Filming for ANOTHER Reality TV Show

Keith doing an interview

Keith and I were fortunate enough to be picked for a popular TV show and spent the last 5 days filming. During that time, we had the opportunity to go on a sunset sailing adventure, visit a local monkey sanctuary, film in one of our favorite restaurants, explore Playa/Tulum and just have a great time pretending to be actors.

Sadly, we aren't at liberty to say what show it is just yet until we have an actual air date... once we do we will be posting more about it. 

Elenor, the Monkey on my shoulder,
who pooped on me... yeah.

The crew was really fun to get to know and we learned so much about how these types of shows are created. We repeated things many times and shot them from several angles. We may not be seasoned TV stars but it gave me a greater respect for those that are - it's a lot of work and you stand for so long... It's exhausting work!

How did this happen you may be wondering... Well, we are in many expat groups on Facebook and had read that someone was looking for a couple who was moving to Mexico for casting. I sent a message to the women who had put up the posting and she messaged me the next day. The whole process started August of 2017. We had to put a lot of it off for awhile since we were in the process of getting ready to move and then our month long drive across the US. We stayed in touch with them the whole time though as I didn't want to be forgotten.  ;) 

Once we finally landed in Mexico, we started wrapping up the process to see if we would be selected. We had to send in a video of us talking about ourselves and what we like to do plus we had a few Skype calls and sent in loads of pictures... Once we got everything done and submitted we were informed on April 18th we had been selected. Originally we were going to start filming May 4-8th but we asked to move it out due to my surgery as it would have only been a week later and I wasn't sure what types of activities I would be cleared for. They were ok with that and May 12-16th ended up being the dates we were given. My Dr. wouldn't clear me for ziplining so we missed out on that but I think the monkeys made up for that.

To be continued...

My Experience with Surgery in Mexico

(Sorry guys, this may be TMI for some... So, if you can't handle "female health talk" then maybe skip this one)

When we moved here from the States my US Dr. told me that my last pap smear was abnormal but not to worry about it, she'd see me in a year... Personally, that didn't sit well with me. So, when we got to Mexico, I went to establish a Dr. here and have another exam. The exams here are much more thorough as they also give you an ultrasound of your uterus, which I had never had in my entire life. On top of this, I told my Dr. in the US that my mother had had a growth in her uterus that caused her discomfort and weight gain and had to have it removed - it was the size of a grapefruit. Since I seem to follow my mom in many health related issues, I asked they check. They did not... yet I had that abnormal pap... You'd think maybe she would have investigated further.

I told my Dr. in Mexico the exact same thing when she gave me the pap exam. Guess what, I did in fact have a growth on my left ovary, a teratoma tumor. (I'll let you google that one, they look kinda gross.) It was around the size of a walnut (4cm), so me, with my weird sense of humor, named him Wally. The Dr. explained that these types of tumors will grow and are typically benign but can cause a lot of pain as they could make your ovary twist. It was recommended I have it removed. Surgery was suggested and I was given a few options. (1. Laparoscopic surgery to just remove the tumor and leave everything in tact. (less recovery time and just involved one day in hospital for pain management) (2. Cutting me open to remove it (lengthy recovery and more days in hospital). 

I opted for laparoscopic in hopes to only remove the tumor and keep the ovary. I didn't want to remove something just to remove it. Before we scheduled anything, my Dr. had me see another Dr. to review it and suggested he do the surgery as she prefers to delivery babies. I met with this new Dr. and we discussed surgery dates. We do have Mexico health insurance and since this was a new condition they approved it to be covered 100%. (Our US insurance would have only covered 75%).

I went through several tests: Chest X-Rays, EKG, more ultra sounds, blood tests, etc. The surgery was scheduled for April 17th but we had to move it due to the scope having to be repaired. It was suggested the surgery move to Cancun but since Keith & I had a wedding to attend on the 25th I asked we just wait till after the wedding so we could enjoy it. He agreed.

On April 27th at 7am I checked in at the hospital and they prepped me for surgery. They gave me a nice little room with a view of Hwy 307. I was fitted with compression stockings and a gown. After two attempts, they finally got my IV in. I was moved to another bed so they could roll me to surgery, I kissed Keith and that is the last thing I remember. 

I woke up 5 hours later and was rolled back into my room. The Dr. said everything went great but he did have to take the ovary. (From what I have been told, life with one ovary won't be any different from life with two. I don't plan to have children but from what I have read, you still can with just one but it could bring some potential risks.) Keith was waiting for me in my room. I was sore and very tired. 

I was given 3 small meals while there. I threw up one of them (an apple, if you were wondering - that's a whole other story). The nursing staff didn't seem to be consistent at all and I had to call them 4 times as my IV ran out many times and started sucking blood up into the tube - that freaked me out and made me paranoid to sleep. I was so scared of that stupid IV... I can't say the overnight stay made me feel comfortable as I never knew what was happening. Every time I got a new IV bag I asked what it was and when they would be back. The Dr. did visit me twice and he told me they were going to take the IV out but they didn't do that till the next day, so not sure what happened there.

