Another visit to the pediatrician
So during our visit to Bocas last week, my daughter Lila cut her foot on one of the many starfish while playing in the water. There was actually a small puncture wound with about an inch long slice. No big deal. When we got back to the house that day, we cleaned it up, put on a bandaid and off she went.
Well yesterday we noticed it looked a bit infected. There was redness down to the middle of her foot. By the afternoon it had reached her ankle. Decided it was time to make the phone call to our pediatrician in the city. He recommended an antibiotic that I could pick up at a local pharmacy but suggested that we make the drive in the next day if it hadn´t improved.
Today, it hadn´t improved. In fact it looked a bit worse. So we made the drive into the city, my daughter and I, with me promising McDonald´s, candy, new toy, anything to get her to stop crying. We finally pulled up to the doctor´s office on Balboa Avenue and she had pulled herself together. We waited about an hour in a small 4 room office for our turn. The doctor prescribed a stronger antibiotic and some cream. The doctor´s visit was $45.00. That´s without using any insurance. The medicine totaled less than $20.00 and we were on our way.
While some things are more difficult to accomplish while living here, we´ve had nothing but positive experiences with the medical field, both with our interations with the professionals and in the cost associated with visits and medicines. More importantly, cutting your foot on a starfish, not a bad problem to have.