#6 The Dengue Fever Edition

Well, this has been a week from hell.

On Sunday, Ray didn't want to come to the beach to have lunch with Joy like we do every Sunday. He wasn't feeling ok and wanted to go back to bed. He isn't a huge beach fan so I thought no problem go ahead. 

Monday morning Ray had a dental appointment to get two fillings. One of the fillings turned into dental surgery and that wasn't happening here and now!!! The dentist wanted to clean his teeth and when I objected as they had just been cleaned a month before he started to demonstrate how yuck they were. Ok, clean those nasty things!!!

I asked her if she was a dentist and she said yes and then turned into a hygienist. Just shows how good my Spanish is!!!

Here the doc is showing Ray what needs to be operated on.....He dropped one of this tools and then put it back in Ray's mouth. OMG!!!! Did I just see that??? Surely now!!!

We left the office after paying $43 for the cleaning and excitement and headed up the street to the market. Ray is walking about 10 paces behind me. "I just don't feel well." Probably the result of the tool on the floor and then........ We actually took a cab the two and a half blocks back to Iguanas Ranas and he went to bed. Again.

By Wednesday morning Ray is still feeling like shit and sleeping all of the time. "There is something wrong. We need a doctor." "I don't need a doctor. I'm fine." I went downstairs and an hour later, the doctor arrives!!!! He does all of the routine exams and then decides we need lab work done and the guy will be here at 6, SIX, in the morning!!! His house call fee was $21.50.

Sure enough, the next morning right at 6 this guy walks through our door wearing a head lamp looking like a miner!!! Blood and urine sample.

The results are ready 5 hours later and they are sent to Martha who then sends them to the doctor who arrives half an hour later to give us the big news. Ray has Dengue Fever. There is too much protein in his blood or urine. I thought urine. Martha says blood. Therefore, he needs more blood work done on Saturday morning at SIX. If the levels are still too high it will indicate that there is a kidney problem and then I'm heading home!!! Second Doc visit $14.30. 

Saturday morning the miner/lab guy arrives and much more blood is taken. Ray is feeling super shitty and now wants to go home but there is no way any airlines will let him on a plane. He is all stooped over and moves like a snail and sleeps when approaching a bed. I'm feeling sad as he isn't improving.

And then a pure gift from God. I hear Santana being played outside of your balcony. OMG!!! It was amazing. I'm dancing. I insist Ray gets out of bed as he is the true music lover in this family. It was such a gift. Like - "Hey, everything is going to be ok!"

This is Ady my English student who works here for Martha. She taped most of it and then put it on her fb page including me dancing and Ray smiling!!!

I may have mentioned that Martha's 87 year old Mother lives with her here and every afternoon she takes her out for a ride in the car. Martha asked Ray if he wanted to go and he said to take ME!!! Our first stop was here to get a cookie for the road.

We head out of town and turn south towards Aticama and once more I am over whelmed with the beauty of this country. Mountains on the left. Ocean on the right.

We were gone quite awhile. The sun was setting.

As we approached Las Islas there was a huge police presence at the 90 degree corner. I am always really careful about taking such pics. Hoping not to be arrested. Being in jail is just about the same as going to a hospital here. To be avoided at all cost!!!

Martha and her Mom were sitting in the front of the car with their windows up as it is so cold......and I'm in the back seat with the window all of the way down with my head sticking out. "Hey look Martha. I'm like your puppy sitting back here."

Yesterday I broke out of the box and went to the beach to have lunch with Joy being Sunday. This is my favourite place to eat. The menu is huge and they have some very interesting stuff on it. I try something new every week. The guy who maybe runs it saw me in the grocery store on Friday and I let him in line in front of me and he said thank you in English and I said you are welcome in Spanish and then he asked me if I spoke more Spanish and I said a little and then I asked him if he spoke more English and he said a little and we both laughed. Yesterday as I was leaving he asked me if I wanted a taxi, in English, and then he called one for me. The first time I saw him here he was going around from table to table asking everyone how their meal was and how they were doing. He was wearing a red apron. I think maybe he is the boss man.

Here is Joy on her uber. This is Raoul who looks after her house when she is not here and helps her out immensely when she is here. A very good man!!!

Let's see what else has happened this week. During a zoom call on Friday I lost the internet. When it came back on hours later, I couldn't connect to the internet. A guy came who didn't speak or read English and in 8 minutes had me back on line. He charged me $7.17. I gave him a hefty tip. Then I discovered that now my computer didn't respond to my camera chip and he came back and didn't charge me anything. 

This morning there was no hot water. I yelled for Marth and a neighbour yelled at me that his wife was trying to sleep. It was 8 not dawn. The gas tank was empty. I am now in tears!!!

I can't find my prescription sun glasses.

My cpap needed a repair which I managed but now it has left marks on my cheeks. 

OMG!!!! I hate to think what might be next. We are ready to come home..... but I think we need to give it 24 hours or so before we make arrangements. I'm not a quitter but I'm feeling a tad low, sad and when Martha hugs me I cry more!!!!

 Look at this amazing plant!!! How can I leave it now? 

Stay tuned to hopefully happier news next Monday. Blessings.....