Monthly Archives: January 2018

Hospital arrival and first day

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I was told to arrive at noon today. Which I did. But last time here I neglected to take a picture of this directional board with all its colors. There are building depictions on the sides and on the floors everywhere are colored arrrows to help you find your way.
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They checked me in with much paperwork. Then I arrived in my room. It is a semi-private room and has a curtain on one side only and is very much like a US hospital. I guess it depends on the hospital. This one has nearly everything. There is toilet paper. At lunch there was plastic cutlery. There is a small shared TV. But tonight for dinner I did not have a spoon for the broth I was allowed. So I used the one I brought. They don’t provide water.

My roommate was in bad pain and I spent the afternoon listening to her cry and her husband calling for nurses. They tried a few different things none of which worked. Finally she got morphine. She’s eating and blabbing on the phone tonight. I hope they manage my pain OK. Now her husband has gotten his lawn chair and cushions and a blanket to spend the night. I had hoped it would not be necessary for me. Crossing my fingers. Poor Luther has no lawn chair.

The time is now.

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Well, tomorrow is the day. I go into the hospital at noon. I have no idea what I will be doing all afternoon since the preliminary tests are finished. I guess I’ll find out.

During the last two weeks since my pre-operative tests I’ve talked to a lot of people who have told me their experiences which all differ from one another.

In an effort to get some correct information on what to expect we visited Dotoressa Mommi, our primary care doctor. She told me the length of the hospital stay depended on how I was doing. She did tell me a little about the PT process. We have to wait until I return home then we can set something up. I’ll get instructions from the hospital for Mommi to help move forward for us. It is possible to have home visits for a while. But emphasis is that I get out of the house ASAP. The stairs are a problem. I guess we will just have to trust the system.

Going to an Italian Hospital is NOT anything like going to an American hospital. All the information I’ve gleaned so far says I will be in a ward. There are no curtains or privacy. The nurses do not provide much assistance for things like a drink of water, or help going to the bathroom. It is expected that a friend or relative will stay with you. Another difference here is that the hospital provides nothing for your stay. No water or toilet paper, you even have to bring your own cutlery, plate, cup and glass! Here is my suitcase in packing process.
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And, for a bit of good news, they finally removed all the scaffolding from the Comune building across from us. It is quite striking with its bright yellow paint and white trim, new copper gutters and downspouts and earthquake stabilization. The interior is gutted so I have no idea when that part will be even started. Maybe it will wait until the new government in town comes in. So now, I can again see the piazza. Here’s the building from our window.
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Knee surgery scheduled

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About 6 months ago, I told you I needed surgery here in Italy. Non-emergency surgery can sometimes be a long wait, as it was in my case. I got a call last week from the hospital…at long last…to schedule my knee replacement surgery. My first appointment was today, for pre-op tests.

Well, I’m back from my tests. It went well for the most part. Ospidale Silvestrini sits commandingly on top of a hill south of Perugia city. It is the University hospital, so a teaching hospital. The hospital is ENORMOUS. And a VERY busy place. We were to go to the Segretario Ortopedica. Luther looked it up and the instructions said to go to a parking lot called Menghini and find a specific door. The place has multiple buildings connected with enclosed walkways. Our building was A, third floor.

It was 7:50am and our appointment was for eight. We got there and saw a door with the correct sign and walked past a whole room of people waiting and down a hall to the Segretario’s office. Asking permission he invited us in. Suddenly, all the people in the waiting room seemed to swarm the room but he told them to wait. Seems he had no appointment for me. But I was lucky, and he was helpful. Once we told him we had a surgery date and he looked in that book and there I was, he moved to fix it. He called down for my blood work and we went down to building P.

It was a pretty long walk. There, room 17, our destination, had an open door. We asked to come in giving our name and they seemed to be expecting us. Again the waiting room was full. I was feeling we were jumping the line! There was a man and a woman there. He took my blood, she did pulse and BP. They gave me a form to fill out with my history and a number and we returned to the waiting room. I filled out the forms and my turn came and I went in to see a young anesthesiologist. He was nice and even tried a little English. He asked questions and answered mine. A little disturbing is that I may get an epidural only along with mega tranquilizers, so not a general. Man! I hope I don’t wake during the operation!

Next we went to radiology and got a number. Everywhere we went was busy but here was the busiest. They are just next to the Pronto Soccorso or emergency room. When I was called I went down and got a chest X-ray first and my knee second. The chest was because I told them I used to smoke when they asked if I had. And how much. But wow, I quit nearly 40 years ago. But still…X-ray. So all was finito and we headed home. It took about 2.5 hours. All in all, I’d say the hospital was as good as anything in the US. This is reassuring. Everyone was very nice, and patient with my Italian. I’m crossing my fingers the intervento will be as good. I am scheduled to go in two weeks for the intervento, or operation.
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My friend Angela here (I grew my corn at her place last summer) has a friend named Quintino. She calls him Quinto. I knew he brought wood to her house to split. He’d also leave it there. So I asked if he’d need a spot of work to bring me wood. Well he did, back in December and he would not take the money I offered! Un regalo, a gift he said. I said no, no carrying it all up here, and believe me, it’s heavy! So I asked Angela about how to pay him and she said block his way and make him take it. I got some more this week and this time I made him take it. He didn’t want to because I was a friend of Angela’s. Now I have way more wood than I need.🙂 oh well. Rocky has decided he LOVES fires. And Quinto even brought me olive wood. He said it was for carne…meat when I cook.

So last night I tried out the olive wood. Smooth bark and small in size, it pops like firecrackers are going off in the house. So far this has not fazed Rocky. I grilled one of the good steaks we get at Etrusco in Bosco, a town south of us. It turned out very good and I had a nice, warm kitchen.