COSTA RICA HEALTH CARE: PART THREE…THE SURGERY

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Hernia surgery-$0

On the day of admissions, we reported to an office and filled out paperwork. It lasted no more than 10 minutes. I was not sure if it was fast because that was the actual process or because we couldn’t understand anything.

We were directed to the emergency ward where Rob was instructed to go into a utility closet and change into a pair of scrubs. He walked out wearing an ill-fitting ensamble with numbers stamped across his chest. The pants were too short and the top didn’t even cover his navel. My husband looked less like a surgical patient but more like a gay prison inmate.

“What do you think?” said Rob.

“Don’t expect a phone call from Calvin Klein anytime soon.”

“Mas grande?” Rob asked the man. Rob walked out again, his scrubs barely covering his abdomen but it’s the best they can do. The man made Rob sit in a wheelchair and took him to the hospital ward; a large room, about 20 beds, and no dividing curtains. The screen-less windows at the top of the room were all open. This allowed the breeze—and later the heat—to creep through. Little lizards jumped around the ceiling and darted in and out. It
reminded me of the television series MASH, and I was all but ready to see Hawkeye
and Hot Lips Houlihan saunter through.

Rob got a bed next to a young guy who had a motorcycle accident.  His entire leg was bandaged and propped up on a few pillows. I left to use the communal bathroom; there were no toilet seats or toilet paper. So far, this was not turning out to be the Mayo Clinic.

An hour later, our roly poly doctor walked in—his Winnie the Pooh appointment book under his arm. He introduced us to another doctor who looked exactly like Groucho Marx. He was wearing jeans and a polo shirt—it must have been casual Friday.

“This is your surgeon, he is from Mexico and very good,” he said. Rob was quick to respond.

“La mejor doctor. Nice to meet you.”

“Rob, how do I know this guy even has a medical license,” I said after Groucho walked away. “I want to find his office and ask to look at his diplomas.”

“Don’t you dare,” threatened Rob. “You’re going to piss him off. Whether we like it or not, this guy is doing the surgery, I don’t want him to have a grudge against me.”

“Then I’ll be nonchalant, just look like I’m lost, and check for myself to see if they are on the walls.”

“No.”

“I’ll knock on his door and ask a question.”

“NO.” Rob insisted. I was sick to my stomach. I couldn’t see a good outcome and
started to cry.

“Please, I’m going to be fine, stop worrying. Listen, it’s all going to be over in a few days. What’s the worst that can happen?”  Rob’s ability to be optimistic in the face of
great odds was incredible.

The morning of the surgery, I walked into the ward but Rob’s bed was not there. I turned to the motorcycle guy, who curiously had a different woman at his side. I asked him if my husband was dead.  Because—as you know—I am such the optimist.

“Que? No…Noooooo,” he said.  He mimicked getting his side cut open.  It was around that time I heard moaning in the hall. A few seconds later, Rob was wheeled back into the room.

“Does it hurt?” I said as I leaned over him, as one would a soldier in the battlefield.

“Holy shit….yes…shit….shit…wow….”

I could see the vulnerability in his eyes. He was in a tremendous amount of pain and needing me more than ever. With these factors in mind, I did what any wife would do in this situation….I started bawling all over him.  Not the pretty cry, which I am prone to do at the end of a sappy movie. Women, you know the one I am talking about. The ugly cry.  The snotty, double shoulder pump cry. The one where your face looks like Ernest Borgnine and your shoulders spastically bounce up and down.

A nurse wearing a cute white cap, the kind of hat nurses used to wear years ago, tried to console me and tell me all the things I needed to do to help. I noticed she was carrying a Dora the Explorer file folder, which in turn caused me to collapse over Rob in a display that can only be compared to someone draping a corpse before the coffin lid was closed. It was quite a scene.

“Honey, calm down, I’m okay. But you really need to get the hell off me, you’re lying across my stitches.”

“I’m sorry..you look like you’re in pain. I just want to help.”

