Another Post on my Health Progress

Here goes another boring old post on my ankle problem. I have nothing else to write about. I have only been out of the house twice in the past few weeks and that was in the car to see the doctors. It it getting very strange for me to go outside the gate here. Even going outside my little room feels strange. It is scary. That big world. How did I ever manage out in it?

I was having a conversation one day with my friend Lamar. He comes to visit with me every once in a while. We were talking about autism. I had just seen a video my son had downloaded on my computer about a couple with an autistic boy. They took a long trip to Mongolia to visit twelve shamans and the boy rode horses part way across Mongolia.  It changed his life. Not that he quit being autistic. But after the last visit to a shaman he immediately toilet trained himself. He was probably six or eight years old. And many autistic people are never toilet trained. It all depends on how severe their autism is. He also quit having terrible tantrums. I know all about those things because for seven years when I worked in the States I took care of disabled adults and children. Many of them were autistic. It can be exhausting. According to this video, experts say that autistic people have an incredible ability to concentrate on one subject. 

I remember that from taking care of a young boy who was obsessed with the carnival. He drove me nuts with all his energy and his talks on the carnival. He lived at my house for a few weeks. One day I bought him a huge drawing pad and colored pencils. He spent a couple of weeks drawing an extremely detailed picture of carnival rides. He knew everything there was to know about all the rides. I was amazed.  Recently I received an e mail from him. He is grown up now and working for carnivals. He has been doing this job for years and traveling around with them. So he managed to become a contributing member of society. He still has his wonderful zest for living.

The reason I brought up this subject is because one autistic woman, Dr. Temple Grandin Ph.D. She has written several books about her autism. She was so interested in animals that she became able to know what scared them when they went to the slaughter houses. She developed ways to CONTAIN them so they wouldn't be so afraid. That key word CONTAIN is what I am talking about now and how it has affected my own life. I have been so contained and secure in this little room for these weeks that it feels scary to be out in the world again. And sometimes when friends come to visit I am much better at seeing their energies. Because I am so calm, I see their personal stresses more. So, maybe this time has been a good thing for me.

My friend Emily took me to the doctor yesterday. He took out the stitches in my ankle. He wrapped up my foot and leg again with just the half cast. He said for me to go back next week and get x rays but I am healing quickly. I may not even need a whole cast. I was surprised and happy to hear that. He said I would be walking within six weeks. So, all I have to do is wait it out and keep my foot elevated.

The doctors here are great. I didn't see the Orthopedic Surgeon yesterday but the doctor who owns the Ajijic Clinic. A father and son and the son's wife, all doctors, run the clinic and other doctors work out of there too. A plastic surgeon and the orthopedic  surgeon. I don't know how many doctors work out of there. Yesterday my doctor visit, including new bandages and having the stitches taken out, cost me about thirteen American dollars. Not bad at all. If I have any other medical problems, I sure hope this will be the last for awhile, I will go back to that clinic. Below is a photo of the doctor taking out my stitches. His name is Dr. Alfredo Rodriguez Magana. Telephone number is (376) 766 0662 or (376) 766-0500. They are open 24 hours a day,  7 days a weeks.  You can see how clean and nice it is and below that photo one of the Emily in the exam room. I don't know what I would do without Emily's and Dale's help. And Cheryl and Billy. Also several other people, Gayle is one and Lamar and his friend Roger...My landlord and his girlfriend, his maid, my neighbors who took me home after I slipped into the lake, all the people who are e mailing me and keeping up my spirits.......Well, the list goes on and on with the people who have helped me and are still helping me.  One thing about being so vulnerable and helpless, you quickly learn who your true friends are.........And I thank all of you.......