The alarm was set for 6:20am. We were going to drive to Paola to get the super fast freccia argento train. It would only take 3 and a half hours to reach the centre of Rome. At about 5.30 we heard bel marito's mothers heavy footsteps running down the stairs. She tapped on our door and whispered "it's snowing!" What!! It can't be snowing, it wasn't snowing when we went to bed and snow equals possibly being trapped in the village unable to get out. Snowing on the morning you are set to depart is not good. We pushed open the windows and even though it was still pitch black outside the soft glow of the street light illuminated the swirling, fast falling snow. Pretty to be sure but not this morning of all mornings.
No one ever imagines their departure will be so rushed, let alone a departure so significant. We were on our way, migrating with 2 children to literally the other side of the world. We jumped out of bed, called friends who were also driving with us to the station, got dressed, woke up the sleeping bambini and hastily said goodbye to bel marito's parents. We just couldn't afford delay since when it snows here it really snows and maybe it was best for bel marito as long, drawn out good-byes can be hard. So we left Malito in flurry of snow and haste.
We got to Rome in the end with bel marito's brother and his wife in tow. They were going to help us carry our 3 massive and 2 small suitcases since I, still on crutches, am no help at all. Rushed goodbyes however followed us to the Rome airport the next day. I was given wheelchair assistance since the airport is quite large and it would take me too long to hobble on crutches from A to B. My wheelchair pushing man was in a rush when I asked if we could pause for a moment to wait for my brother and sister in law. They were flying back to Calabria but were a few minutes behind us with the security check. No, my wheelchair pushing man could not wait he had to get me through passport control as soon as possible. What to do, what to do? I told bel marito that he could wait with bel bambino and say goodbye and that I, with bella bambina strapped to me in her baby bjorn would go and wait for them in the lounge. I was sorry to not say goodbye but it was best that they lag behind since my impatient wheelchair pushing man was practically pushing me off mid way through conversation. My plan would have been a good plan had it not been for the small fact that I had forgotten about bella bambina's passport mistake. Do you remember my post where I explained that my name had stupidly been left off her passport and that I legally am not permitted to fly alone with her? Hope you remember the post cause I sure as hell didn't.
So here I was, sitting in my wheelchair looking anxiously over my shoulder when a passport controller comes out of his office to talk to me. He was agitated, rightly so as he presumed he had a disabled woman trying to kidnap a baby in front of him. "We have a problem with the passports," he told me. "Ahh, yes of course! My daughter's passport has a mistake. I know that there is no mention of me on her passport but they made a mistake." I kept glancing over my shoulder and must have looked like an insane, mentally unstable kidnapper. "Are you travelling alone?" "No, my husband and son are with me." "I can't see them." "they're over there." I point over to security but there were so many people walking around it was difficult to make them out. "See that man with the blue jacket and the little boy in the pram? That's them." Good on them for wearing plain, don't stand at all out in a crowd clothes. "I don't see them. I cannot let you pass." "Well I didn't want to pass but this man (indicating the wheelchair pushing man) said that I could not wait to say goodbye to my sister and brother in law." I really wasn't making any sense. "So they are going with you?" "Yes." "Not your husband." "No, yes, what?" I was terribly confused. "So you are going alone." "No, I am just alone now. I just want to go and wait in the lounge alone. Look I know that I cannot pass without my husband but he is over there. He wants to say goodbye to his brother because we are migrating to Australia with our 2 children." I was making no sense as I started rattling off my life story. The passport controller was starting to sweat and the wheelchair pushing man was getting impatient. I started waving which made me seem even more crazy than before. I had to get bel marito's attention. Thankfully, through the crowds of people we made eye contact and I frantically tried to yell out to him. Just as his brother and wife joined his side I started making strange hand gestures trying to explain long distance my predicament. Thanks to the wheelchair pushing man and his unexplainable hurry, my husband had to hastily say goodbye to his brother and his wife, had to come and convince the passport controller that I was not a crazy kidnapper but that I was his wife and we were travelling as a party of 4, not 2. All I could do was wave to my sister and brother in law. I didn't even get to say goodbye.
So in a mad rush we left Italy. That ladies and gentlemen is it. This blog started with a single 27 year old girl arriving in Italy to live her dream. 6.5 years later a (just turned) 34 year old girl leaves Italy behind with her Italian husband and 2 Italian born children by her side. The dream over time changed, the original dream had been brought to life and now it's time for our new dream to begin. So is it goodbye or hello? Will you hear from me again or not. Only time will tell.
Tuesday 18 December 2012
Saturday 1 December 2012
Another Italian hospital
Italy is a topsy turvy place to live. Let me start by saying that if you are ever going to get sick in Calabria or get hit by a range rover when you are 35 weeks pregnant then you want to be near Catanzaro NOT Cosenza. You want to be near Germaneto and their university hospital to be precise.
We went there 2 weeks ago and from the start something was not quite right. We drove about 50 minutes south of here to the Germaneto university hospital in Catanzaro for bel bambino's appointment. He had been a patient here for 5 days in between being a patient in Cosenza. The hospital is rather new and bel bambino was sent there because they have the speciality unit which could look after his fractured jaw. Before this hospital opened the closest hospital with this unit was in Bari, Puglia so thankfully bel marito and bel bambino did not have to go that far to be looked after.
