Lost in Translation

So I was ill, coughing a bit too much, and a little bit of a fever happening on the evening of the 24th, along with a few other symptoms...

Come morning of the 25th, Silvia tried to call a Doctor but there wasn't one in the area, so instead, the hospital sent out an ambulance (what?!) to pick me up and take me to the hospital, I felt like the most worthless human being ever for that 40 minute drive, "Ambulances are for an emergency" is all I kept thinking. Having two Italian nurses with me who could only say "Where born you?" and nothing else in English didn't help.

When we finally got the Hospital, I was wheel chaired into a waiting room, where Silvia walked in a few minutes later. Now I was really confused. Why didn't she take me here in the first place? Turns out she didn't know where the Hospital was and so the Hospital had sent the Ambulance. (Google Maps???)

We waited for about 10 minutes before I was wheeled into another room where my details where taken down, again, very few questions were asked me and practically nothing was translated to me, so I just sat there wishing I could speak even a smidgen of Italian!

Then the wheelchair was taken away and Silvia and I walked to a new room where I had to lie down, my blood was taken, my heart was measured (at least that's what Silvia told me afterwards) and then I went to an X-ray room where after being asked 5 times if I wasn't pregnant, they seemed not to believe me, my chest was X-rayed.

We waited for about 20 minutes for the results and then it came back that all the tests where fine and that there was nothing major wrong with me. After that they switched back to Italian and I was lost, so what is Actually wrong with me I still don't know.

I was subscribed an inhaler thing to take twice a day for a month and then told to leave. But not before they put a 305 euro bill on me.  Silvia was outraged at this, so in the car I learnt a few new Italian swear-words, and she has said that she'll need to drive to Follonica (the nearest big town, about 20 minutes drive away) to find out why it was so much. When I returned to Punta Ala, everyone was shouting "WELCOME TO ITALY" to me, so obviously word about the price had already spread.

Later that day, Cristina went to get my prescription from the pharmacist but then she came back with something different, saying that what was prescribed was really strong and that she felt this would be better. The pharmacist had agreed with her, and having no idea what any of it was anyway I didn't really have a choice about it... only problem is that this medicine is a 10 day thing and the one I was subscribed was a 1 month thing to stop it coming back again... so yes. I am truly Lost in Translation.

Today I was supposed to go to the local Doctors to double check about the medicine, which I thought would be a good time for me to get some answers, but then the Doctor didn't come in to Punta Ala today, so we'll try again tomorrow I guess. No idea really though, as I still don't speak Italian...

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to Australia and America even more now, as even though I'll be further away from home etc. at least I'll speak the language and will understand what is happening to me!

Sticking in there,
Lucy xxo

P.s. I still haven't had my first ride, unfortunately but then I think once the event on the 3rd is over, things will calm down a bit here and there'll be more time, plus hopefully by then this whole Hospital-Drama will be over!