PAIN AND SUFFERING IN CUENCA

Most of the folks who know us, think that this life is easystreet all the time... I on the other hand know better... we do have our times when life hands us a comeuppance, even here in Cuenca.

Randy has been having some intermittant pain in his feet, thinking that it was just good old "Arthur" , and since it didn't last long, he carried on.. until the last two weeks. Randy woke up in the nite with a horrible pain and swelling in his toe.. even the pressure of the sheets was painful.. in the morning he could not hardly walk, and as he hobbled to his chair, I commented, you have gout you need to go to the doctor.. Well you knowing his adversion to anything medical.., he said Nah, it will go away.. so 3 days later I demanded he see Dr. Anthony Guillen.

Dr Anthony, is a nice English speaking Dr. just a few blocks from our house, he was able to get us in the very same day.  As Randy told him what the pain was, the time etc.. the Dr. said, well Karen has it right. You have gout. We can give you a shot.. as Randy paled, the doctor looked at all of Randys tattoos (he was in shorts of course), and said.. "Oh yeah, you are the guy who hates needles". So an alternate plan was developed. Randy got 3 pills to take every 24 hrs. for the pain.. then when the pain when away he was to take another medicine for the rest of his life to keep the uric acid from forming those painful crystals again. Also to stay away from Red wine, beer and any fruit that creates uric acid. I think the fast track with the shot would have been the best, but long term suffering seems to be Randy's preferred method of healing. Again, the office visit was $20 and we were out the door. No waiting.. I just love that part!

We are into the 2nd week of him sitting with his foot up most of the day. I have had to fetch, carry, and even cook!  I am beginning to think he is a malingerer...after my last attempt at cooking he was able to hobble into the kitchen and whip us up a nice dinner; my cooking methods are a bit hazardous, so the less I am in the kitchen the better for all.



I have been trying my hand at Weaving with Sisal.. not so good so far. Also, I have been trying to find the perfect yarn to make a cool headwrap for Kelsey. There is a time line as our friends are heading back to the states and are taking the finished product with them to mail.. Tick Tock.. got to find that perfect yarn.

The sun has been peeking through over the last few weeks, Still alot of rain, but the beautiful flowers and trees more than make up for the rain. Luckily, its still warm so those fuzzy pjs are kept in the closet.

My friend Manon and I went to the Coopera, (a great coop whose meat, veggie and fruit selection are top notch, at a great price) and I found Yakima Wa. Granny Smith Apples.. well I am not too fond of green sourish apples, but I just had to buy them.. they were from a town only 60 miles from our old home town, and here they were in Ecuador! 3 apples, cost 90 cents.. it was worth it!

That ugly fuzzy thing behind the apples is the coolest "fruit".. it comes in a pod. the seeds are covered with a fuzzy coating that is texturally the weirdest thing, like eating cotton balls.. but the flavor.. your taste buds take over and you are going oh yum... as you spit out this huge black seed! I was told the name of this (no its not Tamarind) it starts I think with a G... but it is very good..really!