“Start by calming down and asking if I can have some pain medication.” I got myself together and asked the nurse.  No, she said. He had a shot already, he’ll get another one later. I calmly informed Rob he would not be getting another shot until 8 o’clock at night.

“Are you kidding me? I can hardly move. I can’t even imagine how this is out-patient in the states. How do people get out of the bed to go home?”

“Apparently with a lot of drugs.”

“Well, I guess I’m not going anywhere, I’ll probably be here for the full three days, it hurts like hell. Before the surgery, the anesthesiologist told me I must stay calm when I wake up on the gurney. I didn’t think it would be a problem ‘till I opened my eyes screaming  ‘druga druga druga’. ” I was glad to see my husband still had his sense of humor.

“Thank god I didn’t eat anything,” Rob continued. “I couldn’t even imagine having a bowel movement. Not a chance.”

This was not the only thing keeping Rob from going to the bathroom. It has come to my attention the prevailing fear men have about performing a bowel movement in a public bathroom. Since they get the luxury of standing to urinate, they don’t have to go through the many indignities that women do.  Women have to deal with unseemly toilet seats all the time….men don’t. So when it came to the eventuality of having a bowel movement, Rob came up with a plan. And like many of his plans, he consults his friend Tommy Walnuts from Brooklyn who had the misfortune of landing in Central Booking on a four day weekend for outstanding traffic tickets.

“Man, trust me.  Don’t eat anything. Do you know what Central Booking is like? A cell full of the craziest guys from the neighborhood with only one toilet in the middle of the room. You don’t want to crap around these maniacs. Whatever you do bro, don’t get caught with your pants around your ankles.”

You can always count on Tommy to provide guidance on such pressing matters.

Rob took his advice and stopped eating the day before the surgery. He had only consumed a few glasses of chocolate protein shake and vowed to not have a bowel movement for three days. It was a little alarming that Rob was more concerned about this than the actual surgery.

“Did you bring the protein powder?” he asked.

“Yes, as well as, soap, toilet paper, anti-germ gel, a fan, and your mp3 player.” I stuck around for a few hours and watched some incredibly awful soap operas. The young nurses all gathered to watch one in particular that looked like the Latino version of Grey’s Anatomy. They swooned as the leading man kissed his wife as she lay in a coma. One nurse took a newspaper and fanned her flushed face. I too got a little weepy and went over to give Rob a kiss on the forehead. He, in turn, handed me a jug of urine. A size of which
one might use to irrigate an entire corn field.

“Please don’t tell me that whole thing is filled with pee.”

“Yup.”

“I suppose I have to get rid of it?”

“Yup.”

“But there is no lid.”

“I know.”

I emptied the contents in the bathroom and when I returned I noticed motorcycle guy had a different woman at his bedside. Rob told me he is married but appears to have an admirable amount of female friends. All this came in handy because everyone helped each other. When I was not there, this harem of women would assist Rob when he needed a nurse or had to get out of bed.

During the day, people came in and out, cleaning the floor or disinfecting the beds. For all that it lacked, it was an incredibly clean place. I watched as the man got on his knees and washed not only the plastic lined mattresses, but also the metal frame beneath it. He took his time and hit every surface of the bed. I was impressed by his dedication to his job. It
became apparent where the allocated budget is spent. It was not on newly painted walls or private rooms, but on things that actually matter. I am always surprised how much I am willing to leave behind, but at the same time, expecting things to be just like the United States. But if this was the United States, we would be paying $20,000 for the surgery. We pay nothing in Costa Rica.

The next morning I returned to find Rob in better spirits. He still couldn’t move much but his color was coming back. It probably helped that he was no longer dealing with a hysterical wife.

“It was crazy last night, the male nurses came in and played dominos for three hours. And throughout the night, female nurses kept coming in and pulling up my gown to look at the scar.”

“That doesn’t sound unreasonable, they have to look at it.”

“No, I mean a group of ten, young female nurses. They come in and check out my stuff. They leave giggling. It’s like bad hospital porn.”

