The LBJ Tropical Medicine Center is close to the anchorage. We got ID cards as 'aliens' free and easy, "Just fill out this form then pay your $10 over there." That's $10 US for each office visit. So off we go to the Primary Care. Trinda asks for her blood work and I ask for a physical and teeth cleaning. Back to pay the $10 each for the lab tests and for the dental clinic. Also $10 for the Surgery Clinic to remove a mole. Then back in line in the offices. Trinda's meds are fine. He says my health
is better than when we left Seattle, but my tests aren't all back yet.
The teeth cleaning went ok I guess, I think the girl was new, it hurt. And they scheduled me for a filling and I also chipped my bridge. I went back again. Before they started they said I had an unpaid $35 bill from yesterday??? Seems the $10 is for the room and the doctor charges beyond that. But it is still VERY reasonable. He can't find the cavity the other dentist saw, even with a new X-ray. So he knocks $10 off the bill since I had to pay to get in and all. Then I point to the bridge and he
spends all of 5 minutes adding and shaping a small patch in the proper color to it! No more mention about the bill!
Today I went back for the mole removal. Got there at 8:30 to pay the $10 and get in line for 10:00. At noon, I finally get called to be told that I was supposed to have a consultation first so he could plan the procedure, only 15 minutes, but time for the antiseptic to work. So come back next Tuesday for a real appointment, not get in line and not pay again. So I worry about GOING UNDER THE KNIFE ALL WEEKEND NOW! Not really but he will take a couple of stitches and I'll have to have him take them
out a few days later. That means we'll be here another week. Still no idea of the final bill, but it won't be much.
Oh and Trinda asked for prescriptions for her stuff, for 6 mos. "Only 3 months max" but the total bill was $65 for the 3 months plus a prescription for her Zantax heart burn stuff. The same pills were $600 in Mexico and over $1000 in Seattle, so we aren't complaining yet. And they are all brand name, no generics.
I got some more packages yesterday, but none today from the 'Express Mail' plane. I have hopes for the 'Cargo' flight tonight that I can pickup tomorrow morning. Lets see, I got the laptop battery and charger, our paper mail forwarded (thanks Mary Sue), HAM radio parts, the 'boat store order'(navigation chart chip for radar, toilet repair kit, hose, windlass switch and more fans) and the Amazon book order. Just waiting on the watermaker switch, dried eggs, green chilies, Guy's wedding DVD, memory
card for radar, and new better inverter.
I probably forgot to mention that the neighboring boat talked Trinda into getting a 'portable ice machine'. Just like the one in your fridge, but it sets on the counter. It makes 12 cubes every 6 minutes after it warms up (or cools down). So the plan is to run it while I charge the batteries for an hour every few days and make a quart baggy full of ice. It doesn't like the cheep inverter. It runs real rough and all the cubes melt before the next batch falls out. It was only $60 (half price so I couldn't
pass it up).....Also you wouldn't believe how small it looks in the picture, but 16"x14"x16" won't fit anywhere!
Speaking of 20/20 hind sight or buyers remorse! but that is another story.
Whe I got back from the Dr., I didn't notice the boat wasn't quite where I left it. Even after sticking out the night with 43 knot winds and the day and a half of 35 knot winds, today in less than 20 ti decided to come loose while Trinda was napping. A couple of the neighbors showed up and helped her re-anchor the boat back close to where it was when I left this morning.
So the holding in Pago Pago is NOT very good as we had heard. I had been deluded by the 2 weeks of not moving in strong wind. Go figure. Anyway, the other boats helped out and thought nothing of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment