This is a story of unexpectedly having to access medical treatment (which was exceptional, by the way), during our cruise down the coast to Mexico last fall. Like many other people, we had purchased medical insurance for our time in the US, but opted to pay as-we-go for our extended stay in Mexico. Our reasoning was that insurance packages are costly and focus on repatriation to non-existent BC medical services, or at the very best, considerable wait times. This approach also assumes you have a family doctor, which we do not.
Karen and I departed Victoria in mid-August in the company of our son, Michael. This was the culmination of several years of almost daily work and planning to prepare our boat, Next 1 and ourselves for the big left turn towards months of anticipated cruising in the Sea of Cortez. We made our way to San Francisco, where Michael left the boat to return to BC and work. The two of us continued our leisurely way down the California coast, with wonderful stops including Santa Cruz, Monterey, Morro Bay, the Channel Islands, Newport Beach and San Diego.
We were elated to reach Ensenada, Mexico in early October and berthed for the month at Cruiseport Village Marina, a most secure facility. Our intention was to re-group and re-provision while waiting out the last of the hurricane season, then proceed to Cabo San Lucas in early November.
It was here where the tide swept away our best-laid plans and we embarked on a most unwelcome and very rapid journey.
An Unwelcome Medical Journey
For a few weeks, I had noticed a bump in my right chest that was becoming rather sore to the touch. I felt that we should have it checked out before we found ourselves in some remote anchorage with it flaring up, so off we went to a local walk-in clinic. After a quick Google search of my symptoms, I had a horrible suspicion, so I typed “Possible male breast cancer?” on my phone’s Google Spanish translator and showed the startled doctor. He examined the area and immediately directed me to have some blood work and an ultrasound. It was Wednesday, October 25.
From here on, both Karen and I were amazed at how quickly things moved (as opposed to what we knew and had experienced from the BC medical system). We were equally impressed at both the quality and affordability of services we encountered.
Chronology of Events
- October 25 – Ultrasound and needle biopsy of the tumor. The biopsy was sent to a lab in Mexico City.
- October 26 – Blood work at lab.
- October 31 – The worst possible and devastating news: male breast cancer confirmed. This is an exceptionally rare occurrence … lucky me – NOT!
So our cruise south was suspended. Years of work and happy exploration suddenly ripped away. This was overwhelming to both of us.
- November 1 – We met with Dr. Maclovio, oncologist, who referred us to my surgeon, Dr. Quirarte.
- November 2 – CT Scan and consult with my surgeon.
- November 3 – Additional blood work and chest x-ray.
- November 6 – Consult with my anesthesiologist, Dr. Lopez, including an EKG.
- November 9 – Checked into a small private hospital and underwent a radical mastectomy to remove the tumor and lymph nodes.
- November 10 – Back to the boat.
Prior to my surgery, Karen and I had removed the head sail and completed other assorted chores and heavy-lifting to prepare Next 1 for months at the marina in our absence. In essence, we de-commissioned the boat. It was very hard to see the other boats and new friends leave the marina and continue their cruise while we stayed at dock.
Next 1, awaiting our return to Cruiseport Village Marina, Ensenada.
Post-Surgery
As I recovered from surgery, we made inroads to have me referred to BC Cancer. A friend of Karen’s searched the Internet and was able to source out Dr. Charles Lamb, a Victoria-based doctor who has established a website called cancerscreening.ca [1]. Essentially, he takes on cancer patients who do not have a family doctor. Through video conferences with him, I was able to get the referral needed for timely post-surgery treatment with BC Cancer. We had the option to remain in Ensenada for potential chemotherapy or radiation treatments, which were available 4 to 5 weeks post-surgery. However, that would have entailed extra medical expense, in addition to renting an apartment ashore. Once given the OK to travel from my surgeon, and with the boat secured for our absence, we headed back to BC.
Post-surgery with Dr. Arturo Quirarte
Within days of our return to Victoria in mid-December, I received a call from BC Cancer and met with various health professionals at their facility. We’ve been most impressed with my treatment since then. In our view, BC health professionals/support staff are dedicated and exceptional, but they work within a broken system.
Lessons Learned
In terms of lessons learned, they are ongoing. The total cost for all the medical care I received in Mexico was approximately $8,000.00 CAD. Mostly we paid cash, but on occasion, Visa. The hospital was going to charge a 20% premium for using Visa, but the day of my ultrasound, their Visa machine was inoperative. E-transfers were not possible for us from a Canadian account to a Mexican or American account. The US bank account we’d set up prior to leaving did not permit E-transfers and our ATM daily limit on it was $500 USD. What would have been helpful was knowing how to access large amounts of cash from our BC accounts through local banks. What banks can you go into and get a cash advance on your credit card? At what cost and what is the daily limit? So, as a tip, I’d recommend that you meet with your bank manager to organize steps to access your funds, if needed, should you choose not to have medical insurance. We thought we had things sorted out by having a US bank account, but it seemed to fail us once we were in Mexico. All that being said, we learned for ourselves what other cruisers have stated before: health care in Mexico is of high quality.
Probably the biggest takeaway from this ordeal has been that we have the ability to cope with unforeseen circumstances.
I am in good health and Karen and I look forward to returning to Next 1 this October to resume our adventure. I am very grateful to the excellent health professionals in Mexico. They saved my life.