“They are probably training. I doubt they are giggling.  You’re just imaging it.” Five minutes later a group of nurses marched into the room and walked over to Rob. The obvious boss out of the bunch told the girls about the hernia surgery, grabbed Rob’s gown, and lifted it up for the trainees to take a gander. And it was an impressive gander. The head nurse pointed to Rob’s crotch, telling the girls to get closer for a better look. The girls looked wide-eyed, nodded professionally, but as they walked away I could see the ones in the back giggle. Wow…this is bad hospital porn. We will never know if they were laughing with us, at us, or just young giggly girls.

“It’s all so weird. Last night I’m listening to Parris Island by Billy Joel on my headphones and looking at the lizards running in and out through the windows. The words are “and we will all go down together”. I felt like I was in Vietnam.” Rob had grown fond of his motorcycle friend so the lyrics really hit home. “Hey, since you’re here, go get me and my buddy a grape soda.”

Between women looking at his crotch, me running around for him, and the motorcycle guy’s many girlfriends helping him out of bed, this whole hospital stay wasn’t so bad for Rob. No wonder he was in good spirits this morning. By the looks of things, he’s got it pretty good here.

On the third day we were given discharge papers. One of them included a slip for us to return so Rob can get his stitches removed. We were handed a bunch of antibiotics and Tylenol for pain and told to go to the discharge office. There, a nice older man asked us how our visit went. He was happy that things turned out well and gave us a hardy handshake. I was all but tempted to give them a tripadvisor.com review.

Great all-inclusive. Staff was friendly and helpful. Although no swim up bar, they do have an active night life. Ask for the four day/ three night special. You can’t beat the price.

After 10 days, we returned to the hospital to get the stitches removed. I came across the same mascara lady. Her attention to her make-up application was impressive; her ignoring of us was not. When she finally glanced at the date on our slip, she typed something into her computer and told us to come back in three months.

“Well, that sounds wonderful, but my husband has stitches that need to come out this week.” I said. She shrugged her shoulders. I ended up going to a pharmacy, buying
surgical scissors, bandages, and antiseptic in order to remove them myself. I removed all but one. Unfortunately,  I snipped it too close to the skin and it disappeared into his scar.  We just hoped for the best with that.

What have I learned from this experience? The bad about the care here was also the good.  The open windows that allowed little lizards to come in also allowed a constant breeze of fresh air and the soothing sounds of rain. Unlike in the states, where sick air continuously recirculates throughout the ventilation system, this breeze stifles unwanted bacteria and keeps the place free from unpleasant odors.

Without curtains you had little privacy. However, it also made it easy for other visitors to see if you needed help. They would go get the nurse or help you get out of bed themselves. Everyone helped everyone. This built a sense of community and freed up the nurses to care for other patients.

The many interruptions while Rob tried to sleep also kept the nurses on top of their patients. Rob noticed no one sat in a dirty diaper. They had a high level of care even though they had limited resources.

There was less pain medication, but they did give enough to get by. It made Rob aware of what he could and could not do. Maybe the trend of out-patient surgeries has gone too far. Drugging someone up and sending them home is not always the best solution.

And although you had to bring your our own soap and toilet paper, the surgery didn’t cost anything. I am sure many people in the states would be happy to bring their own supplies if they could get the surgery they needed. And it wouldn’t take much for people to volunteer these items to those who couldn’t afford them.

In the end, I was grateful for many things: grateful to the Costa Rican government for allowing us into their health care system, grateful to the other Ticos who helped care for my husband along with their own ailing relative, grateful for the nurses who giggled at Rob’s crotch, and grateful to Groucho Marx—our skilled surgeon.

This process has taught me not to judge a book by its cover. Even if your surgery is scheduled in a Winnie the Pooh notebook.

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By | 2018-04-15T18:19:37-04:00 August 15th, 2011|Categories: Cost of Living, Uncategorized|Tags: , , |57 Comments

About the Author:

Nadine is the author of the best-selling series, Happier Than A Billionaire. Join her as she navigates living as an expat in the sometimes confusing, always beautiful, country of Costa Rica.

