Home again

He's home and feeling much better. Chocolate delivery tomorrow for Dr. Lupita and Esmeralda!!

Another hospital visit??

On Friday morning a friend visited and insisted that she should take John to her Doctor for assessment. After examination,  Doctor Lupita admitted him to hospital for rehydration and testing. He was placed in "suite 3", given antibiotics and a saline drip. It didn't take long for him to start feeling better.  Doctor Lupita visited him four times. His INR was high and he was totally dehydrated. Later that day he was served some soup, juice and tea. His suite had air conditioning, a TV, telephone and a private bathroom with shower. The only issue remaining to resolve was our travel medical coverage.

The next morning I arrived to find him in good shape, well hydrated and about to eat his first solid food...pancakes with fresh fruit.

Does he look sick to you? I personally think that he has developed an addiction to hospital food!

Later in the morning I went to check with Esmerelda about our medical insurance. She had offered to help me with the forms that our company was emailing to her. Her office is more like an extended closet with a display case of gift shop items for sale along one wall.

Esmerelda grew up in Chicago so her English has a slight Chicago inflection with no trace of Spanish at all. She has been very helpful and I am very grateful.

The pilgrimage

Dr. Lupita visited John several times on Saturday but was reluctant to release him until he had donated an appropriate sample for analysis. After being overworked, his colon refused to cooperate. I spent the day with him, waiting for action.

Around 3:00 I looked down from his window to see three people arrive with large colourful masks.

By 4:00pm, there was a much larger group ranging in age from 3 years to about 50 years of age.

I was really intrigued and decided that it was time to get a closer look. They weren't masks. Instead they were head dresses. The animal heads would rest on top of the performers' heads.

I knew that they were going to take part in a pilgrimage to the Cathedral but no one seemed to know what time they would depart. For centuries the Virgin of Guadalupe has been venerated by Mexicans and during the first 12 days of December many pilgrimages are made to Our Lady of Guadalupe parish.

When Dr. Lupita visited John again at 5pm she explained that it was the Hospital's pilgrimage that would take place at 6pm. She invited me to join the group. I was hesitant but learned that others who were not hospital employees would be walking with the group so I thought "why not"!?

Young members of the performing group were trying to attach their backpacks to the police ATV before putting on their head dresses.

The hospital staff was assembled behind an ambulance. We were each handed a candle, carnations and song sheets before being given directions to "dod y dos"...pair up! It wasn't likely that I would have a willing partner so I stayed with a mother and daughter pair.

The scene inside the ambulance ensured that all bases were covered. Children were dressed as a nurse, doctor, patient, angel and the virgin herself!! During the 45 minute walk to the Cathedral, the little angel never dropped her praying hands!!

My walking partners were lovely. Mother and grandmother were equally in love with the gorgeous child they carried. Closer to the Cathedral street vendors sold Mexican snacks and hundreds of people had gathered in the hopes of watching pilgrimages as they arrived. Every two blocks along the way, the performers with animal head dresses stopped to dance and play music. Traffic was halted for us at every intersection. The Cathedral bells rang as we entered and a priest sprinkled holy water on the participants.

The largest pilgrimage will be on December 11th as a tribute to the disadvantaged and to lost children. It is scheduled for around noon so I hope to be there for some photos.

My only regret was that I couldn't leave the procession to run ahead and photograph the masked  performers. It would have been rude. I returned to the hospital to find that John's situation had not changed. He would spend another night in Suite 3 at Hopital Med Assist.

Our Anniversary?

Now it's John's turn! A Doctor visited today and based on John's symptoms, diagnosed salmonella poisoning, gave him a shot of antibiotics in each cheek and prescriptions for anti-nausea meds. Recovery could take a few days and a lot of rehydration.

The Doctor arrived in a red camaro convertible. He was enveloped in a cloud of cologne and had masses of long dark hair tied up at his neck. A small satchel held everything from a portable ECG machine to a remote digital heat monitor. He was an Internist!!...and he charged a specialist's fee!!

What a way to celebrate our anniversary! Just the two of us and a big orange bucket!!

Recovery

After three days of hovering near a toilet, I think that the worst is over. Last night's sleep was uninterrupted and a little porridge seems to be sitting okay this morning. The pool even looks inviting!!

JAP is the master chef, Doug looks after dishes and laundry, Pacheta cleans the house three times a week so my assistance hasn't been missed. John has spent the last three days travelling up and down the stairs with water and soda crackers.

"Lazing around" seems to be the preferred way to pass time down here with necessary visits to the outside world for groceries. Even the cat finds life to be very enjoyable!

Montezuma's revenge

Montezuma got me!!

Today's visitor

The stairs are 40 inches across!!