Amalia's Story

Amalia is my neighbor. For the last 20 years, after a mastectomy, she has been battling breast cancer. It's cells have cause tumors in her brain, liver, lungs and intestines. Each one has been irradicated. She was on chemotherapy, tamoxifen, for most of the last five years.
For the last four years, she has sold Fuller products door to door.
For two years, probably a bit longer, I have taken her carrot juice almost every day. Both she and her doctors believe it has made a difference.
Two years ago, while I was in Ohio, she fell. Screws were used to pin her hip together. She rallied and continued to sell Fuller.
I dedicated my Thanksgiving cooking to her. She had never had an American Thanksgiving meal. Yesterday, she sent a Mexican New Year's meal to the house. Well, I had to make corn muffins and take them over!
For the holiday, six of her seven children came to visit. When I showed up, she was picking the meat off the government-gifted turkey carcass to make relleno. She offered me carrot and broccoli salad and PRI-gifted sparkling cider.
We chatted, I met her "kids" and their kids. Our dogs played together. It was a good afternoon.
Today she is going to see the orthopedic surgeon in Cancun. The pain in her thigh and knee has kept her bed ridden for the past month. Her husband had tongue cancer removed last year. And then, a foot had to be amputated for diabetes. He too, is bedridden. But unlike Amalia, he wasn't able to rally for the New Year. She is one tough cookie. Happy New Year, Amalia! And at least a couple more!

A day without rains!

Lora's misbehavior - she's not allowed on the bed - seems to scream "Make the rain go away!" It has, for 27 hours now. But more is on the way due to Category 1 activity in the Caribbean.
I had "preadmission" testing in Cancun yesterday, but missed the 8am ferry. It was under Dr Salas's order for Cancun gastroenterolgist who will do the endoscopy with biopsy. Dr Salas arranged the testing for Dr Perganos.

Being late is never a problem in Mexico and Betty was ready to draw blood!
She was good! I'm a tough draw and warned her she should be a "vampirita." Betty took it from the crook of my elbow with a huge syringe that she then used to fill the vacutainers.
From there, it was on to the radiology center, where Ulysis the tech immediately said, "Did you have surgery? Because you have no gall bladder."
A four hour wait for the reading had me hopping a cab to WalMart, where I found things seldom seen here, including brown rice to replace the one with ants, and canned baby salad shrimp. Got another t-shirt in their Clearance Store and BAGELS!
Lora got antibacterial wipes for her ears! Hah!
And then a delightful cabbie took me back to the radiology center an hour early, prepared to wait a hour. Instead, he took the opportunity to get next door to pay his health insurance and the radiologist was ahead of schedule.
I also checked the prices on new juicers and called Ricardo. I think he can fix the one I have and save me $75US. While he is at it, he's fixing a small box fan brought back from the US two years ago.
And this morning, as we were coming back from being OUT, Lora and I found Jose back and ready to work. And he was along side Eriso, who was curling rebar into canes for the fence yesterday.
Just now, Adrian showed up to work on the PC and Lora, the former street walker, is in true heaven. Four men in the house and only one other bitch around!


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