57 Comments

  1. Patty July 4, 2017 at 5:26 pm - Reply

    I’m considering plastic surgery in Costa Rica and I’m scared to death. I honestly can’t decide if your blog makes me more or less nervous!!

  2. Terri July 3, 2017 at 1:36 pm - Reply

    Hi Nadine, I’m sitting in Huntington Beach, CA Waiting patiently to get a blood test as I read the last part of your hospital experience. I look like a crazy woman giggling to myself. If you recall, I am the FB follower moving to CR next year. I thought I have done my research on CAJA but because of you I know what to expect now :)I’ve had my home in Herradura for 11 years now and again.. because of you I learn something new constantly! I do have one question..I am told I am able to buy private insurance..? I just want my own room if necessary ? Do u know about this? Sending Rob healing thoughts and kudos to u for being there every step of the way! Now dry those tears!!!

  3. Denise September 25, 2012 at 9:57 am - Reply

    Thank you Nadine for being such a great writer, and Rob for being such a great sport. I read your book a while back and just now discovered your blog. I don’t know how I missed it! I’m enjoying going back through the posts and I was laughing/crying/snorting this morning as I read it to my husband. We have 4 years, 9 months left ’till freedom (not that I’m counting or anything!) Have a wonderful day–you just brightened mine!

    • admin October 3, 2012 at 6:00 pm - Reply

      You’re the best Denise! It seems I have made a career about writing about my husband. But after some of those experiences, how could I not share? I swear, the duct tape stories alone could fill a book. Is there any man out there that solves a problem without resorting to duct tape?

  4. mark October 20, 2011 at 9:41 pm - Reply

    I just finished your book and already have my bag packed. my life long dream is to retire in CR or panama. Im 64 so i better get my butt in gear. loved your book feel like we are friends mark i had 2x hernia op few yrs back thought someone left some barbed wire in my gut for long time my best to your hubby

    • admin October 26, 2011 at 2:28 pm - Reply

      I’ll let my husband know. He thinks he should be 100%, but I keep telling him to take it easy. Panama is a great place too. We checked out both, but prefer Costa Rica. It’s so awesome living in another country where everything is new. You feel like a kid again.

  5. Brenda Thornton September 19, 2011 at 3:46 pm - Reply

    I am glad your husband did well, but the lizard thing just freaked me out. The cleaning sounded wonderful.

    As a former RN, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, I can verify that the U. S. does not spend nearly enough time cleaning.

    Good luck on your life down there and on your blog.

    • admin September 20, 2011 at 10:49 am - Reply

      I’m glad you read that post. It’s interesting the reponses I get from medical professionals. It was an unusual experience, and the things that were bad about it were ultimately some of the good things in the end. The lizard were a little weird, but at least it was not the life size flying beatle I saw last night. I swear, I could have saddled it and went off into the moonlight.

  6. Hara Nadine September 4, 2011 at 11:37 pm - Reply

    Hi Nadine,
    Your story of Rob’s experience with CAJA gave me a big chuckle as I sit in my new livingroom in Tamarindo on day 5 of being here permanently. I’ll download the book if you email me the title, I would love to read it out loud to my Johnny from Queens (JT to his friends) next to me. Thank God he already did the hernia thing. Do you have INS too?

    • admin September 7, 2011 at 1:55 pm - Reply

      No, we don’t have INS, just CAJA. Not that we have that, we don’t rely on anything else.

  7. Maria August 30, 2011 at 2:23 am - Reply

    Hi Nadine,

    I was downloading kindle on my droid and I as I started to browse the first book suggested was yours. I think it was a sign. I am a family medicine physician and also getting burnt out. It was as if you were reading my mind. All I do is work and hear patients complain all day about the silliest and most unimportant things. My family is from Costa Rica and I have been toying with the idea of moving to CR and opening up a little cash clinic and seeing whoever walks in my door. Since I am fluent in both English and Spanish they will come in droves!!! No, I don’t want droves, just a small trickle, enough for me to have a simple life down there. I am so jealous you took the plunge. Thank you for making me laugh and I look forward to reading your blog.
    Ciao,
    Tica MD

    • admin August 30, 2011 at 9:43 pm - Reply

      God bless you. I had a friend when I worked who was a GP and I admire you immensely. I saw first hand how the profession was changing over the years, and the demands it put on the physicians. It’s difficult when you want to do a job you once loved, and finding your day dictated by CPT codes and time restraints.