As we arrived I thought bel marito must have taken a wrong turn. We were in front of an exceptionally large, art house looking building full of yellow columns, outdoor emergency iron stairs, big glass windows - not your typical hospital. We walked in and upon looking for our department on the clear wall signage I was shocked my Italian had improved so much that I understood random, complex medical terms. Hang on though, I was reading in English! The signs around the entire hospital were written in Italian, English and Arabic. This hospital was strange. Was it really a hospital? Something was just wrong. I was dying to pee and worried that first I wouldn't be able to find the toilets and then when I did they would be disgusting. I found them with no problem and shock horror they were clean, there was actually a toilet seat (most Italian public toilets don't have toilet seats, even in restaurants it is hard to find a toilet seat,) and there was toilet paper and soap. If you have never been in an Italian public or even private toilet then let me tell you toilet seats, paper and soap (also a functioning hand dryer) are not the norm.
Pleased with the toilet, yet still skeptical about the hospital we set off to find the doctor only to be accosted in the operational lift by an overly friendly man who wanted to help direct us to the correct floor. I didn't know which was stranger - the functioning lift or a helpful hospital employee. When it was our turn to visit the doctor (who greeted bel bambino by name since he is a small celebrity in that hospital) we were ushered into a nice, new looking room and the nurse and student nurse both gushed all over him, and me to be honest (everyone there knows about our accident.)
After a pain free (but not tear free) visit we were hit with dread at the thought of having to get not only a copy of bel bambino's CAT scan but also copies of his hospital files. Bel marito had already made the request and made payment before our visit but dealing with an Italian administration department is never easy. We went up to an office which oddly was smoke free...(It is almost mandatory for staff to smoke in their smoke free environments. When we went to the questura for bella bambina's passport there were cigarette butts on the floor and a man smoking in the corridor.) Upon seeing me walk in with 2 crutches and bella bambina strapped to me in the baby bjorn two female employees practically started fighting over who could offer me their chair first. On the spot they gave bel marito a copy of the CAT scan and while we were telling them about the accident they keep giving bel bambino lollies. We had to go downstairs to get the hospital charts but wait - the lady was on the phone calling the admin department making sure the documents were ready and hang on, what was she doing now...she was asking that they be brought upstairs to us!
This is just crazy, I thought.What is going on? It must be a trick. "No, don't worry, we've got to pass the administration office on the way out so we can get the paper work" bel marito said not wanting to put these people out. We got up to leave after having met nearly the entire floor since everyone wanted to see bella bambina. The ladies kept calling out to who ever would listen that there were 2 cute babies in the room and they just had to come and see (half of the people already knew bel bambino.) As we tried to escape, with lollies and squeals of 'how beautiful' being thrown around a woman came and pushed something into our hands...bel bambino's hospital charts which had miraculously been brought upstairs to us.
We left feeling like B grade celebrities and I must say I was more than a little bit jealous that I could not have spent my 17 day hospital stay here. I felt better though when bel marito told me they don't have an orthopaedic ward so I couldn't have come there even if I wanted to.
I hope the rest of the country takes after this hospital!
We went there 2 weeks ago and from the start something was not quite right. We drove about 50 minutes south of here to the Germaneto university hospital in Catanzaro for bel bambino's appointment. He had been a patient here for 5 days in between being a patient in Cosenza. The hospital is rather new and bel bambino was sent there because they have the speciality unit which could look after his fractured jaw. Before this hospital opened the closest hospital with this unit was in Bari, Puglia so thankfully bel marito and bel bambino did not have to go that far to be looked after.
As we arrived I thought bel marito must have taken a wrong turn. We were in front of an exceptionally large, art house looking building full of yellow columns, outdoor emergency iron stairs, big glass windows - not your typical hospital. We walked in and upon looking for our department on the clear wall signage I was shocked my Italian had improved so much that I understood random, complex medical terms. Hang on though, I was reading in English! The signs around the entire hospital were written in Italian, English and Arabic. This hospital was strange. Was it really a hospital? Something was just wrong. I was dying to pee and worried that first I wouldn't be able to find the toilets and then when I did they would be disgusting. I found them with no problem and shock horror they were clean, there was actually a toilet seat (most Italian public toilets don't have toilet seats, even in restaurants it is hard to find a toilet seat,) and there was toilet paper and soap. If you have never been in an Italian public or even private toilet then let me tell you toilet seats, paper and soap (also a functioning hand dryer) are not the norm.
Pleased with the toilet, yet still skeptical about the hospital we set off to find the doctor only to be accosted in the operational lift by an overly friendly man who wanted to help direct us to the correct floor. I didn't know which was stranger - the functioning lift or a helpful hospital employee. When it was our turn to visit the doctor (who greeted bel bambino by name since he is a small celebrity in that hospital) we were ushered into a nice, new looking room and the nurse and student nurse both gushed all over him, and me to be honest (everyone there knows about our accident.)
