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Moving to Cuenca

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DonMax
  9/4/2015 20:59 EST

My wife and I are planning our early retirement in Cuenca. We visited Cuenca this year and decided to move there in 2016. I have two questions for those who live in Cuenca.

1. Insulin
I am type 1 diabetic and insulin dependent. I currently use Novolog 70/30 Flexpen. Is Novolog (or Humalog) easily accessible in Cuenca? What is the cost associated with Novolog (or Humalog)? In US, a box of 5 pens cost around $500 without health insurance.

2. Rental with a dog
We plan to rent an apartment in Cuenca but have a male golden retriever (age 5). Is it easy to find an apartment that allows us to have him?

Thank you in advance,
Max

SWIRLZ
  9/5/2015 08:45 EST

I can only answer the second half of your question re dogs: yes, there are apartments/houses that rent to dog owners....but...as you would expect, they are harder to find and typically a little more costly. Typically newcomers move two or three times the first year for various reasons as they learn the lay of the land so keep your options open and you will find the right place given time.

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withoutego
  9/6/2015 03:59 EST

Sir,
Do an archive search for the question on insulin. It is bound to have come up before.

sinego

OceanHideaway
  9/6/2015 13:17 EST

About diabetes in Ecuador ...generally.

Type 2 Diabetes is recognized as one of the most serious health problems in indigenous and mixed indigenous communities throughout the planet.

In Ecuador alone there are indications of over a half million with diabetes type 2 with probably less than 20% diagnosed .

http://www.telegrafo.com.ec/sociedad/item/oms-en-ecuador-hay-500-mil-enfermos-de-diabetes.html


So the good news is it is a disease that is recognized here.

The downside however is -- this is a developing country and access to medication is not up there with 1st world countries.

Insulin is available -- how many types and varieties will differ depending on where you are in the country...

How it is delivered will be different ... also depending on what companies provide medication through what means.

And you are in a different country --meaning contracts with distributors can and will change depending on embargos, treaties, and of course civil unrest.

This is the reality of living in a Ecuador...nothing is written in stone, everything changes ...and your experience can and will be different than someone else. There are no guarantees and no warranties and no "do-overs".

When coming to another country -- you take a big chance -- with your health, and yes with your dogs too.

This is not like moving to another state in the USA -- it is not as facile as it is made out to be.

windshadow
  9/7/2015 12:00 EST

DonMax,
Sorry I can't help with the diabetes but I would like to take a second and comment about your dog.
Renting an apartment with a large dog, or even any dog, will present challenges to you. Having said that, I would suggest you just accept that it will be more difficult and bring your little buddy with you. We pet owners make a commitment for life to our four legged children. In my opinion, leaving one behind would haunt me forever.

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