Marina Vallarta Crocodile or Cocodrilo

Stopped by the marina today with some Beach Crossers clients. This crocodile was swimming leisurely past. According to the man that works at the marina "this is the small one." He said there are two crocodiles that hang around the marina in Vallarta. We will have to go back and take a look at "the big one".

My experience with medical care in Puerto Vallarta

Since we have Beach Crossers mobility rentals, we have a lot of experience with people who need some medical services as well. We have clients that are treated at the Lyme clinic, come to Vallarta for joint replacements, elective surgeries, stem cell injections etc. However, recently I've have some personal experience with the medical services here in Puerto Vallarta. 

In February, I started having some chest pain. It's a busy time for Beach Crossers, so I put off going to the doctor. At the first possible opportunity, Sheri and I headed to see Dr. Romo to see if he could shed some light on my chest pain. I have a history of bronchitis and pneumonia. I was 10 weeks premature and always attributed the less than strong lungs to that situation. Just my opinion, with absolutely no support for my theory. 

This felt different. It was more of a constant pressure. It also felt like I had swallowed a big vitamin and got it stuck somewhere between where it went in and where it should have landed. 

Why Dr. Romo?  Well ... first of all ... he's our landlord. Yep, his wife was born in the oldest building of our 4 building apartment complex. So, we have known him for a while. Sheri went to see him last year for some back problems that were improved so much that we would both consider him our local doctor. 

Dr. Romo was out of town. The attending physician did an EKG (or ECG. It's an ElectroCardioGram, but usually called an EKG). It was abnormal. Hmmmm. No heart problems in the family. I have perfect numbers for blood pressure and cholesterol. I have never been a smoker and work out regularly. I eat healthier than most. I do not eat french fries or drink Pepsi (a quote from one of the doctors "you'll need to give up the french fries and Pepsi" ... really?)

I was checked in. Blood tests were done to confirm that I had not suffered a heart attack. Yes, the EKG was that bad. Dr. Romo called me that evening just to go over what I should expect. A couple of hours later, a Cardiologist came by. He had seen my bloodwork and EKG and wanted me to just rest. They were going to repeat both of those things in the morning. I also had a chest X-ray just to rule out any lung interaction. 

The next morning the blood work and EKG were repeated. Dang if they didn't come back the same. The cardiologist, Dr. Nieves came to see me again. He went over the EKG and blood work. I had a few very bad things on the EKG that he was worried about. Something about my RST waves and another place where I should have something that goes positive/negative that was just going positive/positive. Well, I am a very positive person. 

His recommendation was to go to Guadalajara to have a nuclear stress test. I don't know if that can be done here in Vallarta. I would think so. We have amazing hospitals. I am guessing that he is not affiliated with one of those hospitals. I called Pam Thompson for a recommendation. Her first recommendation was to get a second opinion. Hey, that's a good idea. I should have thought of that myself. So, off I went to see Dr. Hernandez at San Javier. There are three cardiologists at San Javier. He has the first available appointment. 

He looked at the EKG and talked to me about my health history. Then we went next door and had another EKG. Dang. There is was again. That weird looking EKG. As a biology teacher, I know what an EKG should look like. This is not it. He said I had a 50/50 chance of a sudden death event and should get into surgery now!!!  Well, it was Friday. I told him that I absolutely was not going to go into surgery right now. I would take my 50/50 chance and think about it until Monday. I promised the rest of my family that I would sit my butt in a wheelchair and not doing anything that might increase those odds before getting medical treatment. I did a lot of research, praying, and deciding over the next 48 hours. By Monday morning I had a plan. We could do the angiogram, but only for diagnostics. I was not okay with the idea of being knocked out and having the doctor look around, do a stent if needed, or two, or three, or four, or five. If there were more than 5 needed then they would just do a bypass while I was there. Now, don't get me wrong. I have complete confidence in Dr. Hernandez. I just like to know what's going to happen before it happens. I felt like in this situation that should be possible. Dr. Hernandez was not willing to do an angiogram for diagnostics without having permission to fix it if he found something life threatening. Okay, I get that. He couldn't very well go in there, find something that was going to kill me and sew me up without fixing it. Fair enough. That didn't make me any more okay with the knock me out and do whatever you want scenario. Dr. Hernandez recommended a angiotomography diagnostic test in Guadalajara. We left that same afternoon. Thank you Stephanie for coming from Ajijic to take care of Beach Crossers (and Sheri and me) for awhile. I'll never forget Stephanie calling. 

