Well not too much has changed, hmm maybe everything has changed. I did talk to my doctor, I feel like I understand how all this came to pass, and I'm comfortable with my decision to go up to northen Calif to have this procedure done.
I did find out I could do it here, and send the results up there. Yep, it would be cheaper. And if I had any kind of track record with the doctors here, maybe I would. Ok maybe that's a lie. It all has to do with the fear. If it was anything but cancer, I'd be having it checked here. I do believe there is good health care in Mexico. And it's SO affordable. A mammogram is 500 pesos, same for a sonogram. If I was in an accident or had some other illness, I'd be taking care of it here. But it's not. It's cancer (hopefully not), and I want to go to the people who know me. I told Everardo if I was in Calif I wouldn't want to go to any other hospital but Kaiser, cause that's who I went thru all this with before. And at first they said everything was fine, then somebody said...hmmm..wait- let's send this off to UCSF and check. So they want me to do this.
So I spent the money on a ticket. I'll probly end up paying off my deductible for the year, so crap, anything else I want looked at before year end ha ha??
But I am not letting this consume me. I have students for English. I am keeping my commitment to myself to work with Rosetta Stone for Spanish at least one hour every day, and I'm also going to Zumba every evening.
Zumba is kicking my ass. I push every nite to work harder. I feel so much better. And now that it's consistent, there are at least 15 people there every nite and usually more than that. I am still the only American, or at least the only English speaker, but I speak Spanish with the ladies working out around me. We're hot, we're tired, arms hurt or legs hurt, there's a couple of songs, which afterwards, I am not the only one with my head down and hands on my knees ha ha. Lots of kids are there, too. Everybody in Mexico (seems like anyway) has alot of kids, so when you come down to the park to exercise, the kids are in tow, with either parent. I always see kids with the guys on the track or over on the workout stations where the bars are. So during Zumba there's always kids running around, or trying to follow the dances ha ha. They stand next to their moms and swing their arms and jump around. I like it- well most of the time, I almost fell over a kid on a bike yesterday, and today a soccer ball appeared in the middle of everyone. So life goes on around it. The women who come are all ages, shapes and sizes. There's this one, she looks pretty young, but of course has at least 2 kids that I could identify as hers, anyway she dresses in bright pink and green, in these crazy getups, I tiny pair of green shorts stretched over pink leggings...a pink headband and some very tight fitting pink top. Yeah nobody here worries about hiding their fat...it's true. Women wear all kinds of stuff, not just at zumba and they strut their stuff. They are so confident, that they look good. Me- I gotta put a teeshirt over that stuff. But I love the freedom here, to do zumba in the park (and it's free- gotta love that), to dress the way that makes you feel good.
And everybody is nice to me. The teacher is always calling me by name- some song today- after she yelled "Es para Teresa!" (It's for Teresa)....It's 5 nites a week and we both go. Everardo alternates running for an hour and doing the workout stuff- sit ups, pull ups, etc. When we get home, we grab our spoiled doggys and take them for a drive, just 15-20 minutes. Sometimes out to the beach and a quick walk out so they can poop and Sam can run a little, but sometimes just a drive and he hangs his big head out the window and smells everything. It's a nice ritual.
Today English class was great after having a not great day out there yesterday. I had 4 students today who are long term- being coming for months, and then 4 new people. Thurs (today is not a new people day, but I encourage them to come to listen, maybe pick up something- but it's not required). But my 4 students- they were awesome!! They had to tell me in English what they do during the day, for at least 3 days, so we worked on sentences. Then they had to tell me about each other's days, so verbs and pronouns had to change. I saw this one lady look...and then she yelled- Maestra! (that's me- teacher)...and she got the connection! I was so happy! Happier than her I think ha ha! So we did them all, and then another woman asked what if we want to put the person's name first? Cause all the sentences started with..."On Monday I ....." so we worked thru on of those and she got that the action stayed with the name, and then the rest....well anyway it was REALLY fun because the students were excited and figuring things out with each other and then presenting them to me. So cool. I have a couple other students in that category, and actually Tues I started with just one guy, Francisco who speaks a little English, and so I had him tell me about his job in English.