My only experience with surgery was when I was 12. I remember nurses coming every 30 minutes to check on me and it was always the same one for many hours and she/he had introduced themselves to me. Plus their name was on a little board with info about me and what they were doing for their checks. This wasn't the case so it left me feeling a bit confused.  

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a horrible experience but I was nervous. Not speaking Spanish didn't help as the staff wasn't as fluent in English as my Dr's were (and that damn IV had me freaked). I am in Mexico though and can't expect English to be spoken, it's just a plus. All in all, having my surgery in Mexico was much more cost effective. I think all in we spent around $6,500 and should be refunded 100% minus our $500 deductible. Oh and to top it all off, I got a local discount from the hospital. US hospitals don't do that!!

If you have questions about any of this or want more details, just ask. 

Retirement Isn't Easy For Everyone...

Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to have retired at 40. It's a dream come true! However, it is not easy for me to sit still for very long. Have you met me?

When we first decided to do this I knew I would have to have something to do in my free time. I can sit at the beach or by the pool and be quite content but those hours in the morning or late at night tend to need to be filled for me... So, I started my own little website, The Sweetest Tee, where I sell things I like, in hopes others will find them and like them too. It's not a huge money maker but it does give me a little extra cash to put in savings. It's been rather rewarding for me to have something that I built and maintain. I am always trying to shamelessly plug it in hopes to get more traffic, sales, likes, etc... 

Keith and I wear our tees ALL THE TIME and are constantly stopped and asked about them. We come up with funny sayings, friends send us sayings and we search for unique sayings online. Then we put them on our tees. We are always looking for more ideas so please send them over if you have any.

I have tried adding more items to the site (beauty, home goods, electronics, etc...) but the tees are by far the most fun for me to make and add. The other items are things I find interesting and think maybe someone else may like as well. I would love feedback on the site, especially if it will help make it better. I am always open to suggestions.

If you haven't tried it yet, use code FIRSTTIME10 for 10% off to give it a try. 

Our Experience with Medical in Mexico

For those of you who are unaware, we have been spending a bit of time in the local hospital as I (Tarah) have a tumor that I need to get removed. It's nothing major but it's something that has to be taken care of... It seems I have a teratoma tumor which is removed by laparoscopic surgery. I will be staying one night in the hospital. The surgery was scheduled for April 18th but ended up being moved to the 27th due to the scope needing to be repaired.

The reason for this post is to share with you how the medical has been for us in Mexico. First off, my Dr. is amazing. When I first met her she gave me her personal WhatsApp number and her personal email. Now you may be thinking, sure she did, but no, really... I have texted her several times and she actually responds. She answers questions and has even sent me lab results via text.

We have Mexican health insurance and US health insurance. Thankfully our Mexican insurance is going to cover the surgery 100%. Our US insurance would have only covered 75% so we are thankful we decided to get the extra coverage. It only cost us around $166 a month for the two of us to be covered.

The hospital we go to tends to deal with a lot of expats and vacationers so they give you all of your records to go. I have had two chest X-Rays, an EKG, CT Scan, blood work, and several ultra sounds. Seeing the doctor tends to be around $45 USD and none of the other tests have been over $150. In total, I think we have spent maybe $800 on EVERYTHING and thankfully insurance should reimburse us. Since I haven't had the surgery yet I can't comment on how that will be but I plan to once it's over.

So far, the experience has been good. Most everyone speaks English so that has been helpful as my limited Spanish does not include hospital visits... I can be polite and talk about number 1-10 and colors but when it comes to EKG's and such I am at a loss... The only negative has been just not always understanding what is supposed to happen next. However, all I have to do is send my Dr. a text and she lets me know.

So... check back for updates on how the surgery went and my experience on staying in the hospital and the after care.

Lights, Camera, Action - Our Opportunity to be TV Stars!

We recently had the pleasure of being a part of a pilot for a new potential expat show that is being pitched to the networks. They came to our home and filmed us answering questions and talking about our move to Mexico. We also had the opportunity to check out a local cenote we hadn't been to before where they filmed us jumping off the rocks and swimming. The crew was so much fun to meet and work with. We can't wait to see the final result and we hope the show gets picked up!

We had no idea when we moved down here that we'd have the chance to be on TV talking about this new life of ours. Funny thing is, a few weeks later, we were picked to be on a popular TV show that has to do with moving abroad. Not sure how much we can really say about that right now but we are really excited for this opportunity - more info to come!

We are trying to post videos of our adventures so our family and friends can see what we've been up to. Check out our YouTube Channel, we try and update it often.

Mosquitos in Mexico

Mosquitos are here and they are hungry... it's nearly impossible to not get bitten. We spray when we go out at night and yet, somehow, they still find a way in to get in a little itchy bite... I am hoping I have just stumbled across the one thing that will work. I am going to have to try it!