Stephanie "I got to cross something off of my bucket list today"

Sheri, "Really, what?"

Stephanie, "I got to walk across the lobby of a luxury hotel carrying a toilet seat."

Me, "Hahahahahaha. Welcome to the world of Beach Crossers."

Sheri and I headed for Guadalajara. We found a room on hotwire.com at Country Club Inn or something like that. The hospital was Country Club Hospital and the neighborhood shares the name. Yes, there is a country club nearby. The room was less than $30 USD and was very nice. 

The hospital was beautiful and very modern. I suppose I should have said the same about San Javier. It is a beautiful hospital. The procedure was pretty much like a CAT scan. Some high tech 3D imaging of the heart. I debated over the dye. Mom always insisted on no dye so I felt like there was probably a good reason to say no. Not knowing what that reason was, I went ahead. Just for the record. Someone should have mentioned that you feel like you wet yourself. I really was not sure if I had or had not!  Luckily it was the latter. 

The whole experience was weird only because I have so little experience being on the receiving end of medical procedures. We hung around GDL until the results were printed. That's something different (in my experience). In Mexico, they tend to hand you your diagnostics. So we waited until the films and the report were ready and took them with us. Doctor Ramirez didn't consult with us, but had talked to Dr. Hernandez before we met with him the following morning. To recap, Monday we met with Dr. Hernandez, Monday evening to GLD, Tuesday for some imaging, Wednesday back in to see Dr. Hernandez, and surgery scheduled for Thursday morning. All of that seemed very different than in the states. Again, I have limited experience there. 

So the imaging showed a 60-70% blockage of my main artery. To make things worse, you actually have 3 arteries that nourish the heart with oxygen filled blood. Like having 3 freeways that serve a city. For most people those freeways are divided with something like 40/30/30% of the traffic. Well, my arteries were divided 80/10/10. That means that the primary highway was blocked nearly 70% and the supporting highways were really more like country roads. My odds took a serious turn for the worse. 

Thursday morning bright and early I was in for my angiogram.  Now, you can make your own decision here, but I'm going to stick with the miracle viewpoint. There was no blockage. Three EKGs and an angiotomography, 3 cardiologists in 2 cities, and classic symptoms all say that I had a serious blockage. The video from the angiogram says different. There was not only no blockage, but no plaque build up at all. 

So, for awhile, Dr. Hernandez was able to say, "I told you so." and did more often than was probably appropriate. Now, he was completely baffled. What he says now is that if I had not gone to Guadalajara for the angiotomography that he would have sent me away and said that I didn't need a cardiologist. All of my symptoms and the multiple EKGs clearly pointed to a blockage. However, since I had the imaging diagnostics, we know that I have a left bundle branch blockage, an enlarged heart, and a below normal blood flow. Lots of things can cause these problems. One of which is a coronary artery blockage. Maybe it's a question of which came first...the coronary blockage or the electrical blockage? Anyway, the coronary blockage is gone but the rest remains. 

While in the hospital, Dr. Romo had one of his nurses bring me a book called Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. It was fascinating. I left the hospital and watched the movie, "Forks over Knives". By the time I had the angiogram I had been vegan for 8 days. There was some debate as to whether or not the plant based whole foods way of eating could have dissolved the blockage so quickly. I reached out to Dr. Esselstyn, who amazingly replied and scheduled a phone conference. I learned a lot speaking with both Dr. Esselstyn and his wife Ann. One of the things I learned is that, "The diet absolutely could not have worked that fast. The earliest results we have seen is three weeks." Well then. Back to a miracle. 