After a pain free (but not tear free) visit we were hit with dread at the thought of having to get not only a copy of bel bambino's CAT scan but also copies of his hospital files. Bel marito had already made the request and made payment before our visit but dealing with an Italian administration department is never easy. We went up to an office which oddly was smoke free...(It is almost mandatory for staff to smoke in their smoke free environments. When we went to the questura for bella bambina's passport there were cigarette butts on the floor and a man smoking in the corridor.) Upon seeing me walk in with 2 crutches and bella bambina strapped to me in the baby bjorn two female employees practically started fighting over who could offer me their chair first. On the spot they gave bel marito a copy of the CAT scan and while we were telling them about the accident they keep giving bel bambino lollies. We had to go downstairs to get the hospital charts but wait - the lady was on the phone calling the admin department making sure the documents were ready and hang on, what was she doing now...she was asking that they be brought upstairs to us!
This is just crazy, I thought.What is going on? It must be a trick. "No, don't worry, we've got to pass the administration office on the way out so we can get the paper work" bel marito said not wanting to put these people out. We got up to leave after having met nearly the entire floor since everyone wanted to see bella bambina. The ladies kept calling out to who ever would listen that there were 2 cute babies in the room and they just had to come and see (half of the people already knew bel bambino.) As we tried to escape, with lollies and squeals of 'how beautiful' being thrown around a woman came and pushed something into our hands...bel bambino's hospital charts which had miraculously been brought upstairs to us.
We left feeling like B grade celebrities and I must say I was more than a little bit jealous that I could not have spent my 17 day hospital stay here. I felt better though when bel marito told me they don't have an orthopaedic ward so I couldn't have come there even if I wanted to.
I hope the rest of the country takes after this hospital!
Sunday 25 November 2012
Passports for babies...in Cosenza
Last week we went to get bella bambina her Italian passport. She isn't Australian yet so needs to have an Italian passport to enter Australia (which reminds me I must get her an Australian tourist visa...) This should be rather straight forward but we all know that nothing runs smoothly here. Italy is a country which embraces change but doesn't like to advise you of these changes.
Bel marito went to the questura to get a passport application the week before but obviously they had run out and obviously they couldn't print one off the internet (their applications are always photocopies so it's easy enough to do.) He diligently went home, printed a form and completed it, payed the fees and off we went with baby in tow to get her passport sorted.
"We need her residency identity card," the female police officer said - she wanted bella bambina's carta d'identita.
"Umm, why?" we asked. "We got our son a passport last December and we didn't need his residency card. Furthermore I got my Italian passport without being a resident. You don't need to be a resident to be a citizen."
"The law has changed since then. We need her i.d card."
Bel marito was getting annoyed and said "I printed the application off the internet and there was nothing written anywhere on your website saying we need her i.d card!"
"Ah, really? It seems the website has not been updated."
Luckily we just so happened to be in the process of getting bella bambina an i.d card. Not that she needed one, no one else gets i.d cards for their children, but we thought that since bel bambino had one it would be a nice keep sake for her. Huffing and puffing we went back home. How can they change the law and not even write this on the internet?
2 days later we went back to the police station with documents in hand.
"I need a photo copy of your i.d cards." the male police officer said.
"Oh, I didn't realise you needed a copy, where can we get one?" bel marito asked, thinking they would just photo copy them there and charge us if needs be.
"There is a photo copy place 100 metres down the road."
Annoyed bel marito went off. We were already angry that we had to waste another morning in Cosenza which was no fault of ours. We had bel bambino and bella bambina in tow and me on crutches is no help at all. While bel marito was off with bel bambino getting copies I completed the paper work.
"Do you want us to include permission that either you or your husband can travel alone with the baby?"
"Yes that would be great. I don't mind if he travels without me and vice versa."
"Ok sign here and when your husband gets back I'll get him to sign too."
This week we went to pick up the passport and of course there was something wrong. Bel marito and I had a look at the passport in the car and it only had his name printed in the section of authorised people to travel with the baby. "Maybe the mother is automatically included to travel with the child and the father needs just his name written," guessed bel marito. "But I have a different surname to you 3 so if anyones name needs to be printed it's the mothers not the fathers."I said (Italian women don't change their name after marriage. I never had intentions to change my name so that suited me fine.) We decided to wait until we got home and checked bel bambino's passport and low and behold he has both our names printed. So now I cannot travel alone with bella bambina, bel marito must always be with me or else it is illegal for me to take her! It is like I am a mother without custody or something. How foolish can they be since it was me who spoke to the police officer and me who first signed the form. Now I cannot even go anywhere alone (not that I have intentions too but that's beside the point.) We are going back to the police station on Wednesday to ask them if they can fix it. If not it's not the end of the world as she will get an Australian passport soon so I can travel with her on that and then if we want to travel in Europe we can use our i.d cards...not that I am going to travel alone but it is the principal or the matter. I will let you know how it goes on Wednesday.
Bel marito went to the questura to get a passport application the week before but obviously they had run out and obviously they couldn't print one off the internet (their applications are always photocopies so it's easy enough to do.) He diligently went home, printed a form and completed it, payed the fees and off we went with baby in tow to get her passport sorted.
"We need her residency identity card," the female police officer said - she wanted bella bambina's carta d'identita.
"Umm, why?" we asked. "We got our son a passport last December and we didn't need his residency card. Furthermore I got my Italian passport without being a resident. You don't need to be a resident to be a citizen."
"The law has changed since then. We need her i.d card."
Bel marito was getting annoyed and said "I printed the application off the internet and there was nothing written anywhere on your website saying we need her i.d card!"
"Ah, really? It seems the website has not been updated."
