Dr. Fernando Radice, my traumatolgist, while seeing me in my room at the Clínica. I had to feel better being treated by Chilean doctors, since they always greet their female patients with a kiss on the cheek and depart the same way. If the doctor is a woman, she will greet all her patients this way. I think men get shortchanged!

Clínica las Condes is where the ambulance took us on December 21st. I woke up that morning with a backache that got steadily worse. After the doctor had come to our apartment and given me some medication, my condition got worse and Artie arranged for an ambulance. Our apartment elevator that was too small for our brown sofa is also too small for a stretcher, but I found that crying actually does help with pain!

At the Clínica they took x-rays immediately but I wasn't able to have an MRI until the following day when the pain was under control. They found that I had two herniated disks.

No matter how nice everyone was at the Clínica, I certainly was happy to learn that I could go home. Even Minky and Little Doggie were glad.

The care continued at home. Roberto Urzua, at left, is the physical therapist who came to our apartment every day for the first 8 days I was at home, even on Christmas Day! Artie learned that he is also a musician, so he moved our keyboard into the bedroom so Roberto could play music while my back muscles were being treated with electrical stimulation. It was very relaxing, even when Artie brought in his banjo and they played together!

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