I've continued with the plant based whole foods way of eating (PBWFWOE). Seriously, they use the acronym. I continue, not because my heart can be fixed, but because the health benefits were so amazing. I'm enjoying fruits and vegetables like never before. Eating whole grain (oil free) breads, pastas, and desserts. I've tried grains I had never heard of. I thought hemp was used for rope making. Now I eat the grain. Whoever heard of nutritional yeast? I'm ready to buy my second big jar. I've made more oil free hummus than I can believe. I usually cook the garbanzo beans in the crock pot, but my quick batch is

a can of garbanzo beans

a big handful of fresh cilantro

a can of Herdez Casera

a bit of salt to taste. 

In a matter of minutes I have my favorite salad dressing, a dip, a sandwich spread, a potato topper, and an appetizer. Just for the record. I never really liked hummus. Home made is hands down the best option. Don't skimp on the flavors. 

So, to get back on topic. I'm feeling amazing. I still have a heart problem and likely will for the rest of my life. Sometimes if feels like a ticking time bomb. I honestly don't think I could have gotten better medical attention in the states. I didn't wait more than a couple of hours to see a cardiologist and really a matter of minutes before having the first EKG. At my 3 week follow-up with Dr. Hernandez. He said my numbers aren't terrible. My heart is a little enlarged. My flow rate is a little low, and I definitely have a left bundle branch blockage. It's not impossible that it would go away, but unlikely (I'm remembering a recent miracle). The entire situation including 3 EKGs, an over night in the hospital, 5 consults with 2 cardiologists, two sets of blood work, a chest x-ray the angiotomography, the angiogram with sedation, and some medications that I am currently choosing not to take came to just under $10,000 USD. 

Now, I don't have insurance in either country so $10,000 is a lot of money. I'll be the last one to argue that point. However, it was less than $10,000!!!  I'll be paying on that credit card with way too much interest for a while, but there are no liens against my house. 

All in all I'm going to say that I was very satisfied with my medical care. I will go back to Dr. Hernandez in a year or if my symptoms change. For now, I'm loving my PBWFWOE and having more energy in my days. And, I'm shopping for insurance. 

10 ways to be like a local in Puerto Vallarta ... according to Beach Crossers Mobility Rentals anyway.

10 ways to act like a local (totally my own opinion)


1. Watch where you walk. The sidewalks and cobblestone are more deserving of your attention than the other distractions. If you want to look at something else. STOP and enjoy the sights.

2. Ditch the closed toed shoes. Unless you are in the gym, let your feet enjoy the tropical adventure.

3. Get a massage. Locals get massages regularly. It's inexpensive compared to other parts of the world and you will be better for it.

4. Go to the beach when you only have an hour. Sunset and a cold drink are worth the time.

5. Walk! Take your time and enjoy it. It's about the journey as much as the destination.

6. Relax. If the store isn't open yet, wait. If the car cuts you off, let them go first, if you have to wait in line, people watch. Just relax.

7. Eat dinner for less than $5 USD. You can choose almost any cuisine and make this happen.

8. Say hello. Okay, Buenos dias/tardes/noches would be better. People talk to each other here. People talk to strangers. It's not creepy. It's polite. Say hello to the people you pass on the street.

9. Ditch the bracelet when you are away from the resort (there are instructions on YouTube that tell you have to take it off and on.)

10. Don't cross in front of moving vehicles. Pedestrians here go BEHIND the car as it goes by. Don't stop for that pedestrian either. They are likely to run into the side of your car as they are actually timing their steps in order to step out directly behind your car. Now, on the other hand. There are plenty of tourists in Vallarta that will step out in front of you, so watch out for them.

Life in Vallarta is a treasure. Enjoy it, share it, become it.

Hot and Humid Vallarta

Wow, it's hot!  Okay, the temperature is only 81F/27C with a high of 88F today. Don't let that fool you. We have 89% humidity today and it is stinking hot already at 10:00 a.m. So, I'm inspired to write this "What to do when it's too hot" blog.

There has been a lot of questions floating around the Puerto Vallarta forum lately about what to do when it's so hot outside. Well here are a few of the favorite answers.

1. Catch a movie. Most movies release in PV in English first with Spanish subtitles. The movie theaters are pretty cool. You might even need a sweater. The food at the movie theaters in Mexico is definitely a step above what we find at a typical theater in the states. Many have service to your seat, but most have great buffets that you can take your tray (with arm attachment) to your seat. It is great quality and selection. All of the movie theaters I've visited in Vallarta are wheelchair accessible.

2. Starbucks. Every Starbucks is cooler than it needs to be. The coffee is great, the wifi is free, and you can usually find someone to visit with if you are interested in learning something from the locals. Most of the Starbucks are wheelchair friendly. The one on the north end of the Malecón is not.

3. Casino. Puerto Vallarta has many casinos. All of them have the air conditioning set at a cool temperature. This might not be the most cost effective way to escape the heat, but it is definitely an option. Many of the casino's have the sports competitions on TV. Buy a drink and hang out in front of the TV for a while. Hopefully the game goes your way so you can keep cool. If a casino is not wheelchair accessible, they are going to pick you up and help you inside. I think most of them are accessible.

4. The Costco cooler. Yep, it is a favorite of the locals on a hot day. You can wander in there just long enough to be happy to get back out in the heat. Definitely accessible in Vallarta.

5. The mall. The biggest option for a cooler day. You can search out whatever interests you, or just hang around in the comfy seats and people watch. The mall is a great place to go to cool down. And as a bonus, there is usually inexpensive ice cream cones to be found on a hot day. All of the malls in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta are accessible. There is plenty to see and a wheelchair is not going to slow you down one bit.

Now, it is worth mentioning before you head to the beach, that it may not be the best place to cool down. You may find some nice ocean breeze, but don't expect the water to be refreshing. Often times the water is just as warm as it is outside. You will be wet and overheated both in and out of the surf. So, even with a beach wheelchair, you might not find the beach the best place to cool down. Some of the resorts (Paradise Village for sure) have accessible pools. They are hard to find in the area, so ask that question when making your reservation.

It is important to stay hydrated, but water alone will not do the trick. You will need some electrolytes. There are several choices including Gatorade, mineral water with added salt (Penafiel orange is my favotite), and various other options. Stay hydrated, stay in the shade, and get out of the heat from time to time.

If you are in a wheelchair, make sure to have your personal fan and an umbrella. Beach Crossers has both available if you rent from us.

Even in the hottest season, September and October in Vallarta, it is a beautiful place with so much to see and do. You will find good discounts from airlines and accommodations as well making this an affordable time to visit.

Just remember to plan for the hot, humid Vallarta summer.

Summer Rain in Vallarta

What a beautiful thing, when it rains in Vallarta.

Taking a Wheelchair outside of Vallarta

I wanted to write about some of the small towns we have visited that make great day trips from Vallarta. We've been looking around at places to take our clients who cannot get out of their wheelchairs to walk. It's been an interesting adventure, and it will continue as we explore this beautiful Banderas Bay.
  

One of the first towns that we took clients to was San Sabastian de Oeste. It's a beautiful town that is just far enough up in the mountains to be cooler than the summer heat in Vallarta, but near enough that it can be enjoyed for a 4 hour tour. We picked up our guests and headed to Las Cazuelas in El Colorado for breakfast. This is definitely my favorite Mexican restaurant. The food is all from Grandma's recipes and you won't find anything more authentic or unique. If you're a foodie, you need to try this place. We had a leisurely breakfast, enjoying the sights and sounds of rural Mexico at it's best. There was a lot going on at Las Cazuelas. If you stop here, don't be surprised if you have to wait for a table. It's very popular with the locals.
   

