Romantic SPA weekend.
26th January Saturday
Holy shit… sweet jeysus… my chest…. what he feck is going on…. What a wake up to the supposedly romantic SPA weekend yeah… Alarm went off at 8:00 and my heart went off too at least that how I felt. Such a pain like someone put a stake or knife through my chest and simultaneously squeezed the chest as if it was a tennis ball or sponge what you want to squeeze dry from all the water after bath. Well I could not get breath for good half an hour, then I tried my scuba diving breathing when I try breath slowly without expending the chest too much. Every breath in was painful and she was just laughing and tried to start on another session…. Not a chance I said as I’m in pain and cannot breath and only then she took me serious and understood that I’m not joking. Not sure if it was bad dream with the fecking wake up dead alarm sound and her jumping from the bed but I got such fright that I nearly jumped to ceiling and then just collapsed with pain in my chest. Sooo here it is start of romantic weekend 😊 could not move, mini me out of action and Saturday morning ruined. After a while of scared looks on her face, we got up get to the human factory to look at my face in the mirror after what I was told to get in hospital to which I resisted at first but then, though of long flight to Thailand and scuba diving came to me and I said o.k let’s do it, when in Italy do as Italians do. Emergency department in Lucca hospital here we come. Driving to it was o.k as I did not need to move but the emergency car park was full, so round and round we go, around the hospital to pay car park and then walked around the hospital to the emergency department. Got in, sat on the cold grey steel seat of bench fixed to the ground with pain and shaking hands until the true Italian went in search of doctor to get me admitted. Emergency department is all the same everywhere you go, chairs full of people waiting to be heard and examined with their issues and illnesses with worrisome looks on their faces, parents with kids and tourist 😊 After few moments and I would suspect some heated persuasive talk from brown eyed girl, I was called in as she got attention of some medical staff and I was admitted immediately probably due the suspected heart issues as I was put straight on the bed and hooked up like Robocop with all the suckers and wires to my legs, arms, chest and I was just waiting for nurse to have her Frankenstein moment, when pushing some big red button and fry me like toast. I saw this bright white light… what a sight when you are on your back watching the ceiling full of light fittings. Few moments and I was up and moved to doctor room for further examinations since the wires did not show immediate issues, thank God. Few questions later in doctor office and I was told that I will remain in for some observation just to be sure so more wires and sophisticated Dracula came for my blood but instead of bite in the neck from some old fart in red and black cape it was not bad looking nurse is white and blue and no she did not bite me “doooh I like that” but used a needle to get my blood from my arm. Funny feeling to be wheeled on the bed backwards around the hospital as you never know where they will drag you to, since you cannot see anything. You just has to trust that they are not going down the corridor to one of the trash shoots where they just flip you off the bed down the shoot. I was lucky as the trash shoot was not near me and I was left at corridor as it is normal on any emergency or as seen on E.R tv series. At least nurse was so kind asking if I have family or someone waiting for me at waiting room since only patients are allowed in. Yeah I have and I just mentioned the name and then shouted that she is my fiancé as no only family is usually allowed in hospital emergency room “jaysus hope she was not running like form hell when they called her fiancé” which she did not in fairness as she appeared by my corridor bed in few minutes. We talked took a photo “just in case I will not make it so she will have proof that she did not kill me” and after a while the nurse gently announced that she should leave as only patients are allowed in. She left me there, lonely soul at first stage of hell, nah just joking, she wen to charge her phone and sat at reception. After a while I was wheeled again head first to another chamber of torture, this time of invisible rays of superman i.e X-ray as the doc was not sure what the heck had happened so chest x-ray was ordered. Bed in beside the machine and then they told you stand up …. What if I could not stand up from the bed… anyhow I did and do my best photo shoot posing to show off my inner beauty. Back on the bed / trolley and out on corridor where I stayed for a while, until the little devil came and woke me up with gentle touch of her magical fingers of witch form Eastwick 😉 So worried face ahh, even in pain I was trying to light her mood by joking and assuring her that all is ok as I could not stand to look at those sad eyes. Funny thing was that one of the mom there with her kid who was waiting with me for admission to another level of heaven was her friend and asked her if I was the husband, hilarious !!! So after the little chat with her friend away from me of course so that the friend was kept in safe distance of not asking too many question to me, which was fruitless since we were there for another good hours and she just looked and smiled on me. Well since I was admitted at 11:30 and it was in early hours of afternoon, based on my stomach rumbling and my brain telling me to chew my own arm for survival I asked my guardian angel for some food and water. She came back in moment telling me that food is not allowed to be brought from outside but that she will talk to nurses about water and disappeared to a coughing and