I have taken the liberty to present facts and then stretch them to enhance both your reading pleasure as well as my own experience while writing.
Having lived here in Hermosillo, Sonora for the last year and a half has had its share of interesting cultural uniqueness’s. I do not live in what is commonly called “an American colony” of which there are many around Mexico. These are cities or towns where you will find Americans living close to each other thereby maintaining a level of consistency as it relates to the cultural norms. I do not live in such a situation and am not suggesting that any one situation of living in a Mexican town or city is better than another. Each has its own palate of circumstances. This is about my situation.
For instance, I live in the central part of Hermosillo very close to the Zocala (town square). Many years ago this neighborhood was THE place to live as evidenced by the very large homes throughout the area, many of which are still occupied by “old money”.
The rest of the homes are a mish mash of culture. For instance our neighbors behind us have one of these large homes. The difference here is that the previous owner (who was old money) had no family to leave the home to, so it was given to the housekeeper (presumably for many years of fine service). Well of course the housekeeper along with ample family members moves in, dogs and all and proceeds to do what just about anyone would do in such a circumstance; open a business fixing cars. At least that is what it sounds like back there. We have enjoyed many hours or roaring engines, car alarms and junk yard dogs. One particularly noisy day we went up on our terrace which overlooks our neighbors’ yard to see what it was all about. Our neighbors, not liking the fact that we could “look down upon them” proceeded to construct a visual blockade soaring 25 feet into the downtown skyline. We lost a nice view of the cathedral on that day and there was nothing to be done about it.
The Daily News, Delivered.
Every morning at around 7 am a car with a rather large stereo speaker attached to the roof drives up and down the neighborhood streets with the morning news blaring out. Of course the news is relayed in Spanish, and with the quality of the speaker on the roof of the car and my understanding of Spanish somewhat limited, I really have never understood what was being said and more often than not had a few ugly things to say about people who drive around at 7 am with high volume anything coming out of one highly taxed stereo speaker. Today was different. Today as my partner Ethel and I were checking our emails, the “news car” rolled by and Ethel started laughing. Apparently the rendition of the news that was blaring went something like this, “Last night a poor man who was feeling down on his luck, with a hungry belly and spirits dancing in his mind (drugs/alcohol) was found in a neighbor’s house risking his life and freedom for a few pesos to feed himself and his family. By chance, a policeman found him there and took him to the great castle (jail).” Apparently many renditions of news stories are literally juiced up like this to make one feel less fear and get a little chuckle instead.
Dog town.
Everywhere I have been in Mexico I have noted the omnipresence of the canine. Unleashed, un-collared and street savy. These are not mean dogs, they are simply part of the culture. Roaming, exploring, sometimes alone, sometimes with amigos. One of the oddities I have noted is that I have never seen the loose roaming canines barking and carrying on. These dogs know how to cross a busy street and in some cases even direct traffic. The “domesticated” canine is where I find the problem. I use the word domesticated with a looseness that borders on anarchy. I have considered a few of the local domesticated canines with pity and distain. One around the corner from us lives 24/7 on a second floor balcony totally exposed to the sun all day and the moon at night. If you are not familiar with Sonora weather, summertime daily temperatures routinely hit 115- 120 degrees. Aside from being penned up all day exposed to extreme temperatures, wouldn’t you bark your little brain out every chance you had? Nobody appears to listen to the pleas (I am talking about the owners here), we get to hear the canine news frequently as this is only one of several dogs who have “barksex” almost every night. They really want to meet each other, I can tell from their tone, but they are separated by human walls and fences.
The Housing Crisis and Debt Bubble
When I first started driving down to Mexico, I couldn’t help but notice the number of partially built homes and buildings everywhere I went. Columns of cement and cinder blocks with steel rebar poking out from all the seams. It was always something I had been noticing almost at a subliminal level. My thought process went almost un-noticed. I made the assumption that these structures were in the process of falling down. There was no evidence of people working, machinery or equipment, just partial buildings on a dirt patch along the side of the road. These structures take a bit of the luster out of enjoying the scenery of a country side or a city, but there they were. I often wondered why these eyesores were not simply taken down repairing the view ………. And then I found out the truth.