After our wonderful breakfast, we made our way into San Sabastian. We were able to park at the police station right near the town square. Unloading the wheelchair wasn't a problem. We had visited the town earlier and checked for accessibility. We learned a valuable lesson. Looking around for ramps and passable thresholds is very different than riding around in a chair. The sidewalks and square were pretty accessible. Unfortunately, getting across the street from the square to the sidewalk was difficult cobblestone. We had a nice visit, but I don't think I would recommend it for wheelchairs. Not yet anyway. They seemed to be making improvements to all of the walkways that included consideration for wheelchairs. Maybe soon.
     

So, in an effort to be more prepared and more aware, we packed the scooter into our wheelchair accessible "Blanca" and headed north. We went as far as Guayabitos. We stopped at a few road side venders along the way, just to see if they were accessible.

     

Well, there were a couple that were accessible. I rode the scooter through the aisles without any problem. The restrooms were not accessible, but I'm not sure someone visiting Mexico for a short time needs to be exposed to the rustic restrooms of a roadside fruit stand. There is a very nice OXXO just up the road with an accessible restroom if needed.

 

When we got to Guayabitos, the first thing we noticed was the pace of life. It was hectic. There were buses and taxis driving around like a big city. The beach was nice, but unless there is something unique to Guayabitos I can't imagine taking our clients there. It is a beautiful town, don't get me wrong. It's just that it has the big city feel that you can get in downtown Vallarta. The next stop was Lo de Marco. I've heard and read a lot about this little town and was hopeful that it would be a good destination. They have a great cultural presence in the area and host a number of events. The beach was beautiful, the accessibility not as much. It would be a nice day trip for someone who has no physical limitations. From there we headed to San Pancho/San Francisco. I'm still a little confused on where it is San Pancho and where it is San Francisco. They seem the same place to me. Perhaps the town is San Francisco and the beach is San Pancho. I'm not really sure. Anyway, we had been there once before and I loved the ambiance. If you've been to Sayulita then you know the hustle and bustle of a tourist beach. It is packed with venders selling everything from surf lessons (we recommend Patty) to chairs and umbrellas for day use. It's very Bohemian with artists and surfers aplenty. It is not accessible with a standard wheelchair or power chair. With a beach wheelchair you can visit Sayulita. It's a great day trip. You still won't be able to get into the galleries, but there are plenty of street artists. Well, San Pancho feels like Sayulita must have been 20 years ago. There are still artists and surfers, but the number of venders is small and they aren't selling you a piece of the beach to use for the day. The streets are tile instead of cobblestone making them passable for any wheelchair. The sidewalks generally have ramps at the corners and they are ramps that you can actually use. There are a few ramps in the middle of the block here and there where there used to be a step that were passable, but it was nice to have someone at the back of the chair for an assist. I have to commend the town for putting ramps almost everywhere that used to have a step. I really had no problem getting around this town in the scooter. We stopped for coffee at a corner coffee shop. It had counters at a good level for the wheelchair. I couldn't go inside, but had no problem ordering from the sidewalk and enjoyed the hand rubbed wood counters. It had a good selection of barista brews and even had coffee ice cubes for the iced drinks. There was a book shelf and games for customer use. It was a cute place I would definitely visit again. We had lunch at the Italian restaurant "Toscana" which is owned by a man from Italy. I mention that because, like Sayulita, San Pancho is very international in it's population and food choices. I've been to Italy and I have to say that this was very Italian Italian food :)  Oh, and "a portion of bread" is a basket enough for the table. We each ordered one LOL.


After lunch we headed for the beach. I remembered from our previous trip that there were ramps down to the beach, but didn't remember what was at the bottom of the ramp. There are two restaurants at the beach. The one on the right has some seating at the square that you can get to in a wheelchair and a couple of tables sidewalk level in the square. The restaurant on the left has a section of the bar that you can reach with a wheelchair. Neither one can you get to a beach side table with a wheelchair. If we were able to take a beach wheelchair along it would work well here. There are a couple of reasons that we love San Pancho and will recommend it to our clients. First, it is very different than Vallarta. If you're going to take a day trip to another beach, it should be something a little different that what is in front of your resort. The people and atmosphere of San Pancho and welcoming and beautiful. Second, it is the most accessible destination we have found. There are very few places you can't get to. Getting inside the small stores and galleries is not possible, but the shops are so small that you really can look at most of the wares from the doorway.