Which turns out to be 2 jobs! This guy drives a water truck from 7am to 3pm, and a taxi from 4pm until 3 in the morning! We talked about the water truck- the kind that carry the big garrafons - the big plastic jugs- and they sell them in the neighborhoods. We just take ours to the Oxxo down the street and it's a few pesos cheaper. But they drive by my open bedroom window every morning no later than 8:30, honking their horn the entire time so you know they're out there. I asked him if he did that- he laughed and said oh no! I play music! Anyway this guy sleeps from 3am to 6am when he wakes up and starts again. He has a wife and 2 little kids. He only has Sunday off. I love this guy, he has the best attitude, always laughing and keeps the class lively- is very good natured so I can pick on him in a funny way and everyone has fun. He mostly only comes on Tuesdays when he takes a break- if he's not too busy. But he's very motivated to learn and so he is learning alot.
People get paid next to nothing here, and so they do what they need to to survive. Luckily things are cheap, medical care, rent, food is a little cheaper than the US, but you gotta go to the Mexican stores, not Sam's Club or Aurrera Bodega- which is owned by Walmart, and we're finding the best places for different things. Everardo just found a better place for meat today, and has to show me where it is. We're trying not to eat too much meat, but gotta have some, ya know? Tonite we had some breaded beef, kinda like chicken fried steak, and it was really good! He also bought some marinaded pork which we'll try probly tomorrow...hmmm 2 nites in a row- ok splurge!
So tomorrow he's working with a guy who called tonite to ask him to help with some construction and maybe he said insulation...tomorrow and Saturday, so I guess after Spanish I'll take the kids (oops I mean dogs) to the park. But no English class tomorrow so I can lay in the grass in the park and read...ahh sounds nice doesn't it?
Ok fun fact about Mexico:
Mexico City is built over the ruins of a great Aztec city, Tenochtitlán. Because it is built on a lake, Mexico is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year as pumps draw water out for the city’s growing population.
I did find out I could do it here, and send the results up there. Yep, it would be cheaper. And if I had any kind of track record with the doctors here, maybe I would. Ok maybe that's a lie. It all has to do with the fear. If it was anything but cancer, I'd be having it checked here. I do believe there is good health care in Mexico. And it's SO affordable. A mammogram is 500 pesos, same for a sonogram. If I was in an accident or had some other illness, I'd be taking care of it here. But it's not. It's cancer (hopefully not), and I want to go to the people who know me. I told Everardo if I was in Calif I wouldn't want to go to any other hospital but Kaiser, cause that's who I went thru all this with before. And at first they said everything was fine, then somebody said...hmmm..wait- let's send this off to UCSF and check. So they want me to do this.
So I spent the money on a ticket. I'll probly end up paying off my deductible for the year, so crap, anything else I want looked at before year end ha ha??
But I am not letting this consume me. I have students for English. I am keeping my commitment to myself to work with Rosetta Stone for Spanish at least one hour every day, and I'm also going to Zumba every evening.
Zumba is kicking my ass. I push every nite to work harder. I feel so much better. And now that it's consistent, there are at least 15 people there every nite and usually more than that. I am still the only American, or at least the only English speaker, but I speak Spanish with the ladies working out around me. We're hot, we're tired, arms hurt or legs hurt, there's a couple of songs, which afterwards, I am not the only one with my head down and hands on my knees ha ha. Lots of kids are there, too. Everybody in Mexico (seems like anyway) has alot of kids, so when you come down to the park to exercise, the kids are in tow, with either parent. I always see kids with the guys on the track or over on the workout stations where the bars are. So during Zumba there's always kids running around, or trying to follow the dances ha ha. They stand next to their moms and swing their arms and jump around. I like it- well most of the time, I almost fell over a kid on a bike yesterday, and today a soccer ball appeared in the middle of everyone. So life goes on around it. The women who come are all ages, shapes and sizes. There's this one, she looks pretty young, but of course has at least 2 kids that I could identify as hers, anyway she dresses in bright pink and green, in these crazy getups, I tiny pair of green shorts stretched over pink leggings...a pink headband and some very tight fitting pink top. Yeah nobody here worries about hiding their fat...it's true. Women wear all kinds of stuff, not just at zumba and they strut their stuff. They are so confident, that they look good. Me- I gotta put a teeshirt over that stuff. But I love the freedom here, to do zumba in the park (and it's free- gotta love that), to dress the way that makes you feel good.
