So, I was there to get an MRA (no, not a typo, it’s different from MRI). Roughly an hour-and-a-half in and out of the tube (they needed to change out
the gear for different parts of the procedure).
One part of it included an IV. I have very, very hard to find veins and very delicate skin and I have been butchered more times than I can count by
inept attempts to draw my blood. This tech, though, was a wizard – put a rubber tube around my arm, rubbed the skin and slipped the needle in and I
never felt it. When I complimented him on his skill, he replied, “Oh, no, you were easy.”
When I was let loose, I found hubby chatting with an Amish family in the waiting room. Twelve family members had flown from Pennsylvania to Tijuana
to attend to the family matriarch who is suffering from brain cancer. Conventional medicine is not helping her, so they came to Tijuana for
alternative medical treatment.
Only two men (cousins) and one lady, wife to the younger man, were talking, the rest were keeping a silent vigil.
Some remarks that I remember:
Hubby asked, “How do you like Mexico?” Response: “We love the culture—I spent five years in Honduras, and we love the food, it is so good tasting
and nutritious!" (Heads all around the room all nodded).”
“We are here because the medical establishment here believes that the support of the family is just as important in healing as standard approaches to
cure.”
While they were talking, hubby mentioned Cuba Gooding, Jr’s new movie on cable, a true story about a pioneering brain surgeon. They all knew about
the movie. (Who knew the Amish have cable?)
Hubby exchanged email addresses with them. (Who knew the Amish have email?)
[Edited on 6-3-2009 by Gypsy Jan]Bajahowodd - 6-3-2009 at 01:24 PM
It's sort of like Sasha Baron Cohen being an Orthodox Jew. Who would guess?BajaGeoff - 6-3-2009 at 02:09 PM
Mexico has always been a resource for both alternative medical treatments and medical services at significantly lower prices. I think the "medical
tourism" trend will definitely be growing as health care costs in the U.S. continue to get more and more expensive. Increasing unemployment rates and
people lacking health care will also play a factor.Bajahowodd - 6-3-2009 at 02:12 PM
Just think of how the burden would shift if the US recognized heath services in MX for the purposes of Medicare! It might actually lower the outlay
for the program.DENNIS - 6-3-2009 at 02:18 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGeoff
Mexico has always been a resource for both alternative medical treatments and medical services at significantly lower prices.
Yeah...Here's one of them. I wonder how many body-bags this place has filled.
It's all about doing your homework. There are plenty of reputable doctors and state of the art facilities.toneart - 6-3-2009 at 02:50 PM
Good luck, Jan, with whatever it is you are going through.Bajahowodd - 6-3-2009 at 03:05 PM
True enough. The hopeful hopeless do get taken advantage. But, as Geoff notes, on the legitimate side of the aisle, there are many fine practitioners.
There are quite a few physicians practicing in the US who went to med school in Guadalajara.
Thank You, Tone Art
Gypsy Jan - 6-3-2009 at 03:08 PM
For your kind thoughts. A real uplift for me.Woooosh - 6-3-2009 at 03:16 PM
The most recent medical trend of last resort has not been the holistic therapies in Mexico, but stem cell based therapies in Europe, as Farrah Faucett
has brought to the forefront. The cost is about $25K and up just to harvest and culture your own stem cells and much more money to re-inject them at
the location they are needed (a very simplified explanation). It's your own body healing itself as if you were a developing infant (which is the
benefit and the problem with it at this point). Stem cell based therapies for "self-healing" are moving forward rapidly and they have already worked
around the controversial moral issues by using your own cells- whcih also solves the rejection problem.
IMHO, Mexico will remain a resource for the natural therapies and the most recent notable person treated in Rosarito Beach was the wife of Martin
Luther King Jr., the late Coretta Scott King. Current stem cell treatments are unproven and only for the uber-rich, while the natural holistic
therapies in Mexico are comparatively affordable and are available to all who believe in their powers.
Gypsy Jan
DianaT - 6-3-2009 at 03:33 PM
First and most important, I sure hope you are well and hope the reasons for your tests are easily cured. We will keep positive thoughts.
As far as the Amish, like many other religions, there are many different groups and some approve of cars, electricity, and other modern convenience.
They have a very diverse and interesting history.
The Amish with whom we were acquainted with in Honduras were a part of an Amish sect that did accept modern conveniences. In other ways, they were
very conservative such in dress, etc. I forget the name of the sect, but there are many different sects with different customs
One Amish family had a very good restaurant on the highway between Tegus and Juticalpa where we lived and it was quite good. Another Amish family had
a very good bakery in Tegus. It was such a treat after being limited to the commercial Honduran bread and Bimbo which was a step up from the local
product.
Just as a side note, there is an Amish community near Campeche on the mainland who have very strict dressing habits, but most of the men smoke. That
was an unusual sight.
Jan, keep the positive thoughts, ignore the naysayers, do your homework, and go with your heart.
Diane and John
[Edited on 6-3-2009 by jdtrotter]
Thanks Diane and John
Gypsy Jan - 6-3-2009 at 04:03 PM
Fascinating info about the different Amish sects. Out of ignorance, I always assumed that they were kind of all alike, but then, what groups of
people under any identification are?
Hubby in years past was driving through Pennsylvania and picked up a group of Amish teenage hitchhikers. They proceeded to change from their
traditional clothing to modern outfits in the back seat and he let them out at their destination.
When he told that story to the Amish family yesterday, the men just tucked their beards into their necks and the women rolled their eyes and shook
their heads.
Me, I am OK. Test results show no further "insult". I will still be annoying my husband, family and board members for the time being.longhairedbeatnik - 6-3-2009 at 04:49 PM
I know of two people who came to Mexico for a cancer cure as a last resort and watched the miracle workers fleece both of them and their families out
of most of their money before they died of the illness. They were promised hope and all they got were fake drugs and bs until the cash ran
out. Mexico still has medical scams that are as far spread as the land scams.
Let Us Sort This Out
Gypsy Jan - 6-3-2009 at 05:26 PM
Witch Doctor Medicine for Desperate Sick People = BAD.
Good medical treatment in Mexico = YES.
I underwent double-bypass heart surgery in Tijuana at Medico Cento Excel. The doctor who performed the surgery assisted at the world's second heart
transplant in Texas.
At the time he operated on me, he had performed over 11,000 heart surgeries with a 99% success rate.
He was the surgical director at Sharp in San Diego, but he quit when his malpractice insurance went to $200,000 per month.
He created a school of cardiac surgery in TJ, and has built a fifteen-story hospital tower.
