A Fresh Start! Right after we tie up the loose ends!

So, it has been a very long time since we last wrote anything in our blog.  Our apologies to all of our readers.  It wasn’t that we forgot about you, but other parts of our life just took control over our time, and our vision for our blog just kind of faded into the distance.  Even more truthfully, when I wrote the last installment of our blog (nearly 2 years ago!)  I had hoped to give you all a positive and glowing review of the consulta system that seemingly all drugstores (farmacias) here have.    Turns out, I was not able to do that, and for that reason, I kept putting the next installment off … for so long, that eventually, it seemed ridiculous to even start it up again.  But, one of the results of trying things can be failure, so….

picking up where we left off, I was struggling with an ear infection had already visited one consultoria at one farmacia and was being treated at a second farmacia by a new “doctor”…

The first option, was a series of 3 shots in my behind, and was greatly encouraged by my husband,  “The Sadist”,  as the most efficient and effective way to clear the infection. 

In the end (pun intended),  it was determined that the injections were neither efficient, nor effective.   3 days, times 20 minutes driving, plus 15 minutes or longer waiting to be seen by the doctor, the cost of gas and $250 pesos for the meds…time, gas and money all wasted.

The doctor was incredulous but checked his enormous ARSEnal (read ego) of knowledge and information and came up with a different set of meds that would certainly deal with this nasty infection.    So, another 200 pesos for meds (they ALWAYS prescribe 3), more driving and waiting and gas for something else that did not work. 

You would think I would have learned something by then, but instead, I allowed him to send me for lab work.   Third times a charm, right?

I don’t remember what all that entailed, but it meant more driving, more waiting and several days for the results to come in.  These, I dutifully carried back to the same doctor at the same farmacia,  who then prescribed yet another volley of medication (yes, 3 items again), again, these cost about 200 pesos. 

Assuming that he would know what he was doing now that he had some medical jargon from a lab in front of him, I bought the new meds.   Colour me stupid, I was somewhat surprised when they did not work. 

By now, 3 weeks has passed, and I had spent $600 pesos on meds that didn’t work and another $400 pesos for the lab tests, plus I had been stuck in the bum 3 times!!  For nothing!!    $1.000 pesos, total loss of my dignity, Lord knows how much waiting time, and still no sign of improvement to my ear.

So, I gave up my dream of finding a good doctor at the farmacias and went to a specialist in PV, near Plaza Caracol.  He took one look in my ear, laughed and left the room.  He came back with a rather large syringe and a glass of nicely warmed water.  Within 2 minutes, the blockage in my ear was destroyed and I could hear again.   Turns out it wasn’t even an infection that we were dealing with.   The Specialist’s fee, $750.00 pesos and no meds. 

Lesson learned.  I have to admit I was highly disappointed because I so wanted to be able to tell you all the consultas work.  But for me, the truth is, that it didn’t.