This is a tale of two friends and about what happened when something went terribly wrong on our girls’ trip. I wanted to share this to show that if, heaven forbid, something ever goes wrong for you while travelling in Mexico, you shouldn’t hesitate to go to a hospital.
Because they care about the patient. There’s excellent medical care from all the health professionals there: from nurses and doctors to administrative staff.
Because not all girls’ trips end in champagne and giggles. Ours didn’t.
Here’s what happened.
The collapse
A dear friend and I went on a little trip down to Tulum a couple of weeks ago. Nothing we hadn’t done before. Over the years, we’ve had many little adventures. Her Type 1 diabetes has never been an issue — until this time.
We had fun for two days and went exploring the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Zooming around on boat rides. Floating down a Mayan canal surrounded by orchids. Enjoying amazing ice cream (our travel tradition) — you know, the usual girls’ trip stuff.
Then, on the morning we were due to come home, she collapsed in the street.
After sitting for a bit, I decided it was time to go get help. I was five minutes too late. She suddenly crumpled on the curb. My worst fear was happening before my eyes. You guessed it: diabetic coma here we come.
The wild taxi ride
The poor taxi driver. He pulled up, seeing me trying to hold my friend up. Getting out to help me, he jokingly asked if she was drunk. It is Tulum, after all, so I’m sure he’s seen that at 8:30 a.m. after people have been partying the night away.
But he reacted quickly when I told him that she was diabetic. We got her into the taxi and took off for Costamed Tulum, five minutes away. Hand on the horn, he got us there quick, the poor man looking at me wild-eyed in the rearview mirror, asking if she was breathing as I tilted her head back to ensure a clear airway.
Just as well. Because if we’d waited for an ambulance, the doctor later said that she would have been in a full diabetic coma. Not just slipping into one. She may not have come back out.
A quick and responsive ER
He rushed into Costamed, reappearing a moment later with nurses and a wheelchair in tow. They were fantastic. Quick to respond, professional, efficient and very caring. I was impressed.
We went through a quick rundown of symptoms and timings while they were already working efficiently on my friend. I dreaded what came next: contacting her husband. I didn’t want to freak him out, which is hard, I know. So, I was very thankful for their fast response. She was already coming to by the time I made the call.
That made talking with her husband a lot easier. More of a “it’s okay, she’s recovering” sort of call, rather than a “you need to come to Tulum right now” sort of call. After all, it would not have been an easy or quick thing for him to do. We all live on Cozumel, so there would have been ferries and buses involved.
But my friend was already coherent again and talking medications with the doctor, so there was no need. The doctors and staff’s excellent treatment had her back with us and chatting away within half an hour.
Phew, what a relief!
An English-speaking doctor arrived within minutes of us getting to the E.R. I’m only learning Spanish, so that was a relief. I mean, stammering away in Spanish, terrified I’d say the wrong thing, is not how I wanted things to go.
Another thing that impressed me was that they let me stay. They didn’t kick me out of the E.R. because I wasn’t immediate family or a spouse. Although at one point, I may have said I was to stay, but shhh, that can be our little secret. I’m sure you understand.
Excellent care for a fraction of the price
After liaising with medical staff and taking care of admin paperwork, the time flew by. It felt like we’d been there for an hour, but it had been over four. It amazes me that within that time, my dear friend was back, giggling at my jokes (someone has to), calling hubby to update him. Before you knew it, she’d bounced back to normal.
What excellent care. In four and a half hours, all tests were done and redone, checked and rechecked, and my friend was right as rain and ready to be discharged. You couldn’t ask for a more caring, safe environment or for better excellent care. We were both very thankful.
The only shock we had was the bill: Only US $500 for emergency care. That included specialists, blood work and an entire medical team that never left her side. That’s a very affordable E.R. visit.
I am very thankful for such excellent medical care and caring health professionals. And a big thank you to everyone at CostaMed Tulum!
Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over seven years now, she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.