Luckily we just so happened to be in the process of getting bella bambina an i.d card. Not that she needed one, no one else gets i.d cards for their children, but we thought that since bel bambino had one it would be a nice keep sake for her. Huffing and puffing we went back home. How can they change the law and not even write this on the internet?
2 days later we went back to the police station with documents in hand.
"I need a photo copy of your i.d cards." the male police officer said.
"Oh, I didn't realise you needed a copy, where can we get one?" bel marito asked, thinking they would just photo copy them there and charge us if needs be.
"There is a photo copy place 100 metres down the road."
Annoyed bel marito went off. We were already angry that we had to waste another morning in Cosenza which was no fault of ours. We had bel bambino and bella bambina in tow and me on crutches is no help at all. While bel marito was off with bel bambino getting copies I completed the paper work.
"Do you want us to include permission that either you or your husband can travel alone with the baby?"
"Yes that would be great. I don't mind if he travels without me and vice versa."
"Ok sign here and when your husband gets back I'll get him to sign too."
This week we went to pick up the passport and of course there was something wrong. Bel marito and I had a look at the passport in the car and it only had his name printed in the section of authorised people to travel with the baby. "Maybe the mother is automatically included to travel with the child and the father needs just his name written," guessed bel marito. "But I have a different surname to you 3 so if anyones name needs to be printed it's the mothers not the fathers."I said (Italian women don't change their name after marriage. I never had intentions to change my name so that suited me fine.) We decided to wait until we got home and checked bel bambino's passport and low and behold he has both our names printed. So now I cannot travel alone with bella bambina, bel marito must always be with me or else it is illegal for me to take her! It is like I am a mother without custody or something. How foolish can they be since it was me who spoke to the police officer and me who first signed the form. Now I cannot even go anywhere alone (not that I have intentions too but that's beside the point.) We are going back to the police station on Wednesday to ask them if they can fix it. If not it's not the end of the world as she will get an Australian passport soon so I can travel with her on that and then if we want to travel in Europe we can use our i.d cards...not that I am going to travel alone but it is the principal or the matter. I will let you know how it goes on Wednesday.
Saturday 17 November 2012
The countdown is on
This was meant to be our last summer in Italy. I mean to say it was our last summer in Italy since it's now autumn. If you read this blog every now and then you will recall that bel marito applied and was accepted for Australian permanent residency. Before bella bambina was born and before the accident it was planned that we would leave Italy around the end of November. She was meant to be born mid September and we had calculated the time it would take to get her Australian residency and her Australian passport thinking that by November everything would be ready and we would be right to go. Obviously we did not calculate the accident which put us back a little and made things a little more complicated. The accident however has NOT stopped us! We are all booked and set to leave Italy on the 13th of December, in order to be home in time for my birthday (16th of December) so that finally after who recalls how many years I can celebrate with my twin.
You can say that we are a little disappointed that our last Italian summer didn't exactly go as planned. Oh what high hopes we had! We were planning a little Italian seaside break the week before bella bambina was to be born (thankfully I hadn't got around to booking it), we wanted to go for more day trips and visit some of our favourite or not yet discovered places, we wanted to take bella bambina to the beach...we wanted to do a lot of things which we haven't done. I am happy to say however that bel marito and I are not people who leave things until the last minute. We managed to make it to Barcelona while bella bambina was safely asleep in my stomach and we took bel bambino to the beach most days so the summer was not entirely spent in the hospital. And we will be back for more summers. As tourists the next time.
Our trip home may be a little awkward. I am not sure if I will be on crutches since my knee - the bane of my life - is still locked. I didn't hurt my knee in the accident but had the metal rods inserted there to keep my hip still since it was fractured into a million little pieces. My knee therefore was set in place for 50 long days and they tell me it's going to take time for it to unlock and function normally. I go to the best rehab everyday, possibly the best rehab in the whole country since it is famous amongst sport stars, most of who travel from as far as Spain to get back into motion here. I will probably have to continue rehab in Melbourne but the important thing is to just get us onto that plane. So what if bella bambina has to enter on her Italian passport with a 3 month tourist visa, so what if we will have an interesting time at immigration trying to explain that! Winter is setting in, summer is awaiting us in Australia and I just want to be gone from here. We wanted to leave Italy with happy memories...we have happy memories yes along with some bad but this experience has not scarred us for life. We will be back, maybe before we had hoped since we have an ongoing insurance case which is a story in itself...but much to the fear of the locals this accident will not stop us from returning - for a holiday. And this blog is not finished yet.
Our trip home may be a little awkward. I am not sure if I will be on crutches since my knee - the bane of my life - is still locked. I didn't hurt my knee in the accident but had the metal rods inserted there to keep my hip still since it was fractured into a million little pieces. My knee therefore was set in place for 50 long days and they tell me it's going to take time for it to unlock and function normally. I go to the best rehab everyday, possibly the best rehab in the whole country since it is famous amongst sport stars, most of who travel from as far as Spain to get back into motion here. I will probably have to continue rehab in Melbourne but the important thing is to just get us onto that plane. So what if bella bambina has to enter on her Italian passport with a 3 month tourist visa, so what if we will have an interesting time at immigration trying to explain that! Winter is setting in, summer is awaiting us in Australia and I just want to be gone from here. We wanted to leave Italy with happy memories...we have happy memories yes along with some bad but this experience has not scarred us for life. We will be back, maybe before we had hoped since we have an ongoing insurance case which is a story in itself...but much to the fear of the locals this accident will not stop us from returning - for a holiday. And this blog is not finished yet.
