Surgery. Ugh! I’ve had two of them in the last 5 years. But they were back in Canada. Now it turns out that I need cataract surgery. I have decided to have it here in Mexico rather than be put on a several month waiting list in Winnipeg.

The other day I ventured out to a lab for the required pre-op tests. I had often walked by this particular lab as it’s conveniently located close to a grocery store that I frequent. But this was my first time walking into the facility.

A guard opened the door for me and handed me a number. After a short wait of less than five minutes it was my turn. I handed the requisition to the attendant and was delighted to find that she spoke English. Although I had prepared my vocabulary in Spanish, it was comforting to converse in my own language.  I explained to her that I was traveling to Guadalajara for the surgery and that the results should not be sent to the doctor in Mazatlan who had requested the tests. She assured me it was no problem as this was a common procedure here in Mexico.

I barely had a chance to sit back down again in the waiting room when my name was called. The service was amazingly efficient. In less than forty-five minutes, blood, urine, chest x-ray and EKG were all complete. So Canada, you need to get your act together in this respect as well.

I was astonished to be told that all the results would be ready by 3 pm the same day. I thought back to the last time I had pre-op tests in Winnipeg in 2013 where they required a 3 week interval between the lab tests and the surgery date. My  cataract surgery is scheduled for next week.

I wasn’t able to come back that day but the following morning when I returned everything was ready for me to take to Guadalajara.

Future blog posts about my experience having cataract surgery here in Mexico are on the horizon.