NeuroCytronix Pre-Tests Done

I hit a wall, doubted everything, broke down and then reached out asking for strength, protection and the ability to get us where we belong with everything we need to make this experience as successful as possible. After a challenging transition that I will write about later, we are now in a beautiful place where kindness surrounds us.

Julius’ initial testing was done the day after we arrived. The Hospital Angeles is just a few cartwheels away from our hotel here in the San Pedro area of Monterrey, Mexico. At night, we can see the reflection of the lighted hospital sign on the mirrored facade of the tower outside the windows of our apartment.  We have more space than I expected and the floor plan accommodates our wheelchair well. The private hospital is breathtaking, a word I have never used to describe any medical facility, until now. In comparison, the building makes our hospitals look like auto-mechanic garages. It feels as if we have been transported into the future by a few decades. I am attaching a photo of the stunning main exterior entrance. The image speaks for itself. Inside, natural light bounces off the polished marble slab floors. Shadows from the late afternoon sun followed us through a long curved corridor skipped with tall sheets of glass that overlooked a courtyard.

To operate the elevators there are tablets cantilevered near their doors at the ground floor. Our hospital escort, Mayte, took us to a small interior room that was equipped with the Electroencephalogram machine where Julius was prepared for is pre-EEG. The tech fitted him with a yellow cap pierced with rows of riveted holes and then filled each hole with a clear gel for thorough conduction of the electrodes. When she finished, she input some information into a computer screen and then sat on the other side of Julius and busied herself on her cell phone. After several minutes I asked her if she was going to attach the wires. She did not speak English and I do not speak Spanish, but we understood each other just fine. She peeled an edge of the yellow cap back and showed me that the holes were actually sensors reading Julius’ brain waves. No additional wires were necessary and no gummy mess in Julius’ hair from the former method of capturing an EEG.

After the test was done, we moved to an upper floor where several doctors and assistants met us for the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of Julius’ brain and spine. I transferred my guy to the gourney that waited for him. The lead doctor was dressed in bright red scrubs. He asked me a few questions about Julius and then brought the gas-anaesthesia closer. “Now? Here?” I asked. “Si,” he said. I did not anticipate that I’d be able to be with Julius when they put him to sleep. It’s one of the most tense moments of having to leave him and it has not gotten easier after all these years. In the U.S. I have to barter with the anaesthesiologist for approval to escort Jules into the OR where the gas is administered. Most of the time they let me through. I bent down to my son’s beautiful face distorted by cerebral palsy and sang our anaesthesia song to him while the gas was gently released. I rubbed his eyelids, singing softly until he fell gently into sleep. The process went significantly slower than I was used to. The pace reduced anxiety for me.
Mayte walked my daughter and I around the area- a Starbucks on the ground floor, small shops and restaurants of various ethnicities in the plaza. We ate in a small cafe across from a grid of bubbling fountains, the kind children can run through. The grounds were spotless. People greeted us with nods and smiles.
Mayte stayed in communication with the medical staff via texts. After we finished our lunches, and were browsing the window displays she received an alert and turned to me to say Julius was waking up. “Oh he’s done already then!” I said. “No” she said, “Julius moved during the MRI.” It isn’t uncommon for Julius to move during an MRI. In America, we are sent home and have to reschedule the test for another time. I felt the familiar knot in my throat before Mayte said she was sorry that they would have to repeat a section of the test because it was very important that every part of the images be sharply in focus.  This meant it would take longer than planned. “Oh! They will repeat it right now?” I said both surprised and relieved. We used the additional time to shop for staples for our apartment. Many items I packed, had to be removed due to space.
It was already 8:00 pm when we returned to the hotel where we met Zahra, a woman from Saudi Arabia. She and her huge smile squeezed into the elevator around Julius’ wheelchair when I gestured for her to get in before the doors closed. People often hesitate and say they will take the next one, but Zahra was happy to join us. It was her last night in Monterrey and before we separated to go to our different floors she invited us to dinner. (True!)
Sahra was here on business, traveling alone, the only woman in her company of 10 employees. This was her first time in Monterrey, Mexico. She deals with tech as most business travellers from around the world do, here. I told her about Julius’ research treatments and she seemed genuinely fascinated. We compared healthcare practices in each of our countries. She asked me much about art saying it has been her love for a long time. We exchanged pictures of our work and stories of our families. She made suggestions of what we could do in the area and said the Museum of Mexican history is free on Sundays. She said how much she loves Mexico and wants to return. I asked if she’s been to other parts of Mexico. She said no and I told her “This is very different from other parts of Mexico.” There are no tourists in the area. No transients on the streets. Everything is clean and the modern architecture is gorgeous. San Pedro of Monterrey is the wealthiest Latin region of the world.

Before we left California I asked for strength, support, love and kindness and it is happening. It is like a light switch has flipped on. Everything is brighter. There is much more to share with you, but I need to sleep now. Thank you for having my back and following along!