The truth is Mexico is still pretty much a cash economy. While there are plenty of banks, people do business the old fashion way. Hell, those houses weren’t leftover; crumbling edifices and eyesores, they were new construction! Many people down here go by the economic principle “pay as you go”. Them there houses I was seeing all along the highways and byways were getting’ built when the owners had the cash to make the next improvement. I’m still wrapping my mind around these new fangled ways of doin’ things ‘round here.
About Me
- Don Celestino
- "Through listening, nurturing and reflection, I catalyze the world, and people, to manifest their highest vision."
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Surgery in Mexico
The Operation
The day finally arrived and checking into the hospital was pretty quick, we arrived at 10:30 am and by 11:30 I was in the prep stage of the operation. One by one the surgery team arrived and within 30 minutes or so we were having a good time. I had baked 3 dozen cookies a few days before and brought them along sharing with the staff along the way. I highly recommend this tactic (unless you are a terrible baker) as it certainly built some valuable lines of force.
By 12:30 I was being gradually sedated and by 1:15 I was yawning and dosing off. Being wheeled into the operating room was somewhat surreal along with what followed. My primary sedation was from the hips down with secondary sedation for me to sleep. There was also a shield so I could not see the work being done. In this semi-conscious state I felt nothing, no pain, but there were moments when I heard what was going on as if I was in a room next door. I could hear the pounding of a hammer on the prosthesis as it was being driven into the tibia, but again, I had no feeling of it. At one point I opened my eyes and saw the anesthesiologist and asked him for a drink of water, but again it all took place without full recognition of where I was and what was happening. I write this 2 full days after the operation and I still have felt no pain. Perhaps once I start my rehab this will change.
The hospital staff has been amazing along with the food, and the accommodations are well appointed (although the TV’s could use an upgrade). I am scheduled to be home on Thursday. I have had a good number of visitors both in person and online for which I am so grateful. My partner Ethel has been amazing too and will be “nursing” me back to health over the next few months. Thanks to everyone who has made contact and provided surround for this event.
The day finally arrived and checking into the hospital was pretty quick, we arrived at 10:30 am and by 11:30 I was in the prep stage of the operation. One by one the surgery team arrived and within 30 minutes or so we were having a good time. I had baked 3 dozen cookies a few days before and brought them along sharing with the staff along the way. I highly recommend this tactic (unless you are a terrible baker) as it certainly built some valuable lines of force.
By 12:30 I was being gradually sedated and by 1:15 I was yawning and dosing off. Being wheeled into the operating room was somewhat surreal along with what followed. My primary sedation was from the hips down with secondary sedation for me to sleep. There was also a shield so I could not see the work being done. In this semi-conscious state I felt nothing, no pain, but there were moments when I heard what was going on as if I was in a room next door. I could hear the pounding of a hammer on the prosthesis as it was being driven into the tibia, but again, I had no feeling of it. At one point I opened my eyes and saw the anesthesiologist and asked him for a drink of water, but again it all took place without full recognition of where I was and what was happening. I write this 2 full days after the operation and I still have felt no pain. Perhaps once I start my rehab this will change.
The hospital staff has been amazing along with the food, and the accommodations are well appointed (although the TV’s could use an upgrade). I am scheduled to be home on Thursday. I have had a good number of visitors both in person and online for which I am so grateful. My partner Ethel has been amazing too and will be “nursing” me back to health over the next few months. Thanks to everyone who has made contact and provided surround for this event.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Health Insurance in Mexico
I moved to Mexico in October of 2008 and with things the way they were in the U.S. with healthcare, I purchased a private health insurance plan in Mexico. Initially I did not know what to expect with an annual premium less than $1,000.00. In the U.S. $1000.00 would get you maybe 3 or 4 months of insurance for an over 50 male. I have heard there is a public plan in Mexico that costs $250.00 per year and that many Americans buy into it and it works quite well, but I do not know this first hand. The state run plan is for public hospitals which I can only assume, means waiting in lines in crowded hospitals, but again, I have not explored this option at all. Having visited a number of hospitals here in Hermosillo, public, private and church run, I have not seen any over crowded facilities.
