comes down to visit in 20 days, and hope that a 6-year old traveling alone will not
get the red light when he goes through customs and have his luggage inspected. You
really hope.
We will post this month’s narrative early, because on May 29 we will drive to Cabo. On
May 30 we plan to visit the US Consulate office to have boat title documents notarized in
the morning, and go shopping at Costco and Home Depot in the afternoon. May 31
Hunter, Susie’s grandson, arrives at the airport. June 1 we will drive back to La Paz. June
2 Sam will have one more doctor visit. And June 3 we hope to depart La Paz to spend
some time playing in the beautiful Sea of Cortez, before Hunter leaves on July 10.
| no photos for May 2008 |