Seeing a move to Mexico as a leg-up on the economy, boomers see Mexico as a place where they can live a better quality life and afford to retire early while they still have a full head of steam for enjoying life. They can see themselves taking their laptops and moving to where they can slow down.

The 2nd largest land developer in the world, Homex, has plans to develop 22 designer communities in Mexico in popular destinations. Some developments, like, Las Villas de Mexico, will offer membership benefits that include a certain amount of free urgent care and preventative care. In addition, there will be a focus on neighborhood culture.

"Since in a brand new development we can't talk to the neighbors, we want to know what a developer can tell us about what they are doing to support a community culture; like a community center or an arts commission, or even a theater either being built or already available in the accessible town culture," said Kate Grinnell a Seattleite who recently attended a "Retire in Mexico" dinner presentation in Bellevue, Washington.

The attention that night was on a particular location in the coveted Cabo San Lucas area; homes in a brand new planned community, and according to the promoter, "going for the early 1990's prices".  Those who love the California lifestyle are finding the ocean-side developments along Baja very appealing in terms of amenities; country-club living at American middle class prices.

Grinnell's comments were typical of other guests who were swapped stories and experiences around the dinner tables. Several guests said they have been considering living in Mexico for many years and travel there often.

"We met this guy who was disabled, and a retired lawyer living in a beautiful home in Baja," said Grinnell. "He was in a wheel chair and I said to him 'forgive me for asking but it must be very difficult for you living with a disability in Mexico because they just don't have the wheelchair accessible accouterments in Mexico we have in the U.S."

"And he said to me, 'Are you kidding me? I live like a king here'. He said he had a guy who drives for him and practically carries him anywhere that he can't get with his wheelchair," said Grinnell, "and he explained that, besides the housing and taxes, service is so inexpensive in Mexico that you can live like a king."

"The point of living in Mexico is that you can live very well on not a lot of money and to me that is the main point," said Grinnell, "and also that you can make friends easily in whatever community you live in."

Grinnell contrasted the "neighborly" atmosphere of expat communities she's visited in Mexico to the experience of her friends who live part time in the Palm Springs area and part time in Mexico.

"They have owned their condo in Cathedral City longer but they know no one there," exclaimed Grinnell", "They have no social life there so they go to their place in Mexico every other week and have the most glorious time down there with all their friends; all really interesting people!"

"That was my other point," she said, "I think the people who even think about leaving the United States, for a retirement community abroad or for any extended stay, are just more interesting people. That's just how I feel about it."

The world is flat when it comes to opportunities for consumers shopping for better and more affordable healthcare.  in 2007, approximately 750,000 Americans traveled outbound for medical care.  But the trend is global. 

This podcast is the first hand account of Rajeeve Rameth, a resident of the UK, as he explains having his surgery done in India.

What the news media is portraying is ignoring the experience of the majority of American expats, snowbirds, and travelers who report such a different picture as to make them question whether thereâs a political agenda behind the reporting, and theyâd like it if the media dogs were called off.  How would you like it if the only news broadcast about your favorite places focused on national police blotter coverage? 

For example, the same knee surgery involving an anterior cruciate ligament costing over $10,000 in the States will cost $5,500 in Canadian dollars, according to Centre founder and Clinic Director, Dr. Mark Godley, MB ChB, FRCPC.

Larry & Shelia Hakim, a Detroit couple in their early 50âs were enjoying a skiing holiday when the worst happened â from the standpoint of ruining a vacation.  The fourth day into their vacation on January 27th, Larry had a skiing accident that resulted in an emergency surgery situation.

Podcast is their 1st hand medical experience with a private pay hospital in Vancouver, B.C. 

To read more in depth and review recorded interview w/the founder of the private pay hospital - how US patients can expect to save 30-70% on surgical procedures, review related article "A Better Deal For US Patients In Canada" on www.traveling4health.com.

Read the article.  To research more options for living abroad and global healthcare, visit Travelingforhealth.com.

Walton, a resident of Rodeo, California, was 64 years old at the time of his diagnosis.  Since then he has rebounded from that dismal prognosis and is retaining the richness of his life with alternative treatments that offer far less negative side effects than any of the treatments recommended by his U.S. doctors.

"It was devastating to get that diagnosis," said Walton, "It was presented by the doctor like a death sentence.  We asked him what kind of negatives would introduce at that time, and his response was, 'there's a lot of things that can happen, but you just have to understand that this is the only way that you can go.' 

All the doctor wanted to do was to surgically take out my prostate.  It was pretty much a given that after surgery I was going to be incontinent and impotent." 

"Prostate cancer is devastating to a male because it attacks the male testosterone and the male physiology and consequently that's all devastating mentally as well as the physical problems," said Walton, "Men in their late 70's and 80's may have only slight sexual urges.  But when you're in your 50's and 60's and still virile, it's absolutely devastating."

