Health & Wellness: It’s that time of year again!

Cynthia:  Well, it’s that time of year.

Edd:  I love Valentine’s. It’s the official day to celebrate how much I love my forever sweetheart.

And our lunch at Rosée yesterday was fantastic!

C:  That’s so sweet, but I wasn’t referring to Valentine’s, Romeo. This is the time of year when we schedule our medical appointments.

E:  Yikes. Why are you bringing that up? Going out for a romantic meal is so much more fun to talk about!

C:  Because it’s what we do every January and February. And taking care of ourselves is part of how we’ll get to celebrate Valentine’s Day for many more years.

E:  Can’t argue with that. I think a lot of folks in the States try to squeeze their medical stuff into the end of the year before new deductibles kick in. That’s not an issue for us with 100% coverage and $0 deductible.

C:  Right. We do it now because 1) we always return after the holidays to enjoy summer here in Cuenca, and 2) it makes our life simpler to get doctor visits out of the way so we don’t have to think about them the rest of the year.

E:  We escaped the northeast winter just in time. They’ve had SO much snow recently! We’re definitely “Goldilocks” people when it comes to weather. Not too hot and not too cold.

C:  After being gone 3 ½ months, we're off to a bit of a slow start with these appointments.

E:  That’s true. Dental work this past week. Well-check visits next week. And dermatology after that, right?

C:  Yep. Then the ophthalmologist in March and we’re done except for a second mid-year dental cleaning.

E:  I’m thankful there’s nothing wrong with us that requires lots of specialists, multiple visits, and a drawer full of meds.

C:  And that managing wellness is so affordable abroad. We easily covered our medical expenses out of pocket for the first few years before joining Ecuador’s national health care system. Overall we’ve had a good experience and the low premiums are well within our budget.

E:  We should mention we do use a few bilingual specialists outside of the system who we’ve developed relationships with over the years.

C:  Going once a year and paying $40-50 for an appointment is certainly doable for us. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for millions of Americans who remain uninsured or underinsured and just can’t afford the growing costs of health care.

E:  Add the pandemic to that scenario and it’s understandable why so many people in the States are not getting the medical care they need.

C:  I think last year can be summed up for most of us as a state of perpetual waiting. We’re at the point now where the question is, “Waiting for what?” A large portion of the world population needs to be immune to this virus for the pandemic to end. Thankfully a vaccine was developed in record time, so now it’s an issue of availability.

E:  It’s easy to be lulled into a situation where complacency is the new normal. And like everyone else we basically pressed “Pause” in 2020. This year we’re hitting the “Play” button. Without being reckless we’re not willing to postpone our lives any longer, so we’re making plans and moving forward with gusto.

C:  Indeed we are. Stay tuned for more on that…

E:  Bringing another convoluted conversation full circle, I hope our subscribers will show themselves some love by keeping up their wellness. Especially if medical care got put on hold last year.

C:  Absolutely. And not just doctor visits. We read that many people have let their health go sideways regarding diet and exercise as well. We’d all like to forget 2020 even happened. Let’s make 2021 a positive year to remember!