And everybody is nice to me. The teacher is always calling me by name- some song today- after she yelled "Es para Teresa!" (It's for Teresa)....It's 5 nites a week and we both go. Everardo alternates running for an hour and doing the workout stuff- sit ups, pull ups, etc. When we get home, we grab our spoiled doggys and take them for a drive, just 15-20 minutes. Sometimes out to the beach and a quick walk out so they can poop and Sam can run a little, but sometimes just a drive and he hangs his big head out the window and smells everything. It's a nice ritual.
Today English class was great after having a not great day out there yesterday. I had 4 students today who are long term- being coming for months, and then 4 new people. Thurs (today is not a new people day, but I encourage them to come to listen, maybe pick up something- but it's not required). But my 4 students- they were awesome!! They had to tell me in English what they do during the day, for at least 3 days, so we worked on sentences. Then they had to tell me about each other's days, so verbs and pronouns had to change. I saw this one lady look...and then she yelled- Maestra! (that's me- teacher)...and she got the connection! I was so happy! Happier than her I think ha ha! So we did them all, and then another woman asked what if we want to put the person's name first? Cause all the sentences started with..."On Monday I ....." so we worked thru on of those and she got that the action stayed with the name, and then the rest....well anyway it was REALLY fun because the students were excited and figuring things out with each other and then presenting them to me. So cool. I have a couple other students in that category, and actually Tues I started with just one guy, Francisco who speaks a little English, and so I had him tell me about his job in English.
Which turns out to be 2 jobs! This guy drives a water truck from 7am to 3pm, and a taxi from 4pm until 3 in the morning! We talked about the water truck- the kind that carry the big garrafons - the big plastic jugs- and they sell them in the neighborhoods. We just take ours to the Oxxo down the street and it's a few pesos cheaper. But they drive by my open bedroom window every morning no later than 8:30, honking their horn the entire time so you know they're out there. I asked him if he did that- he laughed and said oh no! I play music! Anyway this guy sleeps from 3am to 6am when he wakes up and starts again. He has a wife and 2 little kids. He only has Sunday off. I love this guy, he has the best attitude, always laughing and keeps the class lively- is very good natured so I can pick on him in a funny way and everyone has fun. He mostly only comes on Tuesdays when he takes a break- if he's not too busy. But he's very motivated to learn and so he is learning alot.
People get paid next to nothing here, and so they do what they need to to survive. Luckily things are cheap, medical care, rent, food is a little cheaper than the US, but you gotta go to the Mexican stores, not Sam's Club or Aurrera Bodega- which is owned by Walmart, and we're finding the best places for different things. Everardo just found a better place for meat today, and has to show me where it is. We're trying not to eat too much meat, but gotta have some, ya know? Tonite we had some breaded beef, kinda like chicken fried steak, and it was really good! He also bought some marinaded pork which we'll try probly tomorrow...hmmm 2 nites in a row- ok splurge!
So tomorrow he's working with a guy who called tonite to ask him to help with some construction and maybe he said insulation...tomorrow and Saturday, so I guess after Spanish I'll take the kids (oops I mean dogs) to the park. But no English class tomorrow so I can lay in the grass in the park and read...ahh sounds nice doesn't it?
Ok fun fact about Mexico:
Mexico City is built over the ruins of a great Aztec city, Tenochtitlán. Because it is built on a lake, Mexico is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year as pumps draw water out for the city’s growing population.
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