Some of you already know about what happened. This is the first free moment I have to share this news with the majority of you. Even family has no idea what has transpired. We have been living in crisis with beyond extreme stress since the event.
It was about 10:30PM Monday, April 28th and we were looking at our back to back computers and about to get ready to go to bed. I could not see him, just hear him. Colin’s computer mouse fell on the floor, he bent down to pick it up and then again a moment later when it fell again. He fell out of the chair onto the floor the third time. I got up to see what was happening. He appeared stunned. ” I think I just had a stroke, he said” I thought he was joking around. He wasn’t. Colin’s entire right side was paralyzed.
That started a flurry of phone calls to our doctor here who would not come because at that time of nite it was not safe in his opinion to drive here to the Isla. Finally we made a decision. I called a few people knowing I would need strong men to carry Colin and one fellow brought his car. Colin was manhandled into the car, onto the lancha ( 24 hour emergency ) and into a waiting ambulance ( you call simply call 911 which I did not know about ). He was taken to the General Mazatlan Hospital. We have no medical insurance and FYI our Canadian medial insurance ran out two days later. A year ago we had been advised to used this hospital should the need arise.
I had no idea how far it was – took me about 50 -60 minutes door to door each time I went. A very basic hospital but with great doctors. The biggest downfall is that it is Spanish speaking. A huge reminder that the onus is on us to learn the language of the country we are living in. The hospital provides a sheet over the mattress and a thin sheet to cover the patient. No pillow and no heavy blanket to stay warm in the constant air conditioning. And no water. Great meals. Lots of nursing staff. Within one day I figured out the system and a friend brought the much needed pillow and heavy fleece blanket. Someone needs to be with the patient 24 hours per day. When medication is needed the medical staff hand you a piece of paper with whatever is required and you have to go outside to the front of the hospital where a man on a moto ( motorcycle ) goes to the pharmacy ( no restaurants, no stores, nothing is close to the hospital ) and comes back in about 15 minutes with the medication or needles or whatever.
Colin was at the hospital by midnight but was frail with low vital signs. They did a brain scan which confirmed the stroke. However he was too weak to receive that life saving stroke drug which diminishes the side effects of a cerebral infarction. They were worried that his brain would bleed out and he would die.
I did not go that first night, I was in shock and couldn’t speak Spanish anyway. He had two wonderful people with him who kept reporting back to me. I never slept for three nights and I don’t think I ate for about 4 days. While he was in emergency being assessed I was online researching. I sent messages out to Octavio, the physiotherapist I used back in 2020 when I had meniscus surgery, started making arrangements for care for the dogs so I could head to the hospital first think in the morning and I can’t remember what all. The first three days were a blur. As aside here, Octavio came to check on Colin twice that first day to assess him and one more time after that before Colin came back here.
Our Mexican neighbor Humberto whose sister in law works at the hospital checked on Colin and got back to me. When I got there Erik the RV tech was there and one of his helpers. Humberto showed up a bit later and then spent hours taking me to all the departments in the hospital where I had to go – no idea why – my mind was spinning. And my body was breaking down. Colin has been my caregiver since last September. My mind was willing but not my body but I pushed myself. I learnt what I had to do. A few good friends I reached out to online gave advice, did further research and just kept me going. The most difficult was not knowing how to really use the iPhone re copy/paste so I spent much too much time retyping things over and over to different people. This is when my eyes started to tear and burn. I still had not picked up my new progressives ( I have since and they are useless ).
Fortunately we have Heri, Colin’s godson who is living in Guadalajara ( he is in the band that came to play at the last minute for the Kings Coronation during Carnaval ) who is on call 24/7 for translation. Except being a government hospital the medical staff refused to talk to someone outside of the hospital. I begged many times. Once or twice a day I got lucky and found someone who could speak a bit of English or were willing to use Google translate with me. Beyond frustrating.
To be clear the only thing wrong with Colin is that his right side was paralyzed. However that changed a bit in that he has developed numbness on his right side of the face. Sometimes it makes it difficult for him to talk. But overall his mind it totally clear and functioning perfectly. Just loss of movement on the right side. In his mind his life was over. No more guitar playing, no walking, no driving the RV – never mind any vehicle. His life changed in a single moment. There was nothing to live for and he wanted to die. It was an emotional time for both of us. We did get through that bit but even today he has very bad moments and days. So he slept and I ran around the hospital trying to make things work. I spent hours every day trying to find someone to spend the night with him as he could not be left alone. He is right handed and he is learning to now use his left but those first few days he needed constant help whether using a urinal or eating.
