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Subject: [SmartBand] scouting trip
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 17:15:50 -0000
From: "rubinesque99"
OK...THE STORY...
Terrified of going to Mexico. I haven't been in years despite living
25 miles or so from the border. I've booked with Dr. Kuri. I'm satisfied by what I've read and by talking with a few
Bandsters of his competence and abilities.
But that brought me back to the going across the border problem. My Mom refused to go with me... Now, understand here, I am her "only
egg"! So I would have expected her to stick to me like a bad sun tan...as per her normal behavior. I've Got friends...they've got
kids...I didn't think the possibility of sitting in the car, potentially for hours, with screaming children when crossing the
border, sounded like my kind of fun.
But then a Lovely friend volunteered to go...sans kids...and what do
you know turns out she was raised in Mexico City. How did I get so lucky.
We figured that despite Wayne's wonderful directions from his web site, that we would probably have to hunt around for a couple of hours
for Dr. Kuri's office, finally find it and then head home, satisfied
that I then knew how to get there.
So we got in my van, Picked up Mexican insurance...$17 for the deluxe version/one day...and headed south.
We crossed the border...red light means stop...go through the car check line...Friend Theresa did all the talking, I just smiled and
nodded. No problem.
It's different there. Um, apparently not the same interest in road
and sign maintenance. Interesting...culturally COOL.
We arrived at Dr. Kuri's office in what seemed like 5 minutes. WOW!
Amazing. Found parking...WOW, amazing.
Dr. Kuri is on the 3rd floor...sign on his door says, in Spanish, "open" "Please knock"...Lucky that Theresa was there...My
Spanish is abysmal. Two years in junior high left me with about 50 words,
present tense only, and little if any understanding of it spoken....but a great
accent!!
We knocked. Angela (An-he-la) answered. I had called several days
ahead and determined that the doctor wouldn't be in that day...but was told, when we got there, that he would be in for an hour at 5 and we
could see him then.
Come on kids! When is the last time when you HAD AN APPOINTMENT and were treated well by a doctor and his staff? Much less when you just
showed up and barged in.
Angela was very helpful...we had time to kill and asked for directions to Hotel Palacio
Azteca. She Xeroxed a map for us. It was 8 blocks or so...the car had a place...we walked. Wow! No odd looks, no
threats at the stupid fat gringa...very easy...folks were willing to
give directions.
Arrived at the hotel...wow! Very nice...not Waldorf, but nice Holiday Inn type, big and tall.
Restaurant, bar, pool. OH-key-doe-key. Made reservations...Wow, easy. Nice receptionist.
We sat and had a mineral water and talked. Then we decided that we should go see if we could find the "Hospital". Wow! got there in
maybe 3 minutes...very close.
It's called the Sanitorium de San Francisco...sanitarium...yeah, right! Too funny. Very, very small. 10 rooms, maybe, down one hall.
But I'm getting ahead of my story...
[ Wayne comment: It is a
Sanitaria = Which means "Clean Rooms" in Spanish - Ran by the
Sisters of San Francisco ]
A man in a "sort of" uniform saw us, disengaged his chatting with someone on the street...and opened the door for us, gesturing us in
the Tiny lobby... we looked around...decided that we had pretty much seen all there was to see, when...
he then motioned us into the hallway down into the heart of the facility...clean, old, well kept. He introduced us to the "charge"
nurse, who proceeded to give us a first rate tour. Kuri's patients get a private room...cot
available for companions... A completely adequate accommodation.
We hoofed back to Dr. Kuri's office only to be seen a few minutes later by a genteel man who acted as though he had all the time in the
world...just for me.
I am dumbfounded...amazed...flabbergasted...that a little road trip would
yield such tremendous success...everything went right. All and all, EVERYONE was incredibly welcoming, amazingly friendly and
warm, eager to demonstrate competence....it was easy.
I knew my friend Theresa would be out of town for my pre-op appt. and for the surgical date, and she has small children so I wouldn't
presume to think that she'd stay with me after surgery anyway...so I had decided to tough it out and go it alone, no matter what...other
people do it...then so could I...quiver...shake...tremble...
BUT GO FIGURE...ANOTHER Friend, whom I value tremendously and trust (ok, I love him! but don't tell cuz he's already obnoxious), but who
is INCREDIBLY >never in town< BUSY, MADE TIME IN HIS SCHEDULE TO TAKE
ME. I didn't ask...he volunteered. oh, my gosh....
stunned silence.
Prayers (to whom ever you believe in), positive thoughts, well wishes,
and good luck are all welcome...I com-ith Bandsters!
Camille
pre band/Dr. Kuri 2/28/2002
the number of the beast/slightly less/just right
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