We Are Permanent Residents.....

Just got a notice from our lawyer that our Permanent Residency Visas have been approved and we can go pick them up tomorrow.  That means we are allowed to live in Panamá for as long as we choose but will always remain citizens of the U.S.  When we first applied for these pensionado residency Visas in September, our lawyer told us in about six months and we should have them.  And like we tell everyone that asks, we feel that our lawyer is expensive but she's been good about staying on top of things.  We've heard countless stories of people paying much less money for their Visas, but it takes a year or longer before their permanent Visas are approved.  Today is exactly six months to the day that we first applied for them.  I remember this because it was on my birthday September 15th that we first applied and the girls in the Department of Migration wished me a feliz cumpleaños.  Of course this means another trip into Panama City to go to Migration with our lawyer for another picture.  And I will have to remember to wear something that covers my shoulders since they have a rule about not showing shoulders in photos here.  It's ok to show cleavage or anything else, just not shoulders!

While patting our new dog yesterday I noticed  a large lump the size of half a tennis ball on her back.  At first I thought maybe it was muscle, or bone and asked Clyde to check it out.  He also felt it was a lump, probably a lump of fatty tissue called a lipoma.  She had recently seen a Vet in the city with the people that were looking after her, yet nothing was mentioned about this lump.  And we're constantly patting and rubbing her so it's strange that we never noticed it before this.  Even when we bathed her we rubbed down her whole body to clean her and never noticed it. 

To be on the safe side we took her to see a Vet in Coronado today and they agreed that it's a lipoma.  They said it's nothing serious but needs to be removed surgically, and scheduled another appointment for next week.  We discussed her issues with drooling which have improved greatly, but still are not gone totally.  They feel she has gingivitis and needs antibiotics again.  She had just finished a round prior to us adopting her, but will receive more next week.  They suggested a liquid to buy which goes into her drinking water to help remove plaque.  And they also told us that she's overweight, which we are aware of and are working on.  Since Clyde and I are both former fatties, we understand the need to trim the fat to help aging joints stay healthy.  Those of you that don't already know, we have both had weight loss surgery years ago.  Mine was gastric bypass surgery and his was the adjustable gastric band.  We both personally fight the battle of the bulge on a daily basis.

Today we also discovered that our sweet, loving doberWoman likes to lunge at big, dominant type of dogs like herself.  She's been ok walking around the neighborhood encountering other dogs but today tried to attack one at the vets office.  Turns out the dogs owner is a massage therapist we know and used a few months back.  On the way home we stopped to visit a friend and introduced her to his rottweiler, which also didn't go well.  But since she will be a neighbor of ours once we move, we will have them meet again under more calm conditions. 

Headed into La Chorrera to buy some produce from the roadside stands now.  Might just have to splurge on dinner out before heading back home.  Wherever we go, whatever we do.....no matter how mundane it may be..... we'll be sure to tell you all about it here..........along the gringo trail.