The plan I purchased is from AXA Insurance a company born in France and now has independent groups around the world. My first experience here in Mexico was to schedule an annual physical that is included in the plan. Of course I had to choose a Doctor so I inquired about English speaking MD’s that could be my primary care Doctor and upon choosing my Doctor I called to make an appointment for the physical. The receptionist being bilingual was able to make an appointment for the very next day at a time that I chose. The annual exam that is covered by the plan includes: blood pressure, EKG, full blood and urine analysis (cholesterol, prostate etc) and the usual eyes, ears, throat, look under the hood evaluation. The only cost involved is the fee for the visit to the Doctor that totaled about $15.00 U.S. The AXA plan I purchased also provides limited coverage in the U.S. Should I be in an accident of some kind. I am covered 100% for emergency room costs as well as transportation (once stable) back to a Mexican hospital for the rest of my treatment.
To give you an idea of how different the system is here, the blood work was booked for an appointment, blood taken and the results presented, all on the same day! This is the usual procedure as I have had 4 or 5 blood / urine tests in the 18 months. The same is true for the urine analysis as well as x-rays. In fact during one of my visits with the orthopedic surgeon he wrote a Doctors order to get x-rays of my hips. I went to the hospital with the order and was immediately taken into the x-ray lab, had the x-rays taken and received the results all within 10 minutes. That kind of blew my mind, but in the year and a half I have been in Mexico, it seems to be the norm.
The waiting rooms in the buildings where the Doctors are located look more like first class airport lounges than what I had come to know in California as the metal chaired waiting rooms full of people waiting 30 minutes or an hour beyond my appointment time. The waiting rooms here have nice leather couches with large coffee tables arranged in pods in spacious rooms where I have never seen more than 5 or 6 people waiting at any one time.
My plan has a deductible of $22,000.00 pesos or roughly $1,800.00. Because I am having my operation in a Cima Hospital I am given a further discount to the equivalent of $1,500.00. I am not sure of why this discount is applied, but I have no reason to complain about it. Once the deductible is exceeded the coverage is 100% including all meds, all Doctor fees, physical therapy both in the hospital and when I am home. Regarding hospitals, I am eligible to go to any private hospital in Mexico with the exception of 3 or so that are located in Mexico City. I will get a private room in whatever hospital I am attended to and if the hospital has suites (two rooms), they are included in the plan. As I will be beginning my hospital stay in just a few days, I will be able to better describe the accommodations food, staff etc. I tried to book the suite, but it can only be reserved one day before entry into the hospital. We will be calling on Sunday to see if the suite is available. I have been told wiifi is available in the hospital and will confirm that once I have checked in.
Outside of the annual physical exam, these are the approximate out of pocket coasts for the following tests: blood test $10.00, x-rays $15.00, MRI spine $485.00 and of course the cost of prescription or over the counter drugs are a fraction of the cost in the U.S. The hip replacement operation costs are about $18,000.00 each. As I have been run through the approval process to have both hips done (not at the same time), I will only pay the one deductible of $1,500.00.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. So far my experience here in Mexico medical land has been far above the average care in the U.S. What remains to be seen is the result of the operation which takes place Monday morning, April 5 at about 11:30 am PST. I like my orthopedic surgeon; he has been doing hip replacements for 20 years and seems to be active in his field attending Int’l symposiums related to the latest equipment and procedures. My replacement will be a metal ball in a poly cup inside a metal holder screwed into my hip joint. No metal on metal, no ceramic and hopefully a replacement that will last many years (average expectancy is 20 years).
