By Tere Ruiz
During our February 23 program, we had the good fortune to count among our participants, a wonderful couple by the name of Mike and Terry Patton. We never imagined the wonderful lesson of friendship that Terry would bring to our lives and today, we are grateful she gave us the opportunity to share it with her.
When Terry and Mike signed up for our program, Marie Bullock gave them a call just to check in and to find out if they had any special needs or requirements, and to see if there was any way we could be of help to them. During these conversations and correspondence, Marie learned that Terry had had an accident when she was only 16 years old and broke her neck. She also found out about the terrible pain Terry had been dealing with for many years and her constant use of pain patches so she wouldn’t be confined to bed. Terry also explained how she couldn’t move her head up and down without losing feeling in her legs and how she had no sensation at all in her left arm.
Hoping that we could get someone to give her a second opinion (and chance) here at Lakeside, Marie suggested they extend their visit and come early so she could make an appointment for Terry with Dr. Carlos García of Maskaras Clinic. I was fortunate enough to be the one who helped Terry and Mike with this appointment.
My personal experience during this meeting and the following events was one of love and friendship. During this appointment, there was a moment in which I felt that I wouldn’t be able to handle the situation, because as Terry kept telling about all the medicine she had to take every single day, I could feel her distress and sadness. The only thing I could do was hold her hand and tell her how much this would pass.
During this appointment (as we say in Mexico!), the miracle started to get cooked! Dr. García immediately called Dr. Gabriel Varela, who was able to come by the clinic immediately. Dr. Varela’s specialty is neurosurgery. He studied in Universidad de Guadalajara (U de G), as well as the Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suarez" in México City and Neuro-oncología in the same institute in combination with the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología.
As Terry told her story, I understood that we were dealing with the right person, doctor and friend. He just seemed to be fully knowledgeable and concerned about the lady he had in front of him.
Dr. Varela took some x-rays of Terry’s neck, and asked us to meet him in a couple of days. What happened during the following appointment changed all four of our lives. As Dr. Varela started to explain to Terry and Mike about what he saw in the x-rays, he kept telling Terry not to cry, and I believe he meant the same to me, because, although I was not, I was ready to. Since Terry’s pain had been going on for over 10 years, it was a moment in which all of us floated from anger to disbelief and then to compassion. I could sense how helpless Mike felt, and the only thing I could do, again, was hold her hand and tell her that everything would be fine.
Dr. Varela explained to all of us what he believed could be done for Terry. I learned a lot about medicine and how to help the doctor make himself clear in English…I was so happy to be able to help. And, I think for the first time Mike and Terry felt a glimmer of hope about her situation, and were ready to return home in a much more positive state of mind…realizing that, eventually, she could be free of pain.
Before we said goodbye, Dr. Varela asked me in Spanish to explain the following to them: “In Mexico, we doctors have a different relationship with our patients than the one you have in the United States. Here, I am your friend, my patients are my friends.” I was so touched by the doctor’s words that I turned to Mike and started to explain all this...in Spanish! I couldn’t understand why Mike was looking at me with this strange expression in his eyes until both he and Dr. Varela started laughing and explaining to me why Mike was confused! After that, I explained again, but this time in English! By the end of this conversation, tears were part of the past and we were all laughing. The miracle being cooked was starting to smell delicious. And I’m sure that the laughter was the salt and pepper it needed to start to get ready to enjoy.
And, now the rest of the story…through an unfortunate accident (or quite possibly a blessing in disguise…the Law of Attraction!!!), Terry ended up being taken by ambulance to Hospital Real San José in Guadalajara in the care of Dr. Valera. He performed emergency surgery on her neck on Monday, March 3.
Karen, Kristina and I visited Terry and Mike in the hospital on Wednesday, March 5, and we couldn’t believe our eyes…Terry Patton sitting in her bed, talking like crazy and moving her arms and legs like she had not had such a big, dangerous surgery a couple of days before. By this time, she could tell us how much she started to feel her left arm and how she could actually feel her legs, and although she was wearing a soft collar, she could move her head up and down a little. Two days later, Terry was discharged from the hospital and you won’t believe where she went: Yes, to Dr. Varela’s home, and Señora Maricarmen Varela personally took care of Terry during her convalescence.
During the farewell dinner for the following program, Mike, Terry, Dr. and Sra. Varela were able to join us for the festivities. All of us who knew the entire story could not believe Terry was wearing high-heeled shoes, along with an I.V. in her left hand for medicine! She looked beautiful!
We thank Dr. Varela for teaching us how the Healing Force of Friendship and his help and support could give Terry another chance to enjoy life from now on and forever, and to share this great delicious miracle with us. Kristina Morgan echoes Tere's comments about Dr. Varela, " He's the same doctor that saved my mom's life a few years ago. Small world, isn't it? And he's certainly a shining star."
And, as an aside, we must tell you about Terry’s hospital room. It was a private room with a huge terrace accessed through a door in her room. I believe the terrace was shared by all the private rooms on that side of the building. Her private bathroom was better than some bathrooms I’ve seen in resort hotels. Because it was emergency surgery, her insurance company will be covering her costs. They should be happy…the difference between the surgery in the States ($185,000) and the surgery in Mexico ($30,000) was obviously substantial!
Sometimes things turn out for the best, and I think Mike and Terry Patton believe that wholeheartedly. We can’t wait until they can come back to Mexico. We have definitely made some forever friends!
Please note that this is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice. Please seek the help of your medical practitioner before embarking on alternative complementary therapy. Obviously, this is not intended to be a scientific document. This is an anecdotal account based on David’s experiences and research in his journey to battle prostate cancer.
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