      I don’t know what you would have to do to get licensed here but I know for a fact, you could have a cash practice. The gringos flock to any doctor that can speak English, and I know they charge around $30-$40 a visit. But it is cash and Costa Rica is a much cheaper place to live. I know if you were here I would have least consulted you before my husband went under the knife. Even if you were available to remove minor spots and moles (since the sun is so strong here) you could probably have a full waiting room of patients with that alone.

      I hope you keep your dreams alive during those long days in the office. If I could do it, you surely can.

  8. John Azofeifa ....New Jersey USA. August 24, 2011 at 6:05 pm - Reply

    Hi,
    I must say I enjoy your book and I’m up to page 113. I’m not a fast reader so this gives me time to enjoy it. I was born in CR so I can pretty much identify with the story, also palnning to take my beautiful gringuita in 2012..see how that goes.
    Pura Vida..

    • admin August 24, 2011 at 9:44 pm - Reply

      Thank you so much. I love this country and love it when a Tico says I did it justice. The people here are so friendly and have been so nice to me, I can’t imagine going back to my old lifestyle.

  9. Anonymous August 23, 2011 at 2:16 pm - Reply

    Rob, I know this is a little awkward but as a nursing instructor I think I know why the young “giggly” students were so interested in the male anatomy. I am sure circumcision is not a common practice in Costa Rica as it is in the USA. So, it was probably a one in a lifetime “teaching” moment for those nursing students. Just a guess.

    • admin August 24, 2011 at 8:14 am - Reply

      Hmmm…..I think Rob was hoping they were giggling because it was so extroidinary. Like one of the natural wonders of the world.

  10. Deborah Hearn August 23, 2011 at 12:28 am - Reply

    I love your story. I had reverse cosmetic surgery in Costa Rica a couple years ago to remove my early 20’s water balloon implant error. The care was incredible.

    I took a cab at 6AM in a country I had never been to, to be cut open by people I had never met. My son later told me about the blood on the safe in our hotel. I am glad he saved that for later. I stayed at recovery retreat and had my own nurse. They took me to the doctor nearly ever day. It was not the consult,surgery and one follow up appointment like I have experienced in the U.S. The nurses spoke little English but they never left my side after the surgery.

    The best part, I had zero pain and they didn’t give out narcotics.

    My girlfriend’s 82 year old Dad had a zip line accident. Ran into a tree and turned into an eggplant from his coumadin. In the ER to revive him, the doctors cardioconverted him and he no longer needs to take coumadin. They had a problem with his credit card for payment so my friend and her sister flew to Costa Rica and had to be his nurses. I guess if you have no insurance in Costa Rica and your payment is not forthcoming, you are on your own. But it all had a happy ending. His Amazon daughters(that is what they felt like being next to the Ticos) brought him back to North Carolina and he is healthier than ever.

    Your book is too funny. I had to read it non-stop. Hope you have a continued saga.
    Coming to Costa Rica for my 3rd time in Sept with my son. 3 1/2 years left until early retirement.

    • admin August 23, 2011 at 8:34 am - Reply

      If you are in the Tamarindo area drop me an email. I am glad you had a favorable experience. I’m sorry to hear about the payment issue with your friend’s dad. I am in the health care system now, but that is good to know, and share, if anyone is in that predicament.

      If you could leave a review on Amazon that would be great. It helps a lot for people to see that what I wrote was funny, I want more people to consider doing what I did. Even if it is not Costa Rica, there is no reason for us to keep waiting to live.

