Will my problem be solved or must I extract myself from my Ajijic paradise to remedy this evil threat to limb and life?
Wednesday, just over a week ago my elbow struck the cement wall as I rounded the corner at Zaragoza and Colon. Small shooting funny bone pain caused me to drop the empty suitcase. A quick rub, grasp of the handle, I was briskly on my way.
Four O'clock next morning I swung the suitcase onto the truck bed as I prepared to air freight my wife to Tacoma for a well deserved visit with small pleasures. Small evil twinge at the elbow as I released the bag with a thud. The wife and I met the summoned taxi at the front gate, exactly 4:30 AM. A quick kiss and my lady was on her way.
Lonesome me closed the gates and retreated to the casa. Second cup of coffee to my lips brought the twinge behind the elbow to speak saying, "evil is nearby." I feel the pea sized lump on not so funny bone, "Ummm pretty sore, bet it will be gone by tomorrow." The remainder of Thursday was long walk, followed by nap and ending with back yard grilled steak. "Sorry you missed it my lady," I thought.
Daybreak Friday, the lump was a marble filled with pain, no fever. "Oh hell, evil or no, this is another Mexico day to enjoy," I remind myself. The morning rolled into dusk as an Ajijic walk about, writers group meeting caped by a superb Nueva Posada lunch among born liars. Some laundry and lawn water finished another fine day.
"Damn that lump hurts but I bet this Tylenol fixes it."
Saturday, woooaa, marble to large nugget and it's not gold." Hot, swollen elbow, tight enough, movement is restricted. Evil inside me definitely has my attention. Morning walk was a search for the best doctor around. Asking around and sometimes showing off my evil elbow I was met with several names but Dr. Garcia won the numbers game.
Monday was as soon as anything was going to happen no matter what evil condition existed within worried body. Bedded down with all the pain relievers I could stand for a restless, lonely, Saturday night.
Sunday found the swelling down to my knuckles. Heat remained and skin stretched tight covering the swelling elbow to knuckles. Color still good and circulation in tact, but worry me, worry you, was coming on as the hours passed. Most of the day spent with evil arm above my head where it felt the most comfortable. Lots of rest, but a wasted day in wonderland. Home alone, with evil and loyal cat.
Monday morning came unhurried as if it were deliberately prolonging my evil pain. Dressed, driven and standing aside the Maskaras Clinic front door when the receptionist showed. We discussed the possibility of an appointment with Dr. Garcia and I discovered I had found the best Dr. in the Chapala Lake area with no opening till THURSDAY 10:AM.
I headed east to Chapala where I would could pick up those boots I was having soled. Climate perfected by Supreme overseer, was on target again as comfort in the outdoors eased my pain, as I strolled the side walk
A Farmacia sign to my right reached out and banged dumb head screaming, "Try me, and try me." I stepped to the counter, presented swollen evil elbow, and explained in perfect English its condition to the Mexican lady. She stepped from behind the counter and led me a few steps down street and pointed to a sign next door. "Dr. Adoniram Consultation, 20 pesos." I thanked the lady and inserted evil elbow in the small waiting room alongside three young mothers with babies aboard. "Twenty pesos, not even two dollars, can this be true," kept turning in my head as I waited my turn.
My time came as Doc motioned me to the door, as he's asked, "Espanol?"
I replied Poco Espanol," and asked, "Hobla English?"
He replied with, "A little", extending hand with his thumb striking the first joint of his index finger.
Already at ease, we worked out the sign language and broken Tex-Mex to strike an agreement on treatment. No nurse, the Doctor recorded all the information, weight, blood pressure and prognosis along with description of the evil within my arm. His prescription for antibiotics, painkiller, and diuretics along with instructions for several blood tests to be done at a lab after one night fast was all written one piece of paper. Paid my 20 pesos to the Doctor and he showed me to the door of his small one room office. We were to meet tomorrow when the blood report was ready.
I walked to the Farmacia next door and handed the lady the small paper. She came back with the required medicines and a bill for 77 pesos. Ummm I thought, "Doctor visit and medicine for 97 pesos, must be a quack or Mexico is for real."
From Farmacia, to shoe shop for the boots, and a short drive to the casa with swollen evil elbow still miserable and inescapable.
Home at last with cat at my side we took our medicine, turned out the lights elevated the evil arm, and put sleep in the way of the pain.
Tuesday morning, "no pain, no pain, wow no pain." Just one evil football implanted in my arm. Skin color was better than I expected but fingers were stiff and bloated. With this small encouragement I dressed and drove to Maskaras Clinic Lab for the blood work.
In at 8:30 AM out at 8:40 AM, with results to be ready by an unbelievable 1:00 PM.
A walk, breakfast, followed by lunch and back to the clinic for the results. Paid a ridiculous price of 230 pesos. The blood test results were placed in my hand for safekeeping and delivery to my doctor. "What do you know, in Mexico you get to see the lab report before the doctor so I am already nearly as smart as the doctor," I thought. Blood report looked within the norms except for two indicators I didn't recognize but assumed they meant I had a bacterial infection.
Enough conjecture, back to Chapala and Dr. Adoniram with report in hand. Doc welcomed me, checked blood pressure and nonexistent temperature of the evil elbow. He was pleased the heat had faded and surmised the antibiotic was working. Doc admitted he didn't have the answer just yet. "Lets do an X-ray see if there is a break or a foreign object in the elbow," he suggested. On a fresh scrap of paper Doc wrote the instructions for the X-rays and instructed me, one block north, two blocks east and to the right.
Into the City X-ray Lab at 4:00 PM, paid ridiculous 250 pesos, out at 4:15 PM with X-rays in hand.
Wednesday morning, up early, thinking the swelling was a smidge less. Skin color was a little darker but no worse than I had expected. I paced the floor, dressed, had too much coffee and eggs while waiting for sunlight. X-ray in hand I seated myself among three young mothers and their offspring. My turn with Doc was much as I expected. No fracture and no indication of the evil within my elbow. However Doc's trusty measuring tape detected a slight decrease in the circumference of the swollen elbow. He told me to keep up the antibiotics and return in a week if all has not returned to normal. Paid the ridiculous price of 20 pesos gathered my X-rays and headed Ajijic-ward. Promised myself as I drove past Maskaras Clinic to be out front 10:00AM tomorrow.
Thursday morning found a subtle but welcome improvement in less evil elbow. Well I thought, "I better check with the recommended Dr. Garcia to be sure, besides we need a family Doctor on the payroll." 10:00 AM I was face to face with Garcia doing his own paper work, asking questions, examining records and X-rays. We agreed it was an evil arm and agreed we could not nail down the exact cause. He agreed with my 20-peso doctor as to the treatment and recommended I continue the program at least another week. "If the fever returns, immediately stop the current antibiotic and start this new antibiotic I am prescribing," Dr Garcia instructed. We discussed the possibility we might have to culture the evil but he recommended we not puncture the elbow unless forced, as we might introduce more problems. Paid the recommended doctor fee of 350 pesos to reaffirm my faith in Mexico. Garcia seems better than most doctors I have been associated. However, I am a poor judge of doctors as I don't see one till, evil takes my brave ignorance away.
