The Cozumel News June 2023

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The Cozumel Sun News June 14, 2023: Aura’s Health Update, The Future of Cozumel Sun Website, Cozumel Book Exchange News, IMSSS, ISSSTE & SESA, IMSS Blood Donations and requirements to donate blood. Featured Image Courtecy of Michael Caine!

Aurita’s Cozumel Corner

Update on Aura’s Health

Thank you, readers, for your patience the past year as I have struggled with health issues. My inability to function has brought the Cozumel Sun Website to a virtual standstill. The Book Exchange and store have had Irregular hours as my grandson Julian accompanied me to Cancun and Playa del Carmen for iron transfusions, tests, and doctor appointments.

The Cause of the anemia discovered.

After the appropriate tests were finally performed, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I needed immediate operation and three additional units of blood.

I spent nine days in the hospital. At the time of this article, I have been at home recuperating for three weeks. The worse seems to be over.  It was a brutal operation. According to Google, (ha ha!) I should be 100% in another three weeks.

The diagnosis going forward.

At last week’s appointment the forensic report on the tumor was not yet in. My surgeon announced she is going on vacation until mid-July. The Oncologist is also unavailable until mid-July. Therefore, my appointment with both on July 18 will reveal the laboratory report, if I need chemo and how much chemo, etc.

Future of The Cozumel Sun

The Cozumel Sun website is operated by me single handedly. I have been unable to update any of the information for months. Yet, I went ahead this week and renewed the hosting service for another year $400 US dollars that I really cannot afford at this time. I cannot just walk away from this labor of love that has been providing valuable information to the English-speaking community in Cozumel since 2006!

I am hoping that with a positive outcome with my health and recruiting volunteer help going forward we can continue this service. In the meantime, thank you everyone for helping to network and share information through the Cozumel Sun Facebook group and page.

The Cozumel Sun News June, 2023 Continued

Your support helps us give back to the Cozumel community! Readers are welcome to provide articles, pictures, and reviews to both our website and Facebook pages. We Collect Medication! Please check your medicine cabinet regularly and bring us your unused medication! All medication that we receive from you goes to Todos Somos Cozumel free Clinic and pharmacy.

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The Cozumel Sun Book Exchange

The book exchange is moving along, new people keep discovering and loving this service. We are currently still functioning on the regular hours:

Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

School will be out for summer break in four weeks, and we will lose that business for the summer. Look for shorter hours and possibly less days during the summer.

Book Exchange Store not making ends Meet.

Our Canadian and many American Book Exchange customers have left for the summer months, cutting back drastically on much needed donations.  We received $274 pesos in May, and $654 pesos in April. This opposed to $1,400 pesos in March, $2,000 in February, and $1,500 in January.

I have only been able to give Julian $4,000 a month for working the store and managing the book exchange 7 days per week. Because of my medical related expenses, I have not been able to pay him for the last two months. Most months, this amount has come from me, as we are not generating very much at the store.

Julian was Victim of a Fraud Phone Call

To add insult to injury, while I was in the hospital, Bartolo, my adopted son (Julian’s father) stayed by my bedside the entire week. Julian was home alone manning the store and caring for his little sister, Sharon, and our array of pets. Julian fell for a fraud telephone call that wiped out his savings of $15,000 pesos thinking his father was in danger.

Even though we have spoken of these fraud attempts both by telephone and via social media, they caught him at the right time. The poor kid called me sobbing when he realized that he had been scammed. A good friend has since donated part of the loss to Julian’s savings account, thank you!  

Book Exchange customers, it would be great if on your next visit you could donate directly to Julian’s school fund.  In total, between the fraud and the wages I have not paid him, he is down $15,500 pesos. He wants to go back to school as soon as we get past my medical emergency.

The Cozumel Sun News June, 2023 Continued

IMSSS, ISSTE, and SESA

IMSSS (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social) is a federal government organization that assists public health, pensions and social security in Mexico operating under the Secretariat of Health. It also forms an integral part of the Mexican healthcare system. IMSSS covers workers in the private sector.

ISSTE (El Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado) is a federal government organization in Mexico that administers part of Mexico’s health care and social security systems, and aids in cases of disability, old age, early retirement, and death to federal workers. Unlike the Mexican Social Security Institute (or IMSS), which covers workers in the private sector, the ISSSTE is charged with providing benefits for federal government workers only.

Working locals are assigned to one or the other clinic for their health care needs. These clinics sign off on disability and sick days for those insured under these clinics by their employers. Much like the social security system in the U.S., the employers and employees pay into this coverage. As a self-employed business owner (the Cozumel Sun) I qualify for IMSSS and make bi-monthly payments for this medical insurance.

SESA (Servicios Estatal de Salud) is a state government health care organization serving Cozumel through Cozumel General Hospital. Uninsured workers and unemployed locals go to Cozumel General Hospital for their medical needs.

In addition to health emergencies, the clinic provides general consultations, dental, internal medicine, epidemiology, nutrition, nephrology, preventive medicine, traumatology, among others. The cost for services is minimal to free for some qualifying Mexican citizens.

Cozumel General has the blood bank that most of us are familiar with when answering the call to donate blood.

The Cozumel Sun News June, 2023 Continued

IMSSS and Blood Donations

The latter part of 2022 I was diagnosed with chronic anemia, my hemoglobin level reaching a dangerous level of 5. (Normal range is 12.1 to 15.1 for women). Friends reached out to the community asking for donors as I needed immediate blood transfusions.

I want to take this opportunity to thank once again those of you that came forward and volunteered. If you recall, the campaign came to an abrupt halt, and I asked the volunteers not to donate on my behalf at Cozumel General (SESA) pending further information.

I was informed by the Director of IMSSS that SESA would charge them $3,000 pesos per unit of blood even though it was donated in my name. He arranged for me to get the transfusions and owe IMSSS the units. The blood could only be repaid by volunteers at IMSSS in Playa del Carmen. In total I received and owed them six units of blood.

BLOOD BANK AT IMSSS

The Blood Bank is located at IMSSS #18, Calle Av Petempich 2376, Playa del Carmen. It is a 15-to-20-minute cab ride from the pier depending on traffic.

Cozumel donors are taken only on Mondays by appointment only. They limit 2 donors at a time per patient.

Donors must cross over on the 7 a.m. ferry to reach the bank as soon as possible.

The donors are to arrive fasting. They are tested and if they meet the requirements, the unit is then withdrawn. Bring a snack and beverage to have after the test. You must eat a healthy meal after the donation.

You must be accompanied by someone that is not donating to care for you should you become faint and need assistance.

These restrictions to Mondays only, early hours, and by appointment only, makes it almost impossible to find donors from Cozumel.  Because of the age limit, you are asking someone to miss a day from work. Then there is the expense of Ferry and Cab fare round trip. Plus, a snack and a meal.

The Cozumel Sun has the latest news and information for those living and visiting Cozumel, México. Here is your community on-line Resource! Cannot find an answer? Contact The Cozumel Sun News and we will assist you!