      • Deborah Hearn August 23, 2011 at 9:30 am - Reply

        Review already finished. The book is now in the hands of one of my cohort whose husband happens to be a chiropractor also. He is going to love it.
        Going to Arenal Observatory Lodge for a couple days. My son is bummed that the volcano is dormant. Maybe his presence with make the thing erupt again. I know sometimes he gives me diarrhea. We were planning to check out Tamarindo but Ryan wants me to see his all time favorite place Cahuita . Will be keeping my eyes open for a reasonable rental though. Just getting in the trusty rental car and spending 7 days in paradise.

        I just keep repeating my mantra, 3 1/2 years, 3 1/2 years.
        My friends think I am nuts. One thinks she is going to be kidnapped if she goes to Costa Rica.

        Love your upbeat blog!

  11. Al and Christine August 22, 2011 at 10:06 pm - Reply

    I just finished your book and really loved it. I still have to catch up on all your blogs. My wife and I went to CR two years in a row and we like it so much that we are seriously considering relocating. So much of what you said reminds me of our life now and can’t wait to simplify things.
    I wish you both the best and thank’s for sharing all your experiences with us.

    • admin August 23, 2011 at 8:31 am - Reply

      Thanks so much. I hope you come back, and if you do, drop me a line. I would be more than happy to help. It’s been such a crazy adventure, my life doesn’t look like it did before. I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoudlers. Waking up to the sounds of howler monkeys and parrots can do that to you.

      If you have a moment, could you leave a review on Amazon? It would help me out a lot.

      All the best!!

  12. Debbie Loop August 22, 2011 at 10:03 pm - Reply

    Nadine & Rob,

    Hola!! I am glad to be able to reconnect with you. Rob, I am glad to hear you survived. You are braver than I. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to cry. I think what made it even funnier was the fact that I could picture you as Nadine described the events. Nadine, you are a great Chiropractor but your even better at writing. I am going to buy your book. I can not wait to read it. Rob, I am glad to see that not only has my Chiropractic fees contributed to your retirement in paradise but now I continue to support you through book purchases. 🙂 Greg and I would love to come for a visit.

    • admin August 23, 2011 at 8:30 am - Reply

      Hi guys,

      Glad you found the blog. It’s been quite and adventure and you will get a kick out of all the crazy things Rob got me wrapped up in. I hope your family is healthy and would love to get back in touch and catch up.

  13. Cheryl August 20, 2011 at 2:37 pm - Reply

    Just finished reading your book. Thought I would pee my pants laughing! Having visited Costa Rica a couple of times on “due diligence” trips I can totally relate to some of your experiences. I love how you have related some of your worst experiences with such descriptive detail and, best of all, humor. Thanks for sharing your experience; it gives those of us who are contemplating the move to Costa Rica, and a totally new way of life, a taste of the reality of it. Your husband’s philosophy of “how hard can it be?” is key to surviving the relocation process and all it involves, I believe. Good for both of you that you chucked the rat race for a much simpler lifestyle and one many of us are better suited for. I confess my envy!! Wishing the very best that Costa Rica has to offer to you and your husband. I will be anxiously awaiting a sequel to this delightful read!

    • admin August 21, 2011 at 7:09 pm - Reply

      Thank you so much!! It’s been such an adventure, I love it here so much and could never imagine being stuck in that office again.

      If you do get a chance, could you kindly leave a review on Amazon. It really helps and I want more people to do a little arm chair traveling and enjoy this little journey I took.

  14. Ariel Matias August 19, 2011 at 7:55 pm - Reply

    Wonderful! I followed this story from part one and I must say that you do write very well.

    • admin August 19, 2011 at 9:16 pm - Reply

      Didn’t know how that story was going to end. Either REALLY good or REALLY bad. I’m thankful it all worked out.

      I’m also thankful that I saved twenty grand.

  15. Robert Roffman August 18, 2011 at 12:13 pm - Reply

    Speedy recovery for your hubby and I look forward to reading and visiting!!

