Pharmacy and Canned Corn

I know, I said I wasn't going to write again until I was better but things keep happening and I want to share them with you.  They're not big things, but it's the kind of thing I'd tell you about if we were having a cup of coffee together or if we were on the phone and that's what this blog is all about--sharing the little everyday things with my family and both my long-time and new friends.  So, here we go.

Nope, not well yet but much better.  When I first came down here, the woman from whom I sublet my apartment took me around town and showed me all the places she thought might be helpful to me.  Oh, my, I don't know if she has any idea just how valuable it's been to me but I think I might just have to send her an email telling her that, just in case.  At any rate, one of the places she took me was her favorite pharmacy.

Just a tiny bit of background for those of you as unfamiliar with Ecuadorian pharmacies as I was.  In the U.S., only doctors can tell people what kind of prescription medication to take and, even with over-the-counter meds, most of them will give you a broad opinion but suggest you "consult your medical provider" for additional assistance.  Not here.  First of all, very few of the medications I've come across require a prescription so that helps but the biggest help is that here the pharmacists, and even the people with a lot of experience who aren't officially pharmacists, will not only make suggestions, they'll bring something up from one of the shelves and just put it on the counter and tell you to take this, once a day (or whatever), until they're gone.  That's it.


Sheila said she had always had excellent success with this particular woman at this pharmacy so I dragged my sorry butt up there yesterday and told her my symptoms and came home with pills.  No, I have no idea what they are.  I took one when I bought them (they brought me a glass of water so I could) and another one last night and by this morning I'm already feeling about 50% better.  I suppose it could just be the bug working its way out of my system but whatever it is, I'm ever-so grateful.

While I was out, I also made a stop at the department/grocery store to stock up on toilet paper (I was too sick to go out and get any for a couple of days while I was sick and I ran out--yes, I ran out!  I had to borrow a roll from my neighbor.) and a few other things.  I decided that since I was still not very strong that I'd walk there and take a taxi home.  Since I was doing that, it seemed to make sense to stock up on items I can't get at the little markets.

One of the things on my list was canned corn.  Of course there's a ton of fresh corn available but it's not the sweet corn I'm used to--it's tougher and, well, not as sweet.  I wanted to make potato soup and fish chowder sometime in the near future and I love to put corn in them.  I figured one processed something was acceptable to my new way of eating.  I got to the very abbreviated vegetable section of the aisle and discovered one brand.  It was $1.59!  I get so used to most prices being so low that when I find something that costs twice as much as the top amount I'd go back in the States, I suffer from a bit of sticker shock.

I got it anyway and last night I made the best potato soup I think I've ever made.  It's one of the things I make best and this was out of this world.  The corn turned out to be worth the price and I saved half of it to put in the fish chowder I'll make next week.

Good grief--I've done what I always seem to do--I've gone on forever and I still have more to tell you.  I think I'll stop here and tell you more about this weeks' goings-on later today or tomorrow.