sneezing sound since she was cold / flu and need to move out for health reasons. I was then left alone snoozing at corridor, amazing how quick humans adapt to new situation and snooze to the sounds of beds clanking, banging the chatter of medical staff, noises of all those medical machines and actually get some decent snooze. Just after I regained consciousness I was upgraded to the space in the room, well it was partitioned cubicle for four beds where six beds were positioned with patients waiting for something to happen. Got the corner spot beside the supply cabinet so now and then nurse came and bang the bed getting the supplies of gloves, bags and vomit trays. Over all I won the unofficial competition of longest staying and hopefully surviving patient as I was there till 23:15 as rest of my roommates where wheeled in and out, while I was there. Guardian angel came again and tried to ger the visitor pass what other people were wearing but was told off as this is only if the patient is in serious need of escort, what apparently I was not. Those “dirty” nurses wanted to keep me for themselves bitches. Anyhow since I was parched like fecking Sahara desert she was so good to bring me water which I drank like it was the most delicious drink on the planet “which it was” and then again the nurse came gently remind her that she should not be there… girls do not like competition. Before she left she asked if I can get some food since I start licked her and not in sexual way but more like the twilight way. The sweet nurse said that she will look after me and she did.. she brought me a storage cabinet to put my things on in and much later even the food… if you could call the plain rice and plain mashed potato with two slices of bread and cream cheese food but sweet jeysus how tasty it was. Poor neighbor patient must thought that I had orgasm listening to me moaning but it was just the firs meal since morning and it was already 17:00 or 18:00. Well guardian angel was sitting in café having who knows how many coffees and biting her nails and fingers, worrying about me but since she was on wi-fi we at least could keep in touch thanks to modern technology and miracle called what’s up. She send me a lots of photos we took at our tour so I had something to do in the bed while she was worried her pretty face and beautiful warm heart of hers in café waiting for some news. Eventually we agreed that it is not point to come to hospital and that she should get some food too since it is enough that I’m starving for both of us so she went with friends fort dinner and hopefully that help her to relax a bit too. So meanwhile in hospital … nothing ! lying and watching the nurses working and having a bit of fun with colleagues to break a time “I would say that there is fun alright there sometimes” and been again “bitten” by Dracula with more Robocop wires attached to me etc etc but so far nothing changed and the only thing was the that after they need only three test before to make decision so this one was last, now just wait 2 hours for results. Yupiiiii after two hours I was moved to doc for hopefully final chat, which was confirming that they did not find anything wrong with me and that I should do one more sono of hearth but since they are busy I either stay overnight and wait until they are free or come in the morning so I opted for later one. Before I left the doc did quick sono herself and was
Happy to release me to home care of guardian angel, who was happy to collect me that I think she will get another speeding ticket but I was honestly happy to see her and get home with her as the night with her is thousand times better that night in trolley bed fully clothed in hospital room. Eventually the first day of romantic SPA weekend is over and after shower I felt asleep with my guardian angel beside me.
27th January Sunday
Since I was in resting home care no alarms today were put on and when we woke up after light breakfast we drove to hospital for this appointment I should attend to do sono of hearth but as I suspected, doc made mistake last night as no one works on Sunday in hospital but determined guardian angel “no messing with Italian mam” she penetrated the inner sanctum of the emergency area where she grabbed some doc who look at all the papers I had with me and eventually wrote another one for cardio stress test for Monday as he explained that this has to be done on Monday. Here we go such a romantic SPA weekend and we are on the way to shop to get some food supplies for home made dinner of fish and potatoes and also had time to complete home made cardio stress test too 😊 so eventually at least a bit of satisfaction for the ruined romantic weekend before I had to pack the bags and move to hotel for two nights since the daughters are coming back to Mama from week with Dad and we have booked lovely local B&B in Lucca. The B&B was beautiful, with the classical tosca ceilings of exposed bricks resting on wood cross beams, what also lovely intensified dog and children running in the room above me. I’ve got private room with nice balcony, which in the summer must be great sitting there at evenings if you are not exploring town. However this is emergency situation due my visit to emergency department as I need to stay in Lucca until all hospital appointments are done and I’m certified as healthy, which by results of blood test I was, even being the prime example for health. Few texts and it is bed time as I’m tired and need to go to hospital tomorrow. However tired I was, it was something that kept me from sleeping, probably the fact that brown eyed girl was not in bed with me as it is very easy to get used to the great thing but very hard to live without it. So one Graham Norton Show episode later I tried again to get some sleep but I trashed the bed like fish in net being brought to surface.
