Miraflores

A quiet street corner in Miraflores

Marcela and Nicole outside a park in Miraflores

I spent the day with Marcela and Nicole yesterday. Marcela is undergoing dialysis. On Friday, she made it to the door of Pat's Place and passed out in Ana's arms. I offered to accompany her to her next appointment to insure that she made it home safely.

We took a two hour bus ride from San Juan de Lurigancho to Miraflores which is an upscale district of Lima. It reminds me of Cherry Creek with it's sidewalk cafes and boutiques. There were also lots of green areas and parks. A whole world apart from San Juan de Lurigancho. Marcela and Nicole lived in Miraflores prior to the decline in Marcela's health. I cannot imagine how difficult the change in circumstances must be for them.

After lunch with Marcela's sister, we went to the dialysis center. The doctor there would not allow me to accompany Marcela back for dialysis, so Nicole and I sat in the waiting room for three hours until the treatment was completed. We then took a bus back to Pat's Place. The ride was two and a half hours. Marcela works in Lima central all week with dialysis appointments on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She spends four to five hours commuting. I was exhausted when we got home and I am not on dialysis!