    • admin August 18, 2011 at 10:44 pm - Reply

      Thanks, he is feeling much better. I hope you keep reading and take a trip to Costa Rica. Maybe you will end up like me and never leave!!!

  16. Nadine August 16, 2011 at 9:24 pm - Reply

    I don’t know if it was your intention at the get-go, but your story really does highlight how much we (America) think we are so much more advanced than Central and South America, yet if I were to get a hernia today, and no health insurance, I’d be buying much more than a pair of surgical scissors. I’d be getting the “how to do your own hernia surgery for dummies” handbook.

    Also I’ve watched the Spanish Grey’s Anatomy, “A Corazon Abierto” … it’s on Telemundo here, and though I don’t speak Spanish, I really like Grey’s so I’ve tried to follow along a few times. My hispanic boyfriend refuses to narrate what is going on for me.

    • admin August 17, 2011 at 8:21 pm - Reply

      I love those dummies books. I like to carry one of those under one arm, as well as, the complete idiots’s guide under the other. It lends the air that I will most likely take up a lot of your time and will add nothing useful to your day.

      But you can count on my if you need hernia surgery. I will gladly rip out your stitches for you too.

  17. Marty Martinez August 16, 2011 at 2:43 pm - Reply

    Hello Nadine & Rob,
    First let me start off by saying that I am really glad that Rob is okay after his surgery. I hope he is feeling better today.
    My name is Marty Martinez and I live in San Antonio, Tx. I work in Radiology at a local hospital here. And needless to say, I to have grown to dislike my job. I read your story on the CNN website last week. And well, rushed home and bought your book on my Kindle. I loved it. My wife thought I was a bit crazy this past saturday as I read your book and laughed for hours. Great stuff, the handgun incident in the fire place along with the sucker punching tree the day your parents were in town had me in tears. Not to mention my stomach hurt from all the laughter.
    I just wanted to write to ya’ll and wish you the best of luck and to please keep the blog going. I have enjoyed it very much.
    I wish I could pull off something like what you and Rob have done. My discontent of living here in the U.S. has been growing rapidly. I don’t like where this country has been heading as of late. I would also like a much simpler life. I, like you, do not like who I have become. I’m always angry. But enough of that, I don’t intend on bringing your mood down.
    In closing, I would like again to wish Rob a speedy recovery and to wish both of you a happy life in your new home and country. Take care.

    Marty Martinez

    • admin August 16, 2011 at 9:15 pm - Reply

      Thank you so much for your kind words. I am happy to say that Rob is on the mend. It was quite an experience.

      You sound much like me when I was in the rat race. It was strange, I felt like parts of me were dissappering and I didn’t know how to get them back. It took this drastic move to finally remember what makes me happy on this earth. And it wasn’t the house, or all those fancy towels I bought for the bathroom.

      Now I am happy. I am living a life that fits and what fits for me might not fit for everyone. But I do know that taking this chance and risking it all for a life in Costa Rica has changed my life. In addition, the part of me that I thought was gone forever returned immediately once I got out of that office.

  18. Roger August 15, 2011 at 8:52 pm - Reply

    When we were there in 2004 right after my wife got out of hospital in the US, our host said he could get her to hospital in Liberia if needed. Was that hospital not an option for you?

    • admin August 16, 2011 at 7:59 am - Reply

      Since we are in the system, we go where they tell us to go. That is why we ended up in Nicoya.

  19. Aaron August 15, 2011 at 8:03 pm - Reply

    Glad to see Rob was taken care of! Imagine how bad he would have been if those poor nurses weren’t willing to keep an eye on his “stitches” throughout his entire stay!

    • admin August 15, 2011 at 8:26 pm - Reply

      You’re right Aaron. I don’t know how he managed all those late night interruptions.

      • Aaron August 16, 2011 at 10:22 am - Reply

        Why is he labeled “blanda” or “soft?” Are they referring to his “junk?”

        • admin August 16, 2011 at 9:20 pm - Reply

          Holy crap…is that what that meant?