Sunday 21 October 2012
Pain relief in Italy
Finally, after 50 days of being bedridden with nuts and bolts holding my broken bits in place, on the 10th of October I paid a visit to the horrid hospital and had my iron rods all removed. Bel bambino did too so now one hurdle is over and it is almost time to begin the next - the rehabilitation road to recovery. Our hospital experience obviously had some hurdles as you cannot think that our visit would have gone smoothly. First my private ambulance arrived 1 hour late after fake claims of traffic but in reality I think they forgot until I called to ask their whereabouts. Bel marito had already gone ahead in the car with bel bambino since he had to be lightly sedated to have his iron rods removed.
Once arrived in the hospital we went to the orthopaedic ward and took our number and just had to wait. Things here in Italy work a lot on who you know. If you know someone then things go your way, if you don't know anyone then you have to wait a long, long time. Thankfully we know someone. No, don't get it into your head that we are chummy with the local mafia or anything like that. Bel marito's cousin is a very high up doctor who knows all of the medical profession and had already helped us numerous times when we had problems in the hospital. Our sister in law's uncle is also one of the orthopaedic doctors in this hospital so at least we were given a little bit of attention. This public hospital, well this ward of the public hospital as I have said before is rather bad. Word is that it's going to close down soon...I hope this is true. And it was bad the day that we were there.
Thankfully the nice doctor who had removed the iron rods in my leg the week before was there again to remove the iron rods from my hip. He saw us waiting in the corridor (you couldn't miss me lying in my ambulance stretcher bed just occupying space in the corridor) and came over to chat. I had been led to believe that the removal of iron rods which are deeply wedged into you hips can be painful to remove without some sort of pain relief. Pain relief is not big in Italy, even in the maternity ward there is no such thing as gas to numb the pain of child birth and epidurals can be requested but are never guaranteed. I had to ask numerous, millions of times for something to numb the pain in my broken ribs since I couldn't even breathe properly when I was on the orthopaedic ward. I didn't want hard drugs, just paracetamol and only got it when after being refused by the entire nursing staff my sister in laws uncle came in and swiftly told them to give me one!
That morning, whilst waiting in the corridor I asked the doctor if I could have pain relief and he said I could be gently sedated while the rods were removed - the same they were going to do with bel bambino. I was so happy that I calmly waited for news. They told me I had to wait for a space to become available in the operating theatre and I was more than happy to wait. Bel bambino was not with me as he and bel marito were having problems of their own. They had been sent for more, unnecessary x-rays and then the nurse lost his entire hospital file. He came up to see me briefly, started to cry obviously when he saw his mummy lying on a strange bed in the strange hospital hallway and then cried a lot more when the nurses and doctors started yelling in front of him about the lost paperwork.
Once bel bambino was whisked away the nice doctor came and told me that sorry, I could not be sedated as there was no room in the operating theatre so I was going to have my bolts pulled out just like that. I had been envisioning my pain free rod removal procedure so you can imagine that I was, ah, let's say a little worried about the pain to come. It was not the doctors fault as the chief who was the one who had done my operation, who is a little odd I guess you can say, refused to let me have pain relief since he said that I would feel no pain so there was no need... When I said I was worried it was an understatement as I started to cry like a crazy person in the corridor and had to be consoled by my ambulance driver. (Here when you pay for a private ambulance they have to stay with you the whole time as who else is going to wheel the ambulance bed around the hospital? Luckily I had already had these two ambulance men before and they were young and not bad looking either which always helps.)
Since I was crying like a mad woman and since the doctor knew the people who I knew he kindly offered to pull out the rods immediately. I was number 21 after all and he had only just finished with number 4. I was given dirty looks as he ushered me into the room but who cares! The nice ambulance man let me hold his hand and the nice doctor tried to distract me making me talk about Australia. I am sure the ambulance man lost feeling in his hand and when it came for the last, most painful rod I had to also grab the hand of my sister in laws mother who had accompanied me to the hospital. I probably scared all the people waiting outside of the door with my screams. I was rather controlled though as didn't want to scream, but a few little yelps escaped my mouth. Before I knew it we were done and it was time to leave the hospital iron rod free.
I called bel marito who was with bel bambino. His visit to the day hospital to be slightly sedated didn't happen and he too had to have his leg rods yanked out pain relief free. Can you believe it. A 20 month old baby with iron rods in his leg, iron rods which had been there for 50 days, had to have them removed without being sedated...without ANYTHING. They gave the same excuse about there being no room in the operating room and poor bel marito had to help hold a screaming bel bambino down.
Finally though, we got home bolt free. Here you really, really have to try and look on the bright side. Now what's next - I thought.
Once arrived in the hospital we went to the orthopaedic ward and took our number and just had to wait. Things here in Italy work a lot on who you know. If you know someone then things go your way, if you don't know anyone then you have to wait a long, long time. Thankfully we know someone. No, don't get it into your head that we are chummy with the local mafia or anything like that. Bel marito's cousin is a very high up doctor who knows all of the medical profession and had already helped us numerous times when we had problems in the hospital. Our sister in law's uncle is also one of the orthopaedic doctors in this hospital so at least we were given a little bit of attention. This public hospital, well this ward of the public hospital as I have said before is rather bad. Word is that it's going to close down soon...I hope this is true. And it was bad the day that we were there.
Thankfully the nice doctor who had removed the iron rods in my leg the week before was there again to remove the iron rods from my hip. He saw us waiting in the corridor (you couldn't miss me lying in my ambulance stretcher bed just occupying space in the corridor) and came over to chat. I had been led to believe that the removal of iron rods which are deeply wedged into you hips can be painful to remove without some sort of pain relief. Pain relief is not big in Italy, even in the maternity ward there is no such thing as gas to numb the pain of child birth and epidurals can be requested but are never guaranteed. I had to ask numerous, millions of times for something to numb the pain in my broken ribs since I couldn't even breathe properly when I was on the orthopaedic ward. I didn't want hard drugs, just paracetamol and only got it when after being refused by the entire nursing staff my sister in laws uncle came in and swiftly told them to give me one!
That morning, whilst waiting in the corridor I asked the doctor if I could have pain relief and he said I could be gently sedated while the rods were removed - the same they were going to do with bel bambino. I was so happy that I calmly waited for news. They told me I had to wait for a space to become available in the operating theatre and I was more than happy to wait. Bel bambino was not with me as he and bel marito were having problems of their own. They had been sent for more, unnecessary x-rays and then the nurse lost his entire hospital file. He came up to see me briefly, started to cry obviously when he saw his mummy lying on a strange bed in the strange hospital hallway and then cried a lot more when the nurses and doctors started yelling in front of him about the lost paperwork.
Once bel bambino was whisked away the nice doctor came and told me that sorry, I could not be sedated as there was no room in the operating theatre so I was going to have my bolts pulled out just like that. I had been envisioning my pain free rod removal procedure so you can imagine that I was, ah, let's say a little worried about the pain to come. It was not the doctors fault as the chief who was the one who had done my operation, who is a little odd I guess you can say, refused to let me have pain relief since he said that I would feel no pain so there was no need... When I said I was worried it was an understatement as I started to cry like a crazy person in the corridor and had to be consoled by my ambulance driver. (Here when you pay for a private ambulance they have to stay with you the whole time as who else is going to wheel the ambulance bed around the hospital? Luckily I had already had these two ambulance men before and they were young and not bad looking either which always helps.)
Since I was crying like a mad woman and since the doctor knew the people who I knew he kindly offered to pull out the rods immediately. I was number 21 after all and he had only just finished with number 4. I was given dirty looks as he ushered me into the room but who cares! The nice ambulance man let me hold his hand and the nice doctor tried to distract me making me talk about Australia. I am sure the ambulance man lost feeling in his hand and when it came for the last, most painful rod I had to also grab the hand of my sister in laws mother who had accompanied me to the hospital. I probably scared all the people waiting outside of the door with my screams. I was rather controlled though as didn't want to scream, but a few little yelps escaped my mouth. Before I knew it we were done and it was time to leave the hospital iron rod free.
I called bel marito who was with bel bambino. His visit to the day hospital to be slightly sedated didn't happen and he too had to have his leg rods yanked out pain relief free. Can you believe it. A 20 month old baby with iron rods in his leg, iron rods which had been there for 50 days, had to have them removed without being sedated...without ANYTHING. They gave the same excuse about there being no room in the operating room and poor bel marito had to help hold a screaming bel bambino down.
Finally though, we got home bolt free. Here you really, really have to try and look on the bright side. Now what's next - I thought.
Sunday 30 September 2012
How to find your stolen car in Italy
What I am about to tell you is all true. It will seem far fetched considering what you have read in past posts, but I can assure you that as unbelievable as it sounds, it is all true.
We had just managed to get bel bambino to sleep, it was Monday evening about 9pm and we were still in hospital. We had had a bad day since we had been told that we could go home on Monday (which turned into Tuesday which turned into Wednesday) and here we were still in hospital. Bel marito had left our car parked in the hospital car park and to save a few euros overnight he moved it into the street which was free to park in after 8pm.
The next morning, nice and early bel marito went outside to move the car back into the car park only to find that it wasn't there. He was in shock, he was angry and a man came up to him to ask what the problem was. He explained that the car had been here but someone had obviously stolen it. The man asked for bel marito's phone number and said he would see if he could find it.
Bel marito came back to the hospital furious as this was the last thing we needed. We were due to leave hospital the next day but how could we leave with no car? (ok, well I had to leave in an ambulance since I am immobile but bel bambino and bella bambina had to go in the car.) He started making phone calls, not to the police but to friends and relatives who may be able to help. You readers are probably like me, ignorant when it comes to stolen cars in Cosenza (not sure about the rest of the country.) Let me tell you how things work.
Many, many cars especially the Fiat Panda and Punto are stolen since they are common and easy to break into (we have a Panda.) The cars are stolen by gypsies or Italian thugs but normally gypsies. They then get into contact with you and tell you how much money they want in return for the car. If you accept the request and pay them then a time and place is arranged. You give a third party the money and then go to the pick up point and find your car waiting for you. If you refuse to pay them you will never see your car again and they apparently break it up and sell it for parts.
If you are an ignorant, stubborn foreigner like me, you will be asking yourselves - why not go to the carabinieri? Report the car stolen, tell them of the pick up point and get them to go with you undercover. Get them to question the third person who takes the money and make some arrests! No. No such luck since cars are stolen all the time and obviously - according to me - there is someone on the inside, a carabinieri or someone involved.
The man who had asked for bel marito's phone number is an example of the third party. In our case he never called back since he probably didn't know who had stolen the car. Bel marito left us in the hospital to go and report the car stolen since we had to be covered incase the car had been used in a robbery or something. When he finally made it to the carabinieri (he was on foot after all) he was told he had to come back because the person in charge of this issue was out. You would think any police officer could file a missing car report but no such luck. The morning was spent making a million calls and finally our sister in laws sisters friends boyfriend knew someone who knew someone who knew who had stolen our car.
Bel marito never spoke to this third party. Our sister in law dealt with the sisters friend as no one can know who the third party or who the thieves are. They told us how much they wanted, not a small sum by any means and at first after weighing up the pros and cons we denied the offer saying it was too much. We could have gone via our insurance but the payout on the car would be next to nothing, the money would take time to come and we would have no car the next day to leave the hospital. Also our mother in law will take our car when we move to Australia so in the long run it would cost less to pay the thieves rather than take a small payout from the insurance company and have to buy a new car.
More phone calls were made and finally a price was agreed upon. We were told the car was in perfect condition and we had to cancel the police report. The police report!? How did the thieves know that bel marito's parents had filed the report on our behalf? I think they knew because they have someone on the inside who tells them this - what other explanation can you think of? Now all we had to do was wait for the pick up point to be confirmed. We had given our sister in law the money to give to the girl who would give it to who knows who...and once the money was in their hands the pick up point was arranged.
Bel marito, his brother and wife at 8.30pm drove to the pick up point. There the car was, on the side of the road in front of a factory in a not exactly deserted but not very busy road. It was not in perfect condition so after bel marito had made the call to the police saying we had found it, it was taken to a mechanic.
The story ends well enough I guess. We got the car back even if I don't agree with paying the thieves at all. Had we not been in the hospital and desperate for a car we would have not paid...but....oh well...we got the car back.
We had just managed to get bel bambino to sleep, it was Monday evening about 9pm and we were still in hospital. We had had a bad day since we had been told that we could go home on Monday (which turned into Tuesday which turned into Wednesday) and here we were still in hospital. Bel marito had left our car parked in the hospital car park and to save a few euros overnight he moved it into the street which was free to park in after 8pm.
The next morning, nice and early bel marito went outside to move the car back into the car park only to find that it wasn't there. He was in shock, he was angry and a man came up to him to ask what the problem was. He explained that the car had been here but someone had obviously stolen it. The man asked for bel marito's phone number and said he would see if he could find it.
Bel marito came back to the hospital furious as this was the last thing we needed. We were due to leave hospital the next day but how could we leave with no car? (ok, well I had to leave in an ambulance since I am immobile but bel bambino and bella bambina had to go in the car.) He started making phone calls, not to the police but to friends and relatives who may be able to help. You readers are probably like me, ignorant when it comes to stolen cars in Cosenza (not sure about the rest of the country.) Let me tell you how things work.
Many, many cars especially the Fiat Panda and Punto are stolen since they are common and easy to break into (we have a Panda.) The cars are stolen by gypsies or Italian thugs but normally gypsies. They then get into contact with you and tell you how much money they want in return for the car. If you accept the request and pay them then a time and place is arranged. You give a third party the money and then go to the pick up point and find your car waiting for you. If you refuse to pay them you will never see your car again and they apparently break it up and sell it for parts.
If you are an ignorant, stubborn foreigner like me, you will be asking yourselves - why not go to the carabinieri? Report the car stolen, tell them of the pick up point and get them to go with you undercover. Get them to question the third person who takes the money and make some arrests! No. No such luck since cars are stolen all the time and obviously - according to me - there is someone on the inside, a carabinieri or someone involved.
The man who had asked for bel marito's phone number is an example of the third party. In our case he never called back since he probably didn't know who had stolen the car. Bel marito left us in the hospital to go and report the car stolen since we had to be covered incase the car had been used in a robbery or something. When he finally made it to the carabinieri (he was on foot after all) he was told he had to come back because the person in charge of this issue was out. You would think any police officer could file a missing car report but no such luck. The morning was spent making a million calls and finally our sister in laws sisters friends boyfriend knew someone who knew someone who knew who had stolen our car.
Bel marito never spoke to this third party. Our sister in law dealt with the sisters friend as no one can know who the third party or who the thieves are. They told us how much they wanted, not a small sum by any means and at first after weighing up the pros and cons we denied the offer saying it was too much. We could have gone via our insurance but the payout on the car would be next to nothing, the money would take time to come and we would have no car the next day to leave the hospital. Also our mother in law will take our car when we move to Australia so in the long run it would cost less to pay the thieves rather than take a small payout from the insurance company and have to buy a new car.
More phone calls were made and finally a price was agreed upon. We were told the car was in perfect condition and we had to cancel the police report. The police report!? How did the thieves know that bel marito's parents had filed the report on our behalf? I think they knew because they have someone on the inside who tells them this - what other explanation can you think of? Now all we had to do was wait for the pick up point to be confirmed. We had given our sister in law the money to give to the girl who would give it to who knows who...and once the money was in their hands the pick up point was arranged.
