We're in La Ceiba. Sister Confianza has continued to be sick. The symptoms have been head ache (sinus type) and tiredness. This has gone on for a few months. She has cut back her work, which gives her time for naps, but doesn't feel better. She has big bags under her eyes. So, on Sunday, I reminded her that Holy Week is coming up (when we don't travel). If we are to seek specialist help, we must do it now or wait two weeks. You decide. Neither of us especially likes traveling so there is a tendency to put it off. Sister Confianza is taking yet ANOTHER course of antibiotics for the presumed resistant sinus infection, with little improvement. I was not willing to return to the ENT in Tocoa because I didn't think her choice of antibiotic was a good one and it didn't help. But we would follow her advice to get a CAT scan of the sinuses and return to our good ENT, Dr. Serrano, in La Ceiba. Sister Confianza decided we should check things out this week. Monday morning, early, we caught a lift to Bonito Oriental, then a bus to La Ceiba. We went right to Hospital D'Antoni for the CAT scan. She was put on the list and waited a while. When the CAT scan was done, we grabbed a taxi to our usual hotel, Hotel Caribe. Rest, ah, sweet rest. We learn that Dr. Serrano is on vacation, but his associate is available. Dr. Serrano is excellent, loves to teach, and is a good teacher. We just couldn't do better. We have high hopes for his colleague. WELL. The CAT scan shows a small cyst in one sinus, and massive swelling of the nasal mucosa, consistent with severe allergy. Sister C. doesn't have much of the usual allergy symptoms, so this caught us by surprise. The colleague, who shall remain nameless in this account, is quite different from our Dr. Serrano. He is of the old school--dictates instructions without asking about our living situation. He forbade just about every activity that Sister Confianza does on a daily or weekly basis. Sister Confianza wept; he continued. It was a bit bizarre. In order to be compliant patients, we would have to move into a high rise apartment with air conditioning and stay away from the natural world. He did remind her that this is not life-threatening or life-shortening, so it's not all bad. Also, the cyst does not require surgical intervention. We left the office with a list of prescriptions. The sign showing who the physicians were in the hospital included an allergist. I asked the receptionist if he were available. Yes, he is seeing patients today. We could return for an afternoon appointment. She encouraged us to stay now for a morning visit. No, indeed. We needed to have some time to rest and regroup. So, as planned, we returned at 3 pm. Dr.Garcìa Ponce is the allergist. He didn't want to hear about the consult with the ENT. He's probably heard it before. He carefully examined Sister Confianza and gave sensible advice. She is to take the anti-allergy medicines for a month, go off all medicines for 10 days, then return for an appointment and he'll do the skin tests for allergens. Thank you, God. This list of prescriptions looks more promising than the ENT's list. We're ready to return to Limòn today. This has been a hard trip. I am still taking the IV iron treatments, so we'll go to the public health clinic tomorrow for that infusion. This isn't a monastery. It's a hospital! But onward and upward! Blessings, Sister Alegrìa Amigas del Señor Monastery Limón, Colón Honduras https://amigasdelsenor.weebly.com/ Photos: www.flickr.com/photos/amigas honduras Blog https://groups.google.com/d/forum/amigashonduras