Visit our Popular Forums

wingssail · 21-05-2023, 07:06

It's tough to write about this:

I want to let you all know that my wife Judy is in the hospital and we are asking for help with the bills. We are uninsured. We have resources but they are rapidly being exhausted. Ten days in ICU is expensive beyond imagination.

Judy had serious cardiac complications during a routine surgery at Punta Mita Hospital in Mexico on Wednesday May 10. She has been given the best care and treatment and is now in Intensive Care Unit there. She is under critical care treatment and is sedated and is stable. The latest report from the head of the medical department is "We don’t think she is ready tomorrow, but we think this week she has high chances of waking up". Her organs and vital signs are in good shape, excepting a problem with lungs that may clear itself.

Here is where you can go look if you want to help:

Judy Jensen, sv wings.....gofundme

And facebook

Please PM me for links.

Fred Roswold

**JPA Cate** · 21-05-2023, 15:50

Oh, Fred, no health insurance at all in Mexico?

I am so sad to hear this; it must be awful for you.

Our visas in Oz require health insurance, and so when Jim suddenly required surgery for bowel cancer, there was some help.

Ann

**JPA Cate** · 21-05-2023, 16:08

When/if Judy is able to travel, could you not fly yourselves back to the US and Medicare/medicaid? Do you have somewhere to stay in the US? even on a temporary basis? [I was thinking if you could be there, maybe someone from CF might open their home to you?]

What are the costs for ICU in Punta Mita? Do they envision putting her on a regular ward when she regains consciousness? Could she safely return to Wings? It was the kindness of acquaintances (now friends for life) which gave Jim recovery space and time before he returned to I-2.

This awful circumstance should serve as a warning to all of us that we become more vulnerable as we age, and to consider health insurance where we stay a long time.

Ann

wingssail · 21-05-2023, 16:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

When/if Judy is able to travel, could you not fly yourselves back to the US and Medicare/medicaid?

Ann

I might as well get into this, it might benefit other people.

Medicare is several parts. The Basic covers hospital care and a few other services such as at-home-nursing, not doctor's or drugs, or stuff. We have Basic, and didn't actually understand the distinction.

We could fly home for the Hospitalization, and that was our plan in the event we needed something major. But for minor stuff we've always been self insured, meaning we pay as we go. We've recognized that a major medical expense could wipe us out if we couldn't travel to the US, but we ignored the hard reality of that. Now we are faced with it. Bad choice maybe.

But in this case she went in for a routine surgery, which we could afford, and it turned into a major emergency. Transportation was out of the question. If she had not been in (and still is) a critical care ICU (and a very good one at that) she would have died. (still might).

The other parts of Medicare beyond hospitalization cost money, and still are only good in the USA. We'd have been paying for 24 years for coverage which we could only use if we returned to the US. So we didn't buy it. Another bad choice maybe.

So here we are.

Fred

smj · 21-05-2023, 16:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

When/if Judy is able to travel, could you not fly yourselves back to the US and Medicare/medicaid? Do you have somewhere to stay in the US? even on a temporary basis? [I was thinking if you could be there, maybe someone from CF might open their home to you?]

What are the costs for ICU in Punta Mita? Do they envision putting her on a regular ward when she regains consciousness? Could she safely return to Wings? It was the kindness of acquaintances (now friends for life) which gave Jim recovery space and time before he returned to I-2.

This awful circumstance should serve as a warning to all of us that we become more vulnerable as we age, and to consider health insurance where we stay a long time.

Ann

In a truly civilized world health insurance wouldn’t be needed. Of course just my opinion.
I pray for a quick recovery for Judy and may y’all get back to what you love to do.
As they say in Australia, you are legends.

wingssail · 21-05-2023, 16:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

When/if Judy is able to travel, could you not fly yourselves back to the US and Medicare/medicaid? Do you have somewhere to stay in the US? even on a temporary basis? [I was thinking if you could be there, maybe someone from CF might open their home to you?]We do have several friends in the cruising community who have opened their homes in the US to us, should we go there. (as we have from friends here in Mexico)

What are the costs for ICU in Punta Mita?Quite low compared to the united states, also true for rehab and phys thearapy Do they envision putting her on a regular ward when she regains consciousness? Yes Could she safely return to Wings? This is unknown at this time. I think eventually, depending on any disabilities which remain. If not we will obtain housing off the boat It was the kindness of acquaintances (now friends for life) which gave Jim recovery space and time before he returned to I-2.

This awful circumstance should serve as a warning to all of us that we become more vulnerable as we age, and to consider health insurance where we stay a long time.

Ann

Absolutely, Ann. It is a wake up call. And insurance often has limitations. But insurance now, would be a good thing for us, however we might not have been able to cruise with that extra cost, it is not cheap. Choices have consequences.

wingssail · 21-05-2023, 17:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by smj

In a truly civilized world health insurance wouldn’t be needed. Of course just my opinion.
I pray for a quick recovery for Judy and may y’all get back to what you love to do.
As they say in Australia, you are legends.

In Mexico there are public hospitals, which are free, and as residents we can be admitted.

They are not considered high quality and instead we chose a very good private hospital close to our boat for the elective surgery. Once there, in the operating theater, when the complication occurred, there was no question of transporting to a public hospital.

Anyhow, I have a great deal of doubt that she would have survived in a lessor hospital, and she still might not, but I am hopeful.

**JPA Cate** · 21-05-2023, 17:25

Hold onto that hope, man. We are holding you both in our hearts.

Ann

Chotu · 21-05-2023, 17:35

hardly know what to say, Fred. You are right in the middle of it at the moment. Just wanted to wish you the best and good luck with the situation. So you know people are with you

kayakerChuck · 21-05-2023, 17:54

Healing thoughts and a few dollars sent.

**boatman61** · 21-05-2023, 18:51

So sorry to hear this news and hope things take a turn for the better soon..

Could you get your gofundme manager to add a PayPal account to the site, would be happy to send a donation if this option was available.
Best wishes for Judy's swift recovery.

Mike OReilly · 21-05-2023, 19:12

No words worth saying. We all know the pain runs deep. Keep smiling, as best you can, and know a lot of virtual faces care.

Money sent. Wish I could do more Fred. Our small pension cheque rolls in monthly. Keep posting.

**Wotname** · 21-05-2023, 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatman61

.......
Could you get your gofundme manager to add a PayPal account to the site, would be happy to send a donation if this option was available.
......

Looks like PayPal is now an option.

Fred and Judy - trust the storm passes soon and you can both enjoy a calm and peaceful recovery.

wingssail · 21-05-2023, 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatman61

So sorry to hear this news and hope things take a turn for the better soon..

Could you get your gofundme manager to add a PayPal account to the site, would be happy to send a donation if this option was available.
Best wishes for Judy's swift recovery.

According to GoFundMe "For personal campaigns, which make up the majority of the site, they only accept WePay (US/Canada) and Stripe (UK, Europe, Australia), which are the companies that they have a cooperative agreement to work with"