28th January Monday
Up and ready to get to breakfast so text her to wish her good morning and got earful that I should be in hospital already what I fended off by saying that breakfast first since I realized during Saturday that time in Italia hospitals is really relative and did not wat to get there hungry. Stuff myself with all I can my hands on at breakfast I was ready to face another challenge in Hospital. Big bottle of water in hand I squirt my eyes like Clint and went on to take the hospital for a few euros more. Entered the administration department, took the ticket and parked my posterior down on plastic chair. Girl at counter was nice and gave me next day early morning appointment at 8:15 with cardiologist and also wrote me the department location where I can question my €370 bill for attending the Emergency department as I will not going to pay it I told her since in EU I should be treated as local citizen. So Monday job done I went to B&B got laptop and sat down at Library café to type those articles published here, while having café, cake, pastry, lunch, tow teas and water in normal people terms whole afternoon from 11:00 t0 18:00. Then since I already become a bit hungry and received tip for good restaurant from herself had an hour to kill before the restaurant will open so went to walk through evening streets of Lucca and actually got lovely local focaccia and then pizza so the sinner was already over and I had time to took some photos and walk off the food a bit before hit the bed since need to wake up at 7:00 “on holiday !!!” so early bed. At least I thought it will be early bed but it was not again….trashed the bed again, then another episode of Graham Norton Show and also six episodes of Cuckoo and then slept a bit until 3:30 when I woke up and could not fell asleep till 5:00… she must be in mood for … to wake me up. As usual when you cannot sleep you will eventually drop to so deep sleep ion wee hours in the morning that it is very difficult to wake up.
29th January Tuesday
So 7:00 alarm and I barely dragged my ass off the bed to the shower then run down the stairs find the owner of B&B apologizing to me that breakfast is not ready at 7:30 as it supposed to be, that I just told her that I will have non since I’m running late for hospital appointment and she mentioned that she need room back as the place is full for tonight, which I promised that I’ll be back by 10:00, even if I had no idea how long it will take there but acted on intuition. Went out to discover that frost descended during the night and I have car covered in lovely white frost which I had not prepared for but thanks to plastic cards oi was able to scrape the windows. Got to hospital five minutes to 8:00 grabbed one croissant on the go and run to cardiology dept. Was not sure what will happen and how long this stress test will be but sat in the waiting room and waited for maybe five minutes when my name sounded out from the loudspeaker on the wall and I understood that I had to go to room 25. Nurse there immediately started to talking and me trying to understood but eventually told her that I do understood only limited Italian and she mentioned that she understood limited English, got us on good start. Again the Robocop procedure and then the consultant himself came to the room and announced that he is cold and nurse run out of the room, returning with portable heater, plugged it to the wall near doctor and we were on to start the procedure . He asked her to explain to me the procedure in English what she in fairness tried but badly that he asked me in perfect English if I understood as he said he dd not and wee got good laugh about it. Well he listened to my chest, asked questions and then light went out …. I mean she turned off the lights so he can see on the sonogram monitor. Bit of squirting of cold gel and he stuck his pen to my chest “I’ve got you ya dirty ones” it was sono pen and later explained to me that I have a little inflammation on my pericardia and that I will die, some day as we all do. Over all did not found anything wrong and let me home with documents proofing that I’m healthy but not before he told me to pay €49 for this visit. Then was the another challenge waiting for me as I was going to legal department argue about my bill of € 370 from emergency department. Thankfully the brow eyed girl was on the phone so she can explain to the legal personnel that under EU insurance directive I should be treated as Italian and pay only what Italian would pay. This resulted in calling big boss from another office who was a woman in charge, who stuck head together with the two men in the room, looked at monitor with very focused faces, talked a bit and nod the heads. Overall this performance lasted about 5 minutes ish and result was new bill for €60 which I was still not happy about it but since I do not speak Italian and brow eyed girl was in work I accepted and left the office as obviously the news of EU health insurance directive, terms and condition did not reach Italian healthcare sector yet. As the time was nearly 10:00 I left the legal office, paid my fee and went ot hotel where the owner was happy to see me, since she needed to get my room ready for new guests, so I went up to the room packed and then came down looking for the food. All the food was gone from the breakfast but she was so sweet that she made me a cappuccino and cornetto plus yogurt with some bran flakes as well as orange juice and sweet biscuits. I ate all, then printed all the insurance documents ai needed for the claim of this hospital intermezzo and hit the road as I need to be in Firenze by 14:00 latest to not loose the booked room in hotel as since I do not have credit card they had issues to process payment on my regular bank card. Well good by Lucca and hospital, here I come Firenze.
