Off to the doctor...

On Thursday, we did the 15 minute walk into nearby El Arco to pick up a few things. 

On the way back, the sidewalk is very uneven and Ruth was wearing shoes with very little traction. There was one sloping area and it was a bit sandy and that's where Ruth slipped and fell.

She landed on her left arm and hand. She was in pain, but nothing looked out of place, and she got up and we carried on back to the house.

But by Friday morning, she was in a lot of pain. The hand was a bit swollen, but not that bad. We decided she should get it looked at just in case there was a break somewhere.

But, where to go? There is a small hospital in Valle de Bravo, and there are also a lot of small clinics. There is also one private doctor who specializes in fractures and trauma. And there is a Red Cross clinic as well.

We went and explained the problem to our friend Chago. He volunteered to drive us into town and of course he knew the procedure.

For something like this, the doctor isn't the first stop. The doctor would take a look and tell you it needs x-rays. So instead of wasting time at the doctor, you go directly to a private x-ray clinic. Which is what we did. There was no lineup, and literally within three minutes, Ruth was in getting her x-rays done.

Big fancy modern high tech x-ray machine.

The entire apparatus swivels automatically to do the shoulder x-ray.

Five minutes later, we were handed the hard copy x-rays as well as having already received electronic copies on my phone.

Ruth's wrist!

The x-rays cost 200 pesos each... so the bill was 600 pesos ($46 CAD, $33.50 USD) for the 3 x-rays.

Next stop was to find a doctor. The first guy we went to was the trauma specialist. But he was busy and we didn't have an appointment. The receptionist said we could wait and he might be able to take a look within an hour, but the cost would be 1,200 pesos instead of the normal 800 pesos with an appointment.

We decided to go to the Red Cross. There, there was no wait at all and we were seen within five minutes. A young female doctor who spoke a bit of English had a look at the x-rays and declared that there were no breaks. She had a look at the hand and shoulder and prescribed a pain killer and a topical anti-inflammatory gel. She then wrapped the wrist in a supporting bandage.

The total bill at the Red Cross was 250 pesos ($19 CAD, $14 USD).

Next stop was the pharmacy. The bill there was 247 pesos ($19 CAD, $14 USD).

So, the entire experience with x-rays, doctor visit, and treatment cost 1,097 pesos ($84 CAD, $61 USD).

Just to clarify before somebody asks... no, we don't have medical insurance, and simply pay out of pocket as necessary. In almost twenty years of travel, we have saved thousands by not paying insurance premiums. Yes, we understand the risks, but we also understand the math behind odds, probability, and statistics so we are comfortable with that.

Trying to take it with a smile.

She says it feels better this morning, although of course the pain killers have kicked in. Hopefully a quick recovery.

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