Well, week one, was a bit of a cliffhanger for us. All we knew about Kim was that she was not in immediate danger, medication was heaped on her for angina, she had more tests scheduled for Monday and Wednesday, and although they had diagnosed “Acute Bronchitis”, they were not willing to supply meds for that until her heart was checked out more thoroughly. Not to mention, her primary complaint… labored breathing and chest tightness were bad and getting worse if anything.
The good news came in chunks week two…. Monday revealed a healthy heart at rest, and Kim was able to get meds to address the “bronchitis”. (antibiotics and inhaler). The inhaler provided some temporary relief for her, which was great. Wednesday she had an “effort test” (what we call a stress test), which was also clear. Finally, she met with a Pulmonologist, who in 2 minutes changed her diagnosis to Asthma. So after 6 days, thousands of dollars, and an emotional roller coaster, Kim was having an Asthma attack from her dusty pillow! Thanks Peruvian Healthcare system. They were fast, attentive, and thorough (I suppose), but if they had not botched her first EKG, I’m sure this could have been sorted out a bit quicker.
On to the bad news… Kim got news from her mother, Shirley that her Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma had returned for the 4th time. Ugh. The good news is, this is a low-grade (Slow growing) cancer that is treatable. And Shirley is a grizzled veteran of the war on this disease, unflinching in her resolve, and armed with the best care money can buy at the Mayo Clinic.
It’s safe to say that it’s killing Kim to be so far away from her mother. In the past, she’s always been a few hours away at most, and been able to go with Shirley to Rochester at times. This is a unique feeling, and one fraught with guilt. We’re all praying for Shirley, and we’re trying to call daily for updates etc…. but it still sucks.
The rest of the week, was sort of inconsequential by comparison, but in other ways, we did settle into a bit of a rhythm. Spanish School continued, 2 hours a day, though with a new instructor for Kim and I (Jimmy was on a staycation)… it was hit and miss for us this week. One day there was confusion and we didn’t have any instructor.
That day turned out to be a “two hour date” for us. We went to the bank, went to scout out a “Lavandaria” (Laundry service), went to Starbucks, and hung out in the main square with our coffees. It was a beautiful day, and really nice. We did have a couple of interesting interactions with street vendors though… I’m pretty sure I was cursed by an old woman begging for money. I don’t have any idea what she said, but the look on her face was all “screw you”. A bit later, we got mobbed by about 4 guys, including a young boy about 8 or 9. I was politely telling them all, “no gracias”, but one of the guys selling paintings was really trying to engage. Then, all of a sudden, the kid was mocking me, and then he totally invaded my space (he had moved over and got right in my face). I figured he was getting ready to grab my sunglasses or something, and I really didn’t like his attitude either. I “shooed” him away with an “adios, chao”, and a sneer of my own. Talk about weird.
One day, we asked our temp instructor (Warner) to take us to the San Pedro market, so he could give us some pointers for buying produce. It was nice to get the names and descriptions of some of the “typical frutas”, though I’m not sure Warner is a discerning shopper. At least we know what we are looking for, and have an expectation of what to pay!
Warner was a nice guy, but we are happy to be back with Jimmy now!
As you’ll see in the pics below, we did break down and let the kids buy a few souvenirs this week. Kat got “good-deal fever” after she successfully negotiated for her pan flute (10 Soles down from 15), and promptly started offering 1 Sol for everything she saw. I don’t think anyone has been offended (I hope not).
