Yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay

Can I see? Well, not exactly but there are signs of improvement and hope. At this point my problem is seeing with my whole eye together. The inflammation is less and if he uses a pinpoint tool, I can see through the holes quite well. I read everything on the 20/50 line and most of the 20/40 line. When this all started I couldn’t read the 20/400 line. He adjusted the eye drops and added a 5th one. I have 13 more days of pills besides the drops. I go back again next Friday.

Yesterday Jose picked me and 40 containers of chocolates and treats for the seniors Christmas party up at 9:00am and we headed for Paraiso. First stop was the candy store right near the pharmacy. I had planned to make treats for the 45 kids but the group wanted individually wrapped pieces to put in a bag with other things and that didn’t really work with the things I make. New plan. I bought peanuts in the shell, Pokémon balls, chocolate bars, mints and suckers. I will still make more candy and treats next week and give them out to all the neighbors. I want to make more Rice Krispie caramel balls and chocolate dipped marshmallows and pretzels. Another double batch of Peppermint Patties for sure. Heather wants Spritz cookies so I will have to sneak in doing some baking..probably not until Saturday so I have another week for my eye to heal. I will keep it well covered so the heat from the oven doesn’t bother it.

After the candy store it was the pharmacy to talk to Ana Lizeth and pick up the 10 bags of mandarinas from Edith. I also met a very nice man, a Vetenarian, with an office nearby. I gave them all containers of chocolates and he was kind enough to carry the box of fruit to the car. José had parked right in front. Back to Orosi and Jeannette’s house. We asked if she wanted to come with us and take everything to the senior center. She said it would make it much easier so off we went. I have heard it was a great party today with lots of everything and they really thanked me for the fruit and chocolates.  I did keep one bag of fruit for myself and Jose.

At least it is beginning to look like I will be able to make my road trip to Minnesota. I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to see good enough to drive.

Today I made a stop at Walmart to stock up on cat food for while I am gone. Otto has agreed to stay here and care for the cats and I want to make sure I have plenty of everything he might need. I have to go to the feria in Paraiso to get a bunch of Cafe Christina coffee to bring back with me.

So, next week is making treats, handing them out to the neighbors, getting the house ready, pack, go to the doctor for more good news. Sunday Ziomara plans to come visit and Saturday will be the feria.
Lots to do but I will take it easy and continue to rest when I need to.
 

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40 containers filled and tied

Jumbo marshmallows rolled in melted chocolate and decorated

Their lineup changes everyday 

Their lineup changes everyday

Marshmallows with caramel and Rice Krispies 

I must never go out to the road again.

My sidewalk is the best in all of Costa Rica but the road is a very dangerous, expensive place for me
Why you say, are you hurt you say. Not that kind of expensive. We are selling they say. Don’t you want to buy these wonderful things they say. Good price they say. We are collecting for the children they say. In my defense, yesterday and the collecting for the children was when I had to go to the eye doctor. Today was when I was watching for the internet technician. But really Gayle, did you have to buy a whole family!!!!

I have been having internet problems - worse than normal - for a couple weeks. It will go off for hours at a time. When that happens I only have my phone with prepaid service and using it for everything uses that up pretty fast. Brandon was here early in the week and called and worked with a technician and they saw the problem and said they corrected it. That lasted from Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday afternoon and it went out again. Brandon gave me the info to call and get an English speaking person so I did that Thursday afternoon. That was an interesting call. I had the account number and name in my book. They wanted the tiny little number from the back of the modem. I can’t see! I took a photo and enlarged it and gave it to them. Then they wanted my ID number. Again tiny little numbers so I did the same thing. I explained I would be here Friday morning but I had to go to the doctor Friday afternoon. I let Brandon and Adrian know and they said they would cover Friday afternoon. No technician.  This morning at 9:30 the technician called and I explained the internet came on at midnight and is still on. He said something about cable. I said I would go open the gate. And that is how I happened to be by the road to buy the family. Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, brother and two sisters. How could I not?

The doctor visit was good and bad. The incisions are healing, the lens is in place, the retina is good. It is the cornea causing my problems. It is still inflamed. He put me back on the anti inflammatory pills for 20 days. I go back in 1 week. The usual schedule of visits is day after surgery, one week later, one month later. This next visit will be my 7th visit since Nov. 16. The bad thing about the pills is it raises my blood sugar and mine doesn’t need any help being high. So here is how it works. The meds raise my numbers, I check the numbers, I take more insulin, the extra insulin makes me hungry so I eat and my numbers go up. I also think when my numbers are up I don’t heal as well. So kind of a vicious circle. Hopefully it will be over soon.

The internet technician is two houses up from me so I am staying out front to make suse he stops at my house. He does and he speaks some English so between my Spanglish and English I explain what has been going on. No internet Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. At midnight Friday it came back on - yes I was awake. The cats had been crazy and I put them out and couldn’t get back to sleep. It stayed on and was on this morning. He did a bunch of checking and wrote out an explanation and translated it so I could read it. The problem is in the telephone cables. The telephone company is aware of it and will be working on it on Monday. In Tico time that means maybe next week.

I made my first batch of crockpot candy but when I have candy I give it away so I need to make another batch. The bus drivers, Adrian and the man measuring for new windows in La Cabana, the girls at the clinic, the doctor, the men who sold me the family, the internet technician. It makes a big batch but I need 40 containers for the seniors and 45 for the kids.

