Diabetic Supplies

A story remains to be told. Comments were not made as we were dealing with this situation, because we were busy dealing with this situation.

Way back when (about a week after arriving in Mexico), Deb discovered that she did not have all of the pump supplies that she needs for the month. Missing were a few of the hoses which connect her pump to her insertion site. She was good for another week and then she would have to begin reusing the hoses that she did have (not recommended).

None of the pharmacies nearby carried pump supplies so a phone call was made to Animas in Canada. Jennifer (at Animas) informed us that they did not sell their gear in Mexico, nor could they ship gear to Mexico. The only possible solution might be for them to ship the material to our home and have someone there repackage and send it to us. Go for it.

A phone call to Lily and another to Jim Hall set it up. The manager of Maria's Kan Kin agreed to bring the package to our new hotel when it arrived. All set, right.

Not so. The package arrived in Cancun after we had moved, but it was held up in customs. Apparently a special form is required to clear medical supplies. A customs specialist from FedEx became involved, but she couldn't get the clearance required. I called the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City and was told that it would be impossible to clear the package. The form required would have to to have been approved before it was even sent.

In the end, the supplies were returned to Canada via UPS. FedEx paid for the return but did not pass this cost along to me. It only cost me $160.

Deb was placed in a potentially life-threatening situation. The best advice that the embassy could give was that she might have to see a local doctor or check into a local hospital. Oh well.