The Walton's researched alternative treatments, insisting on referrals to physicians specializing in Brachytherapy seed implantation and radiation.  "Because of my Gleason number, I was told I was not a candidate for seed implantation" so I started radiation treatments.   At no time did any of the doctors we saw give us any indication that there were other alternative treatments," said Walton. 

I was prescribed Lupron for about four months and the side effects were just horrendous.  "Lupron has tremendously negative side effects for men.  The side effects are that you lose bone mass, you lose muscle mass, you lose hair.  You get heavy in the hips, your breasts enlarge.  Your whole physiology changes from masculine to feminine.  It is medical castration.

I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror.  I couldn't even recognize myself.  I was also fainting so I couldn't even trust myself to drive.  I lost all kinds of energy.  It was just totally devastating.   "I joked with my wife, I said, honey "don't throw any dresses away, because you married a man but you're going to end up with a sister."

After my 40 radiation treatments my PSA had gone down and it stayed stabilized for about a year, year and a half, but then it started doubling.  We were very concerned that the cancer was returning with a vengeance.  

I woke up one morning after a sleepless night and I told my wife, "you know this is a big wide world.  In Europe, in Asia, in South America and in Canada, there must be some research going on that maybe we don't know about here in the U.S., so one of the first places we went to was WHO, The World Health Organization.  They suggested HIFU and Dendritic treatments.   

That's when the Waltons chose to travel outside the U.S. for the treatments they required.  "I could have gone to Canada, but because it was February, we chose Mexico."  Their research started by contacting HIFU in Charlotte, North Carolina.

HIFU has a contract with San Javier Hospital, Puerto Vallarta, for Dr. Morales at The IIB Clinic for Dendritic and for the HIFU procedures.  Robert Johnson, VP of Operations for HIFU, arranged everything for us including air and hotel accommodations and no-cost shuttle service daily from hotel to San Javier Hospital. 

Between my first and second trip to Mexico for Dendritic treatments I had not taken any additional medications or treatments suggested by my doctors in California.  I knew that since my PSA had been level for almost a year that it had to be due to the Dendritic treatment. 

Walton said there are clinical trials of Dendritic treatments going on in the U.S.  "I sought the opinion of Dr. Lawrence Fong, University of California San Francisco Medical Center.  He is a specialist in the Dendritic area and feels there were worthwhile clinical trials going on showing positive proof that Dendritic treatments would be a good treatment procedure for all kinds of cancer. 

Walton has made three trips to Puerto Vallarta for treatment.  Based on the predictable results, the Waltons anticipate maintaining his PSA level by making annual trips to Puerto Vallarta for the treatment.  Each trip takes about week.  The treatment procedure at IIB consists of four sessions that Walton describes in detail in a separate recorded interview. 

"The cost of the HIFU treatment was $25,000.00.  The first treatment of both HIFU and Dendritic in February 2007, cost $50,000.00.  The last two Dendritic treatments have each been approximately $13,000," said Walton.

 "At all times we were treated with the upmost respect and professionalism.  For a very difficult experience, in a strange country, everyone made us feel comfortable.  We had an English speaking interpreter with us at all times during the treatments and available 24/7 for our calls and questions" said Walton.

"I truly feel that a doctor who has signed the oath and knows that there are other treatments out there that could be extremely beneficial, and if they don't give you the information and allow you to know that and their patient dies, I think that is the most cruel thing that any doctor can do." said Walton.

In July 2008, White underwent stem cell therapy at the IIB Clinic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  "I was headed for a wheel chair when I arrived in Mexico," said White.  "In order to walk I had to have a cane in one hand and a person on the other. 

White related that his father, who suffered from Parkinson's disease' had been in a wheel chair for a couple of years before he passed away, "and I didn't want that to happen to me so I took a chance on stem cell therapy.  It was kind of scary," he admits. 

According to White, the stem cell therapy consisted of taking bone marrow out of his legs for five days and then re-injecting marrow back into his body.  "They never used a knife," said White, "They used needles and I had local anesthesia for both operations.  I never felt a thing." 

"They kept me in intensive care for a day and a night just to be on the safe side," said White, "the whole treatment took about two weeks.

White said Dr. Raul Morales thoroughly explained everything about the procedure to him and to his wife.  "Dr. Morales had a team of four or five doctors, and they checked me out beforehand from head to toe, including my heart," said White.

After two weeks of stem cell therapy, White's leg bones were strong enough to walk on his own.  "Now I can walk without help and without a cane," said White.  The cost was $23,500.00

To research more options for living abroad and global healthcare options, visit Travelingforhealth.