So for now I stay home, make candy for the seniors and hopefully have internet. I have containers I got at Mayca and will tie them with Christmas ribbon. I will do all my 14 drops a day and hope my eye cooperates, take my pills, check my blood sugar often and take extra insulin if necessary. Hopefully it will all work and be successful.

PS I will add red bows.

I finally caught the fruit and vegetable truck. I went out to close the gate and saw them parking. I went in and got money and a bag of chocolates. They were parked in front of the neighbor who has given me rides to Orosi. Everyone got chocolates and I explained to her about my two surgeries. She asked if I have someone to go with me and I explained about Jose and Gloriana.
For 6000 colones I got 1 papaya, 4 mangoes, 6 cucumbers and 5 onions ( for pickles) 2 red peppers a big bunch of bananas 3 carrots and 4 good size potatoes. Today that converts to about $10.00 and it was 2 houses away so easy to cart home. And a chat with neighbors.

First batch of candy.

My family

I wasn’t sure........

what to use for a title this time. I know I am overdue for an update. But my internet has been out most of the time and I didn’t want to use up the service on my phone, I could say I almost gave up and walked out of the hospital, which is true. I could say I am tired of having eye drops running down my face which is true. I could say this time there was more pain and soreness which is true.

But, what matters most is  today there is less pain and I can roll my eye without it hurting. The internet is on for now so I can communicate. Brandon is here and working on his laptop and phone with the internet people. PS they found the problem and have corrected it.

And, I have a new project that I think will be so interesting.  Jose is building a little house on his property and took me to see it when we returned from the doctor on Saturday. It is on the edge of Orosi, a little up the hill. Still walking distance to everything. A good size space so neighbors aren’t horribly close. The view of the mountains and volcanoes are amazing.  What is so fun is I get to help  So far I have suggested adding a bedroom,  changing the entrance to the bathroom and switching the kitchen and living room. Since he is in the beginning stages it is easy to do all those things. Well, except adding the bedroom but that really was important if he wants something that works for long term rental.  He is doing some really neat things and wants to have a nicely done property. . There is a sweet lemon tree that is practically in the house which I love. So far there isn’t a deck but there is a great spot for sitting outside. There will be a storage area under the house and wonderful big windows to enjoy the view. The back of the house, where the bedroom is, it is all nature. One of the things about Tico houses is there are no closets or cupboards and often not even shelves. Maybe we can change a little of that here without raising the price. He has explained he is working within his budget and considers everything he needs to buy, including nails.

Now back to my eye and Friday. To get ready I packed a picnic lunch that included 4 kinds of sandwiches on bread or tortillas, yogurt, fruit, chips, cheese balls, Oreos and beverages. My thought was after Gloriana helped me get changed she could join the guys and eat. I got up at 4:15 and Jose  and Gloriana and Ishmael were here at 5:00. I didn’t even see him because he was sleeping. We got to the hospital before 6:00 and Gloriana and I went in. José had a parking spot right in front. We got registered and headed with others to the changing area. This is not like the private clinic. You must have someone with you. All clothes off, pink gown and big white slippers on. Waddle upstairs to another waiting area. And wait, and wait, and wait. And wait and wait and wait. Now I had been told I was first. Not so true. And I learned later that the hospital requires you arrive at 6:00am if your appointment is anytime in the morning.

At 9:00 I gave up and decided to leave but the receptionist was off on her coffee break so I had no one to tell. It took till 10:00 (I think she was hiding) for me to be taken into the surgery area. Change clothes again. Now everything is green. Head cover, feet and leg covers and gown. Things moved fairly fast after that.  The pain is probably because I have had 2 surgeries in 2 weeks to that eye and 4 shots of anesthesia. Big shots to numb above and below my eye. Can I see? Not clearly but there are no clouds or blocked areas. It is definitely getting better.

Gloriana stayed nearby and handy through all of this. When necessary she called Jose to translate. At one point they asked if I had had a blood test. What blood test? No one has mentioned a blood test. Don’t throw new things at me now!

At one point I was counting to 10 and I said malo malo. Her answer was CAJA is bad in all of Costa Rica but worse in Cartago. It is a tiny hospital for way too many people. They desperately need a new bigger hospital. Costa Rica is a medical destination but for private medical treatment, not for CAJA. People die waiting for treatment. Even at the emergency room it may take 3 days.

So, back downstairs in a wheelchair, get my clothes on and out we go. José had been able to stay parked right outside the door and said how smart I was to pack the food and how much they enjoyed it. Gloriana could finally get something to eat. So the sandwiches. Ham and cheese and a peanut butter and jelly on bread called thin rounds. Ham and a chicken salad on tortillas. I had gotten a rotisserie chicken at Walmart and made chicken salad. I used big tortillas and cut them in 3 pieces.

So that is life in my little corner. For now I use eyedrops 13 times a day and I will go back to the doctor on Friday. As soon as I can I will start making candy. I have enough ingredients for most of it.  I have been hoping to visit Ziomara but it keeps being postponed so maybe by Sunday I will be able.
 Hopefully soon I will also be able to have a massage. It seems like ages and I miss it. So does my  back.