After lunch Rhonda, Ken and I went for a little drive to check out the area. We went to the big RV park and then on to the south side of town where the Bridge of Life is. This walking suspension bridge was built as a link between La Penita and Rincon Guaybitos after lots of pedestrian car accidents on highway bridge. That used to be the only way over the estuary, but since the Bridge of Life, you don't have to go on the highway at all if your walking or riding your bike.
Just down the way is where the fishermen dock their boats after a morning of fishing.
We took a little walk out on to the breakwater. There are a couple memorials to fishermen lost at sea, and an old guy has a little shack out near the end as well. Apparently this is where he lives.
While we were out and about, Sue went with Irwin and Wanda to the Dr office to get her post operation check up. She passed with flying colours and will be fit as a fiddle in no time. If you remember her appendix operation was only a couple days ago.
Here is some information for those of you wondering what a medical procedure might cost you in Mexico even if you didn't have insurance. Wanda has insurance but will not be reimbursed until after she submits the receipts, so she had to pay up front. She went into hospital just after supper time last Thursday and was immediately operated on for a perforated appendix. The hospital she went to, was a recommendation of our friend Dr. Alejandro in Las Ayala and was a Mexican public hospital. It was basic but clean and friendly. The care was great and she had a great surgeon. She was in the hospital for a full 24 hours to make sure everything was ok. Like I told you in a previous post, her bill for the hospital and operating room was 11400 pesos which she paid before leaving the hospital. Today she got her check up and had to pay for the services of the surgeon, anesthesia guy, and Dr Alejandro's diagnosis and post op care. That was a little over 40000 pesos. So the entire bill for emergency surgery was about 54000 pesos!! Amazing!!! That equates to about $4300 Cnd. What do you think that would have cost her in the USA. I bet it would have been $50,000 or more.
So from this experience we have learned that medical in Mexico is affordable even if you didn't have insurance, as long as its not too serious. And the level of care even at the Mexican public hospital is great. Even though this is not the way she wanted to end her holiday, she is happy everything went the way it did.
We headed up to their suite for sunset and supper tonight. Sunset was a bust with the cloud cover we had today.
The pool was noticeably quieter today because it was a wee bit cooler. 26C!! But it still looks pretty from their balcony.
Sue was doing her famous tequila shrimp for supper. John wanted to be involved so she let him do some of the fire stuff. I think they had fun doing this part.
Supper was delicious with the shrimp served on a bed of rice. Thanks guys.
We finished the night off with a few games of Skipbo. Susan was not sleeping, she was talking to Archie who was under the table. The girls claimed they were winners even though the guys won 2 out of 3 games. Different math I guess. Good Nite!
Great for Wanda, quick in, out and even recovery. Not that all be in Mexico for procedures, but it is sure interesting how reasonably surgeries can be done. No one needs all the fan fare of fancy hospitals.
ReplyDeleteI did a hernia surgery in Guadalajara six years ago and it was about the same cost. $3000 US with a 10% discount for paying in cash. Nothing like showing up with a backpack full of pesos. It took more than a week to withdraw it all from ATMs due to a daily limit around $300. Post-op, we decided to head to the coast while I recovered and that was when we found Numero Uno.
ReplyDeleteAbove comment is Drew!
ReplyDeleteWell, it was a scary thing heading up the road to Tepic just before dark, to a hospital where basically nobody spoke English. But, I never doubted the surgeon and the nurses. They were wonderful! We all used Google translate on our phones and we managed fine. Glad though for our friendship with Lorne and Sue, we would have had a more difficult time if it weren't for them. At my follow up appointment Dr. Alex explained that in Mexico, they don't get so concerned about xrays and ultrasound for something like appendix. They know what the problem is from symptoms described and examined. He said time is of the essence with the appendix...so out it comes! Better than sitting in an ER for hours in Canada waiting to see a Dr or for surgery.
ReplyDeleteThe cost will be covered by my medical insurance which is something I advise having if you are leaving the country. You're right though it's not alot of dollars!!!
Thanks again Lorne and Sue.
Forgot to enter my name on the above comment!! Lol
ReplyDelete