  20. Robert August 15, 2011 at 7:49 pm - Reply

    Great story. My wife fell in Manuel Antonio on our first trip to CR so w went to the ER in Quepos hospital. Great care and treatment. Total bill was $100.
    I also really enjoyed your book. Can’t wait for a sequel.
    Just added your link to http://www.ticolinks.net
    Robert

    • admin August 15, 2011 at 8:25 pm - Reply

      Thanks for the link and liking the book. I am also happy you received quality care down here. Could you imagine leaving a US hospital with only a $100 bill? Is that even possible?

      • Robert August 15, 2011 at 10:15 pm - Reply

        I failed to mention that her arm was broken and the bill covered X-Ray, cast, and medicine. She’s still a little miffed at me for stopping to take pictures of the monkeys on the way out of the park to get a taxi to the hospital.

        • admin August 16, 2011 at 8:00 am - Reply

          Great story. I can totally see my husband pausing for a great shot, or maybe stopping for a orange soda along the way. I hope she recovered fully.

  21. Annie August 15, 2011 at 7:09 pm - Reply

    Great story. I think I would have been somewhat reassured by the Winnie the Pooh and Dora the Explorer office supplies!
    Hope Rob continues to do well, with no random instruments left behind. I’m guessing they’re pretty careful with such things given the cost of replacements.

    • admin August 15, 2011 at 7:54 pm - Reply

      You make a good point, maybe that scalpel is just a little too much money to replace. It would be interesting to know the stats on that down here. I bet it rarely happens, they probably doc the physicians pay if he can’t come up with the equipment at the end of the surgery.

  22. Lary Marin August 15, 2011 at 5:41 pm - Reply

    Great. Rob is OK

    • admin August 15, 2011 at 7:52 pm - Reply

      Thank you for your kind words. Rob wantss me to let everyone know his junk is okay, and that I’m forbidden to write anymore about it.

  23. ronniesabol@yahoo.com August 15, 2011 at 5:19 pm - Reply

    who wouldn’t want ten girls checking out your junk everyday

    • admin August 15, 2011 at 7:52 pm - Reply

      I’m surprised Rob came home.

  24. Tom Duffy August 15, 2011 at 4:23 pm - Reply

    Great read. Glad Rob is doing well, no lifting for awhile. Thank god the nurses didn’t have cellphone camera, his stuff would have been all over Youtube. Now with the scar on his gut he is looking more and more like Vin Diesel. Both are from New York, just don’t let Rob get too Fast and Furious.

    • admin August 15, 2011 at 7:51 pm - Reply

      You’re a New Yorker right? I was thinking about that when I mentioned Tommy Walnuts. Every New Yorker has crazy friends with wild nicknames. Why can’t you just know a John or Sebastian?

  25. Roy August 15, 2011 at 4:13 pm - Reply

    Great Story! Thanks for sharing. As i’m reading this while eating lunch at work I almost choked twice. Glad Rob is doing well!

    • admin August 15, 2011 at 7:50 pm - Reply

      Yes…I seem to have that effect on people. I will have disclaimers on my stories, especially when talking about hospital porn.

  26. Erin in Costa Rica August 15, 2011 at 3:11 pm - Reply

    This is awesome. I really enjoyed reading your account of an experience that I am all too familiar with. I have so many things to comment on, but they’re best left for stories over a beer or three if we ever have the chance to meet.
    I’m glad Rob’s OK and you had the balls to cut the stitches out! I’m so squirmy about open wounds, ew.

    • admin August 15, 2011 at 7:49 pm - Reply

      I hope we can get together one day. Isn’t it wonderful living here. Sometimes I feel like a kid again, seeing things with fresh eyes. I wish for everyone to have an experience like this in their lives.

  27. Anonymous August 15, 2011 at 2:46 pm - Reply

    Great story, thanks for the insight. Make yourself be an optimist, I had too.

    • admin August 15, 2011 at 7:45 pm - Reply

      You are right, optimists are much happier people. It’s funny how my husband always sees that silver lining. It’s one of the reasons I married him.

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