If you would like to check out the Cima Hospital in Hermosillo follow the link below.
http://www.cimamedicalvaluetravel.com/herm
Up next: Checking into the hospital and the Operation
The plan I purchased is from AXA Insurance a company born in France and now has independent groups around the world. My first experience here in Mexico was to schedule an annual physical that is included in the plan. Of course I had to choose a Doctor so I inquired about English speaking MD’s that could be my primary care Doctor and upon choosing my Doctor I called to make an appointment for the physical. The receptionist being bilingual was able to make an appointment for the very next day at a time that I chose. The annual exam that is covered by the plan includes: blood pressure, EKG, full blood and urine analysis (cholesterol, prostate etc) and the usual eyes, ears, throat, look under the hood evaluation. The only cost involved is the fee for the visit to the Doctor that totaled about $15.00 U.S. The AXA plan I purchased also provides limited coverage in the U.S. Should I be in an accident of some kind. I am covered 100% for emergency room costs as well as transportation (once stable) back to a Mexican hospital for the rest of my treatment.
To give you an idea of how different the system is here, the blood work was booked for an appointment, blood taken and the results presented, all on the same day! This is the usual procedure as I have had 4 or 5 blood / urine tests in the 18 months. The same is true for the urine analysis as well as x-rays. In fact during one of my visits with the orthopedic surgeon he wrote a Doctors order to get x-rays of my hips. I went to the hospital with the order and was immediately taken into the x-ray lab, had the x-rays taken and received the results all within 10 minutes. That kind of blew my mind, but in the year and a half I have been in Mexico, it seems to be the norm.
The waiting rooms in the buildings where the Doctors are located look more like first class airport lounges than what I had come to know in California as the metal chaired waiting rooms full of people waiting 30 minutes or an hour beyond my appointment time. The waiting rooms here have nice leather couches with large coffee tables arranged in pods in spacious rooms where I have never seen more than 5 or 6 people waiting at any one time.
My plan has a deductible of $22,000.00 pesos or roughly $1,800.00. Because I am having my operation in a Cima Hospital I am given a further discount to the equivalent of $1,500.00. I am not sure of why this discount is applied, but I have no reason to complain about it. Once the deductible is exceeded the coverage is 100% including all meds, all Doctor fees, physical therapy both in the hospital and when I am home. Regarding hospitals, I am eligible to go to any private hospital in Mexico with the exception of 3 or so that are located in Mexico City. I will get a private room in whatever hospital I am attended to and if the hospital has suites (two rooms), they are included in the plan. As I will be beginning my hospital stay in just a few days, I will be able to better describe the accommodations food, staff etc. I tried to book the suite, but it can only be reserved one day before entry into the hospital. We will be calling on Sunday to see if the suite is available. I have been told wiifi is available in the hospital and will confirm that once I have checked in.
Outside of the annual physical exam, these are the approximate out of pocket coasts for the following tests: blood test $10.00, x-rays $15.00, MRI spine $485.00 and of course the cost of prescription or over the counter drugs are a fraction of the cost in the U.S. The hip replacement operation costs are about $18,000.00 each. As I have been run through the approval process to have both hips done (not at the same time), I will only pay the one deductible of $1,500.00.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. So far my experience here in Mexico medical land has been far above the average care in the U.S. What remains to be seen is the result of the operation which takes place Monday morning, April 5 at about 11:30 am PST. I like my orthopedic surgeon; he has been doing hip replacements for 20 years and seems to be active in his field attending Int’l symposiums related to the latest equipment and procedures. My replacement will be a metal ball in a poly cup inside a metal holder screwed into my hip joint. No metal on metal, no ceramic and hopefully a replacement that will last many years (average expectancy is 20 years).
If you would like to check out the Cima Hospital in Hermosillo follow the link below.
http://www.cimamedicalvaluetravel.com/herm
Up next: Checking into the hospital and the Operation
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