Checking on our options…no definitive decisions yet…Although, we do know this…

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A few days ago, my laptop screen became barely attached. I cannot close the lid and use the touch screen for scrolling. In the realm of things, it’s a minor inconvenience.

We know one thing for sure about our current situation…we are leaving Ecuador sooner than planned. I am running out of the only medication that works for my Afib and doesn’t cause me breathing problems. Ecuador doesn’t carry that drug here, and it’s not possible to have prescription drugs shipped to Ecuador, even though it’s not a narcotic.

I have enough pills to get us back to the US around mid-December, where I can get more when we arrive, either shipped via an online drug company, like ProgressiveRX, which I’ve used many times in the past, or by visiting an Urgent Care facility to get a new prescription.

We aim to get me a future appointment at the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, or Emory University, where they do robotic mitral valve repair. There is no way I am willing to have another open heart surgery after the traumatic experience I had in 2019. The recovery took me over a year.

Plus, I’ll be signing up for Medicare Part B and a supplement in the next few weeks, including a drug plan, since blood thinners are five times more expensive in the US than I paid here or would pay in many other countries.

On Wednesday, the cardiologist explained that I needed mitral valve surgery and should do it within a year. Waiting, at my age, makes no sense at all. But I’m seeking a second opinion in the US once I have the insurance in place. In the interim, the cardiologist explained I was safe waiting for a while.

Taking a blood thinner twice a day and the anti-arrhythmia drug should keep me safe while we figure all of this out. In the meantime, we are anxious to leave Ecuador and ensure I have the proper medication and…to leave when it is not much fun for us here.

To keep the lid steady and secure, I’ve placed the laptop in the upside-down lid of a large puzzle. If I didn’t, the entire thing could fall off, and I’d be unable to use the laptop.

We haven’t told the landlord, Igor, yet, but we will let him know once we book our airfare and a vacation home, depending on where we’re going and availability. We don’t expect a refund for the time we aren’t using, which is about 19 days. We have decided to fly out of a much bigger city than Manta, Guayaquil, a three-hour drive from here.

Yesterday, we contacted the car rental facility, and they’ve agreed we can leave the rental car in Guayaquil for an extra $67. Although we paid an inordinate amount for the car, we were grateful this charge wasn’t more. We won’t get a credit for the week we won’t use on the car rental contract. They don’t do that here.

The question many of you may be asking…Is our world journey over after 11 years? We can’t answer that right now. We have too much to figure out. We always knew that medical issues would eventually end our world travels. But the US is a vast place, and perhaps once I’ve had the surgery and recovered, we just may begin our tour of the US.

In any case, we have no plans to stop posting as long as we have readers interested in what we have to say. I will take you on the journey with me to get my mitral valve issue resolved and the subsequent recovery, as I did after the last open heart surgery.

Thank you all for your readership and continuing interest in the simple nuances of our daily lives. These experiences are not unlike those many of our worldwide readers are dealing with as, for many, a part of life as we age. Regardless of how hard I’ve tried to avert this scenario, heredity is more powerful than a positive attitude. I am hopeful for the future. I am the oldest living person on my mother’s side of the family, from which I inherited these health issues.

Thank you all for everything you’ve done to support us along the way.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 24, 2013:

While playing Gin on Saturday, this gecko appeared on one of the pillars supporting the roof. Its feet moved in a sticky manner, using each toe in the process, seemingly all going in different directions. For more photos, please click here.

Change in plans for US visit in May…

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We’re in awe of the ornate detail in the Hindu statues.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

The dogs on the beach show little to no interest in humans. But, they certainly enjoy hanging our together. These five were actually in a group of eight although it was impossible to get all eight in one photo.

From time to time it becomes necessary to change plans for a particular visit to a country. In a perfect world, the decisions we make we can follow through to completion. 

As we all well know, decisions may not be perfect, including ours, when we consider travel plans. Most often when we find it necessary to change plans, it doesn’t have a bearing on others. 

In this case, it does, for which we apologize to our family members if they are disappointed for the necessity of our making these changes. 

Another beautiful statue in the neighborhood of villas on the beach.

The biggest consideration in this change is the cost which escalated greatly over this past year. Over these past many days, we calculated the expenses on a spreadsheet to include the six weeks RV rental period, fuel, campground fees, US $3, IDR $40,004, per hour for generator use fees to run the refrigerator and the AC (at night only), and many ancillary fees that go along with renting an RV.

Recreational building/gathering place for villa owners/residents in the area.  This location is also where the security guards use it as a base overnight during their watch.

The total cost came in at no less than US $20,000, IDR 266,705,981. That included only the time spent in Minnesota.  With meals our daily costs would have been in excess of US $500, IDR $6,660,000 per day, definitely outside the realm of our budget especially for this extended period.

Then, we had to consider the added cost of making our way across the northern tier of the US to drive to Minnesota. In the summer, these expenses are outrageous. 

Hindu offering display.

Instead, once our Alaskan cruise ends on May 26th, we’re flying directly to Minnesota. Although the grandkids will still be in school for a few more weeks, we’ll have time to see them after school, in the evenings, and on weekends. 

During the school day hours, we hope to spend some quality time with our adult kids (if possible based on their work schedules) and visiting Tom’s retired siblings and old friends.

Kitchen on-site for resident’s use for entertaining guests in the recreational center.

The pluses to this big change? We’ve booked a hotel within 25 minutes of all of our kid’s three homes. We can visit them. They can visit us. The hotel has two indoor pools the kids will love.  We’ve booked the hotel reservation as having three children with us, enabling all of us to use the pools at once.

There’s never a shortage of exquisites views as shown from the recreational center.

We’ve negotiated a great rate which we’ll soon share. The car rental for this period will be in excess of US $2600, IDR 34,632,000 for a midsized vehicle for the six weeks, although not quite as costly as some other parts of the world.

As for meals, a complimentary breakfast is included for us and “three kids.” The hotel room will have a small refrigerator and microwave. Costco roasted chickens, here we come! 

Colorful statue in a front yard temple in the neighborhood.

With our intermittent fasting, we may only have a full meal in the evenings when we’re dining with family or friends. We’ll see how that works out. Since we never eat three meals a day (rarely two) our food costs won’t be outrageous.

A more contemporary statue at a new home construction site in the neighborhood.

With the change to a hotel allowing for greater mobility and a certain degree of practicality, we’re able to cut the cost almost in half ultimately making the time in Minnesota all the more enjoyable.

More details will follow. Happy day to all!


Photos from one year ago today, June 16, 2015:

An indoor organic farmer’s market in the mall in Trinity Beach, Australia, where we often shopped for vegetables. For more details please click here.