Next time I stick with the hyperbaric chamber

When I started on this journey of what is causing the mareo (dysequilibrium) I began with a visit to the hyperbaric chamber in Playa del Carmen, where the doc there comes highly recommended.  Both times I visited him he said he strongly suspected an inner ear thing but couldn’t pin it down and that I really should see a specialist (especially since I couldn’t get it to stop even with his treatment).  So I then began the quest to donate the maximum amount of money to the Mexican medical system possible.  In the future I am going to take what this guy (I wish I had his card handy, but I can’t remember his full name – I’ll edit it in when we get home) says as The Ultimate Word in Diagnosis.  Unfortunately for our budget, all the specialists I saw were intent on scaring the shite out of me by saying it couldn’t be vertigo (even the current ENT/Neuro says that – he can’t produce the nystagmus that needs to accompany vertigo) and it had to be a brain issue.  I knew it wasn’t a tumour, but after 3 specialists showed their concern (the ENT from Cancun actually looked frightened for me) I thought maybe I had some neoplasm on a nerve or something.  So we did the big test (MRI with and without contrast; my veins are almost back to normal) and I got nuthin up top.  Big empty Homer Simpson space.  So that’s a good thing.  

After the MRI (and I could read the report results and knew all was good), Jonna totally MANHANDLES (she even LAID HANDS ON ME!) me into the ENT/Neuro and forces me to undergo yet another $500 consultation.  I think that the next time she pulls that stunt, I’ll have her pay the damn consult fee!    (To be perfectly honest, I don’t know what we would have done without our amazing and caring friends.  We have always loved them and enjoyed being around them, but they have really taken friendship to a new level by concerning themselves and making our health issues their priority and Mimi has been an absolute, well, words escape me, she has been indespensible with the kids.  She so GETS them and enjoys them and they absolutely ADORE her.)  So he has a bevvy of more tests he wants done.  Jonna is foiled in her evil plan to make me financially responsible for the 10th floor of Star Medica when the lab tells her I can’t do the tests because I’ve eaten that day.  Mexico LOVES you to fast for every test.  I was told to fast for the (brain) MRI.  I personally checked with Doc Google and he tells me this is SO NOT necessary.  But it did save me from Star Medica’s lab fees.

So yesterday morning Ellen told me to go get the lab work done.  It was her birthday so I did her bidding.  For some reason, however, I’m pretty sure she was coached by someone to say that.  I walked over to the Plaza de Santiago and tried the laboratorio I’d seen there one day.  I don’t think I’ve ever been poked by two older men.  The receptionist told me they couldn’t do one of the tests but that they could do the rest.  Good enough.  I already know my cholesterol.  So she takes me back to a little room (in a beautiful colonial; I can’t tell you how it hurts my heart to see these amazing colonials used as hardware stores, mechanic shops, etc.) and the 98 year old phlebotomist shows me to a divan (!), has me lie down and procedes to 1/2 squat (it wasn’t even a comfortable squat for him) and jabs what must have been the largest needle he owns up the site of the MRI contrast puncture to draw blood.  Yikes!  Today it looks like I had a nest of snakes nibbling on the inside of my arm.  I almost asked him if he needed help getting up, but he creaked his way to a standing position and told me to come back next day, same time, for the results.  ENT/Neuro also has some ear tests he wants done and I’ll probably do those today.

I could tell by the exams the ENT/Neuro was doing that he was looking to diagnose with vertigo but I couldn’t produce the nystagmus he wanted for that diagnosis.  He also performed the head manuvers that should clear the calcium stones in BPPV but they didn’t work either.  So I guess we keep looking.  I, however, am very happy to just stop now, knowing there is nothing major going on upstairs.

The rest of yesterday was dedicated to Ellen’s birthday and it was packed full.  She has always ADORED animals and when Jonna mentioned the concept of visiting a zoo (I’ve always avoided them with the kids because I won’t support caging animals), Ellen grabbed onto that idea and there was no dissuading her.  Since the birthday child is King/Queen for the day, she dictated a zoo visit.  She really had an amazing time there and was so happy to see all the animals it was almost (but not quite) worth ignoring my values.  After visiting all the animals at least once, she found out that some rides were open (I’m guessing that most of the rides are open only on weekends) and we made sure to donate heavily to the zoo ride fund.  She rode on the back of a minimoto, bumper boats, the train and put away massive quantities of sugar.

When we had visited with Jonna and Mimi earlier, they introduced the kids to the ice rink in the mall next to their RV park (do you notice a recurring theme here?) and Ellen decided this was what she wanted to do next.  We had to buy socks for the kids (yes, my kids have NO socks) and found great clothes deals (Super Bodega in Merida) and picked up 4 shirts and 2 shorts for Sissy, who packed exactly ONE shirt and ONE pair of shorts for a week in Merida.  She reports she has No Clothes.  In reality, her tastes have changed from the skirts, skorts and pretty shirts she used to like to plainer clothes and she gave all her clothes to Ellen who is now swimming in clothes.  Which is actually a good thing, because Ellen changes outfits a minimum of 3 times a day.

So Sissy is now stocked with clothing and Jesse has 2 pairs of shorts.  Ellen, of course, could not be left out, especially when clothing was involved, so she got 2 skorts and 1 new shirt.  Next time I need to get socks, I’ll go alone.  Unfortunately, Ellen did not love the ice.  Jamie and I could not go out on the ice to help her (no socks, so no ice skates and we couldn’t walk in our shoes) so she simply hung onto the rail, cried a little and refused to let anyone help her until the very end when Jesse took one hand and an ice rink attendant took the other and led her to the gate.  I have to say that the attendants at this ice rink were exemplary; anytime one of the kids fell at least two of them would immediately be at their side to help them up.  I think that Ellen has shown herself the superior shopper as she out-shopped Jamie last night.  The man LOVES to shop and window shop, but Ellen dragged him from store to store to store until he thought he might just have to have a coronary to stop.  Fortunately her hunger kicked in and we headed to our favorite taqueria and filled up, except for postre (they were out), so we headed to WalMart to pick up cake, cherries, mandarinas and spend MORE TIME shopping, looking at stuff (toys) and generally wishing we could make time speed up so the damn birthday would be over already and we could stop the insanity of shopping (or die trying).

We got back to the hotel in time to have a cake and kiss her 7th birthday good freaking bye.

Today I have more tests, need to pick up the keys to the car from the mechanic (I somehow left them with the mechanic – did I mention we replaced the starter?), pick up lab results and maybe we’ll see something of this beautiful city other than shopping malls and hospitals.