So many little problems that seemed like mountains to climb. From emergency he was put in a five bed ward in ‘internal medicine’. First morning a nurse told him to get up and to use the bathroom and I had to explain that he was paralyzed. They did don’t know. Another time a doctor came and asked how his stomach was feeling that day. This was a daily occurrence to explain that he was there becomes of a stroke and paralysis. All in Spanish!
One friend strongly encouraged me to get a neurologist to see Colin. They do not have specialists like that nor cardiologists in this hospital. However on the Wednesday morning I went in and insisted on Colin seeing a neurologist. No they said. I found a sympathetic doctor ( Dr. O ) who had a bit of English and brought in a personal friend of his. I paid well for this visit. He was there within 40 minutes. We were unable to get a cardiologist to come in. The neurologist did a very thorough bedside test and immediately ordered three tests. We tried ever so hard to get him sent by ambulance to get an MRI but all the medical MRI machines in Mazatlan were occupied even though I was willing to pay more than double. Eventually the doctor said it was not worth it as the time to try the special medicine was definitely beyond the point of even a chance of it helping.
One was a carotid artery test and this is where he believes that the stroke came from. The special bloodwork was done but the second brain scan was delayed 48 hours. Personally I think it was because this hospital required a certain amount of time between scans.
So the brain scan happened about 5PM Friday May 2nd. I later discovered that my private neurologist and Dr. O consulted with 5 minutes after the scan and agreed on the medication ongoing. Suddenly Colin was discharged. I won’t go into all of that nightmare but we did get him back here to the RV by 9:45PM. Thanks to those who lifted Colin out of the car and into the RV. And then they left.
Now it was up to me with Colin’s help to get him started on his new path forward in life. Octavio came Saturday to check on him. Official physio started Monday the 5th and he is getting it 6 days per week. Fortunately we had purchased a set of two attached electronic recliners and this is where he has been day and night. But he does get to see the ocean and the activity.
We have had extreme challenges just before the stroke re discovering that all batteries in the new to us RV were faulty. In fact we did not even have starter batteries. And that explains all of our electrical issues over the past months. I was able to order 8 new batteries – the last of them until August due to a shortage or ??? One day in the middle of all of this at the hospital I got a text asking to be paid immediately for shipping ( and of course they upped that price ). Another good friend from out of nowhere offered to pay the bill no questions asked. She has since been repaid. That was another problem as our bank had locked us out for not doing online banking. Colin would just go in as needed in person. So with 7 minutes notice one night the batteries were delivered. Well 7 out of the 8 were delivered. That one battery is still traveling around Mexico – but it has now been found and somehow will get back here. Once it is here we can move our RV as needed.
Our Canadian insurance expired two days after the stroke. We are allowed to be out of country only 7 months before starting again with a three month wait. Yes we can be out of Canada for up to 18 months once every 5 years or so but you can only start in January or some silly thing like that. I could have hired a driver to take us back to Canada but we are comfortable here. No sense flying back as everything we own is in this RV.
So here we sit overlooking the beach and the wonderful waves at this tine of year. Likely we will have to move in a month. It was suggested that we do because of hurricane season. We will be flooded even high up where we sit. Our pre stroke plan was to stay put until we could not take the heat. Then we would head to the Lake Chapala area for the summer. Well the heat is here – I can’t imagine it getting any worse. But we know it will. Our electricity is very iffy and almost impossible to regulate. Of course we need to stay in the area re medical help, physio and closeness to the hospital.
So we likely will relocate within a month to Las Jaibas. We have been given permission for Erik to set us up with a full 50 Amps. We will no longer have our ocean view which means so much to us but there is a swimming pool which will help with his therapy. The walk to the sandy beach is about as far as we are now. It is going to be so hot that we will like just live inside all summer and study Spanish.
Our new life path will be a day to day journey. The girls are very aware that something is wrong and take turns staying at his side. He is never alone. I just a day ago found someone to walk them to the beach at 7AM while it is cool enough and she will also make us the occasional pot of soup or a casserole meal and salad.
What comes after tomorrow. I have no idea. Right now each day is an immense challenge what with new obstacles to overcome – often several times per day.
I honestly don’t know how often I can update you all. Right now I am lucky to get a shower every three days. But I will answer any questions you send here within the comment section. I simply don’t have time to answer individually. I only just today had time since Colin has been home to review my paperwork from the hospital. And this is the first time I have had a moment to contact you all. Colin has been sleeping most of the day, he did do his physio exercises earlier. We are working on creating a new routine in our lives. One priority is sorting out the electricity. If not we will have to leave sooner.
I do have many things and photos to share with you so over the next months whether you are still here reading or not I will still post them. And knowing me I will likely post more often then not, to let you know how Colin is doing.