Bel marito, his brother and wife at 8.30pm drove to the pick up point. There the car was, on the side of the road in front of a factory in a not exactly deserted but not very busy road. It was not in perfect condition so after bel marito had made the call to the police saying we had found it, it was taken to a mechanic.
The story ends well enough I guess. We got the car back even if I don't agree with paying the thieves at all. Had we not been in the hospital and desperate for a car we would have not paid...but....oh well...we got the car back.
Sunday 23 September 2012
Home help
The doctor told us that finally on Wednesday the 5th of September we could go home, after 17 long days in the horrid hospital. At the last minute I had to have CAT scans, X-rays, visits from the neurologist and ear doctor...always the last minute but at least we were going home. We could't go home to our house since I was bed ridden and immobile. We live up near the church so an ambulance cannot stop out the front. Getting to the house would be hard enough, requiring me being lifted up many stairs not to mention the narrow stairs going from our front door up into the house. So our house was out of the question. We moved into my in laws which have 12 wide stairs from the ground floor to the bedroom but oh what an effort it was for bel marito who had to help the 2 ambulance men. At least I got in.
We had borrowed a special hospital bed from someone which has a special massage mattress to make sure my bed sores didn't come back. Oh, I didn't mention my episode in the hospital with horrific bed sores which were the fault of the nasty nursing staff. As I write I am still in that bed, still in that bedroom, still bedridden and waiting for my hospital check up on the 1st of October. Time goes so slowly when you are on your back and unable to move. At least I am with my family and bel bambino can get to know his little sister.
We had borrowed a special hospital bed from someone which has a special massage mattress to make sure my bed sores didn't come back. Oh, I didn't mention my episode in the hospital with horrific bed sores which were the fault of the nasty nursing staff. As I write I am still in that bed, still in that bedroom, still bedridden and waiting for my hospital check up on the 1st of October. Time goes so slowly when you are on your back and unable to move. At least I am with my family and bel bambino can get to know his little sister.
Speaking of family I didn't mention that my twin sister, who is 6 months pregnant, and my aunt surprised me with a visit in hospital. My family were all distressed to learn about the accident and upset that they were on the other side of the world and unable to help. I didn't want them to come over and get angry and see the poor hospital care I was given. I had talked my parents out of visiting at the hospital and into travelling here when I was at home. My twin and aunt regardless came for a surprise visit travelling for 30 hours arriving the Friday night and leaving the Monday morning. When they arrived I explained to the nasty nurses the situation, I told them they had flown from Australia to see me and that they were only here for 3 days. Thankfully most of the nasty nurses didn't work the weekends and it was the 3 kinder nurses on duty who turned a blind eye when visiting hours were over, or came to warn us when we had to hide them in our room. They were here the weekend when bel bambino was transferred into my room too which was lucky.
My parents arrived a few days after we returned home and were a big help since home help is impossible. During my 17 days in hospital we found out as much information as possible about home help. The hospital cannot send you home with nuts and bolts and wounds without having someone check up on you! We were advised to get my GP to put in a request to the public health centre asking for a nurse. We had to wait until I was released from the hospital before this could be requested because they need a certificate from the hospital and the hospital will not give it to you until you go home. We were very frustrated! We needed to organise a nurse but had to wait until I was home. I went home on the Wednesday and first thing Thursday morning my mother in law went to the health centre with all the paper work. They knew the situation, everyone in the area had heard about the accident since it was in all the papers. They said they would send a doctor out to asses the situation and see what help was required.
I forgot that this is Italy and that money is always being taken out of the public health system and that staff are generally very lazy. Thursday passed without a phone call or visit as did Friday. Finally Monday afternoon we were graced with the presence of the doctor and nurse who looked at me (didn't treat my wounds or anything) and said that I needed help but to be honest there were no nurses available... At least they were honest. They are meant to provide a nurse but there were none! I had a catheter still since the nasty nurses and hospital doctors would not remove it even though the gynaecologist had requested it. Another thing I didn't tell you...yes I had a gynaecologist come down to my hospital room to check my C-section (after I requested 4 times for a visit) and he told the doctor directly to remove the catheter, and the doctor promptly ignored him even though I reminded them every day. It is time consuming to help someone remove a catheter since you need to do a little therapy before and the nurses couldn't waste their time helping me with this! So I left the hospital with a catheter and with no idea when or how it was meant to come out. Now I was told that I would have possibly no nurse either. Excuse me but who is meant to treat my wounds, help me remove the catheter help turn me or check me.... Who? My family of course.
The catheter is the only reason that finally, on Thursday, 8 days after being home a nurse finally came. He agreed that my catheter should have been removed long ago, he explained how to do the therapy, he treated my wounds and then left the rest to bel marito who is my personal nurse. You learn how to become a nurse here. Each night bel marito gives me injections, each day he cleans me, every 2 days he and who ever can help change my sheets which is hard when I don't move! When friends visit they helped with my catheter therapy since everyone knows how to do medical things here since everyone is forced to learn when helping relatives out! We had tried to get a private nurse but she only called back today....and we have been home a long time. My GP has visited me twice which is nice of her. She came yesterday and said my wounds need to be treated twice a day, not once a week which is when the nurse is currently coming. Another task for my private nurse bel marito!
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