   

Beach Crossers Gives Back.

People are so kind and gracious in their support of our Beach Crossers mobility rental business. Our customer's often give us a bonus because they "want to support what we're doing." This week, we went to buy a scooter that we found on Craigslist in Tuscon. We were road tripping a second accessible van down to Vallarta.  The owner of the chair had just lost his Mom a month ago. He listened to our story and then gave us part of our money back along with a shower chair and some cold drinks for the road. This kind of generosity happens often. We are so thankful for the donations of money and equipment that have allowed us to keep our costs low and be able to give back to the community. We always recognize the smiles on peoples faces when we have given them something special, but we don't always realize that it has become part of who we are as Beach Crossers. Lately, we've had some good reminders of that so we wanted to share a few of our stories.

From the beginning we have donated use of the chairs to people who couldn't or wouldn't have ever dreamed of going to the beach again. Amazingly, there are people who have lived right here in Vallarta for 50 years that have never been on the beach. We often see families carrying loved ones with mobility problems from the pavement to the sand so they can sit on a towel and enjoy the sunset. The first time we gifted the chair, we had only one chair in Mexico and were staying at Paradise Village. We were sitting in the lobby when a lovely woman in a wheelchair checked in with her daughter, son in law, and grand daughters. She reminded me of Mom. I told Sheri, "We're giving her the chair." She laughed and said, "Of course we are." We approached the family and told them we weren't selling anything, but wanted to let them use the beach wheelchair for the day. They were pretty sure we were scamming them at first, but finally decided that we were legit and took the chair. They were to return it to our room at dark. When 10:00 rolled by, I started getting nervous, when 11:00 came along I started making calls. It turns out that they had walked down the beach, gone into the pool, dipped in the hot tub and then gone back to the beach. The daughter said that her Mom was having the time of her life. She and I cried together. Sheri and I knew from the beginning that this business was always about Mom. This was the first time we saw that commitment in action. Mom would have loved that beautiful woman in the wheelchair and would have been proud of us for helping her to the beach. 

This became a normal practice for us. We look around and try to find someone to loan the chair to. I wish I had a picture of the first woman, but here is a beautiful picture of a gentle man who we loaned the chair to.  He was sitting by the pool with his son, daughter-in-law, grand children, and great grand children. I would guess he was in his 90's. He was non-verbal and no one in the family spoke English. I did my best with Spanish and gestures and got the point across that we wanted to loan the chair to them so they could take "Abuelo" to the beach. His smile was priceless. The family took tons of pictures and insisted that we be in their photos. It was so much fun and so rewarding to see his smiling face. He gave us the "it works in every language" thumbs up and waved excitedly to us as we were leaving. 

We still love this game and on days when we aren't busy or if we are staying at Paradise Village with family or friends, we take a beach wheelchair and look for someone to gift it to for the day. Try to imagine how fun that is. 

We have had the opportunity to help with World Access Project for the last 2 years. Here's a link to some information about their project  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYX7aXoDtfY  

Richard Dennis is the founder of the organization. They bring wheelchairs to people in the area, teach them how to use them, put on a sports camp, and bring them to the Malecón. That's where we come in. We have our beach wheelchair at the Malecón and shuttle people to the beach. The first year that Sheri was in Vallarta by herself. She had help from some of our friends and was able to shuttle most people to the beach. The second year, Sheri was in the states and I (Terrie) was in Vallarta for the event. I recruited help from friends once again and also put the word out in the Facebook community. With the extra help, we were able to get people not only to the beach, but a few actually made it into the bay for a swim. 

When it comes to paying it forward, I think these two pictures speak volumes. The young man, the picture speaks for itself. The older woman? It took almost an hour to convince her that it was not a burden or inconvenience to take her to the beach and that we didn't mind helping her from one chair to the other and back again. She had a wonderful time. 

   

These are some examples of how your rental with Beach Crossers helps others. We appreciate your help in allowing us to do what we do.