PLEASANT SURPRISES
After a fairly stressful week, things seemed to have returned to normal around here. We went to Marsciano with Armando on Friday to sign up for the Italian healthcare system, but I hadn’t brought any financial information with us. We were hoping that because we were retired, the pension wouldn’t be counted as income. We were wrong. The woman at the USL office told us that we would need to bring a copy of our tax form and that we would be charged at the rate of 7.5% of that income. This would cover both of us until the end of the year.
Because our tax form had a one time stock sale on it last year, I simply created a new tax form in TurboTax and printed it out. We returned to Marsciano on Saturday morning. In addition to the tax form we also needed to show our Permesso di Sogiorno.
I had converted our U.S. income into euro but the woman made a call to someone else to either verify my calculation or to compute the fees due. I had already calculated the fees based on the 7.5% we had been told, so we had a good idea what the total would be.
As the woman, Ms. Peccia, began to explain things to us, she told us that because it was almost August, it might be better to wait until December to join the system. In Italy the rate covers the calendar year and is not pro-rated. We would pay the same amount whether we joined in January or November.
Of course we had to interrupt to explain that Art had just been released from the hospital and we assumed that joining would certainly be less expensive than having to pay the hospital bill. And then something unusual happened: She picked up the phone and called the hospital to find out just how much our bill was going to be!
Although she was told that our final bill wouldn’t be ready until Monday morning, the billing clerk told her that it would be over €2000, well below what our annual fee for the healthcare system would be. Ms Peccia agreed that it would indeed make more sense to go ahead and join, and she prepared the documents that we would need to take to the Post Office to pay.
We had some cash with us that we’d withdrawn to pay for our garbage tax, and I made another withdrawal from the bancomat at the Post Office. We withdrew the balance from our checking account and will replace it in a few days when we’ve withdrawn the cash from our U.S. bank. (We’re limited to withdrawing $500 per day)
Once we’d paid the bill and had the receipt we returned to the clinic and presented it to Ms. Peccia. Luckily for us hers was the only office open on Saturday so there were very few people there. After waiting for a few minutes it was our turn again and she began entering our information into the computer.
During all of this we’d had one slight complication. Several months ago we’d been contacted by an American couple, Paul and Mer from Boston. They were living in Montepulciano for three months and had been following the blog from the beginning. We were supposed to meet them for lunch and had given them basic directions to Marsciano along with our phone numbers and had told them to call us as they got close. We were scheduled to meet around 12:30 or so, and when we hadn’t heard from them by noon we began to worry. Eventually Art decided that he’d drive back up to San Venanzo to see if they’d called the house and left a message. He explained the situation to Ms. Peccia and she had him sign the required document before he left.
By the time Art returned to Marsciano the documents were almost ready. Art told me that yes, Paul HAD called the house, but he hadn’t given us their phone number! Since our cell phone hadn’t rung we had to figure that they had the wrong cell number and that our only option was to return to San Venanzo and hope they called again.
When we got back home there was indeed another message on the answering machine confirming that they were dialing the wrong cell number, but also leaving THEIR cell number! At least we could call them! Unfortunately they said they still hadn’t figured out how to answer their cell phone so we should leave a message and they’d call us back.
After a few minutes Paul returned our call and told us that they were stopped on the side of the road near a cemetery. Since we know of only one cemetery in this area, we told them to stay right where they were and that we’d be right there.
Guess what? They weren’t at the cemetery just outside of San Venanzo! We drove down the hill towards Marsciano, trying to think of where another cemetery might be. I told Art to turn up one street we’d never been on, thinking that there might be a cemetery we’d never seen. Although we didn’t find a cemetery, the phone did ring and it was Paul again. We told him what had happened and he said that he was heading back towards Marsciano and was looking for some sort of landmark so that we’d know where they were.
Just then I saw a car drive by on the main road and I said “Paul, are you wearing a yellow shirt?” and he said “yes”. I said “stop right where you are, you just passed us and we’re coming to get you!” Whew!
I was still on the phone with Paul as Art pulled up beside him. We waved and told them to follow us to the restaurant. Originally they had invited us for pizza at Ternana’s, but it wasn’t until later that I realized that Ternana’s would be closed during the month of July. Too bad for Paul and Mer!
We decided that we’d go to a nice little local restaurant in Marsciano instead, and had planned to stop by earlier in the week, just to make sure that they were open on Saturday for lunch. We weren’t able to check because of Art’s unexpected hospital stay, so of course once we arrived at the restaurant they were indeed closed! Great!
We pulled into the parking lot and I got out of the car to talk to Paul and Mer. At this point we hadn’t really even met…just talked on the phone and waved from the car! I approached the car and said ”How do you all feel about the “F” word?” and Mer said “oh go for it!” At that point I summed it all up by saying “We have had the worst FUCKING week!” I then went on to explain about the hospital stay, and Mare told us that she’d just said to Paul (when they’d been unable to reach us) that she wondered if Art was okay….how strange!
Because Paul and Mer were over an hour away, we’d asked them to spend the night, just like we used to do with Jill and Larry. Luckily I had prepared the food for our dinner and it was waiting in the refrigerator.
We led the way up the hill to San Venanzo and settled in for lunch. I think both Art and I felt immediately comfortable with Paul and Mare and really liked them. This initial impression was only confirmed the more time we spent with them.
They had brought us some gifts….a bottle of Brunello because they’re staying near Montalcino, some CHEDDAR CHEESE! And a bumper sticker....
Can’t wait to put this on the car!
After lunch we gave them the house and garden tour. Because they had followed the blog for so long they knew much of the story and could appreciate the many changes. In situations like these we’re always at the disadvantage….people know our story but we usually know very little about our guests.
Paul and Mer told us that they both work at Boston College and love Italy….so much so that they were married in Florence. They make regular visits to Italy and have friends here, but this was the first time they had ever spent such an extended time here. They’re several years from retirement and don’t know what their plans are. They own a summer home in Vermont and have thought about spending some time in Italy and some time in Vermont. Not a bad plan.
After lunch we took Paul and Mer on a drive…past Rotecastello and Fratta Todina and up to Monte Castello di Vibio. As expected they were charmed by the drive, the views and the town itself.
No, that's NOT Paul and Mer! Just a woman Mer struck up a conversation with, then her neighbor walked up and joined in for a picture.
We wandered around for a while then ended up back in the square in front of the theater. Monte Castello boasts the smallest theater in the world, seating just 99 people. (The website is here….http://www.teatropiccolo.it)
Luckily for all of us the theater was open for tours! A pre-recorded message in English gave us the history of the theater and after listening we were allowed to wander through the theater. The main floor has about 60 seats and the remaining seats are in boxes on two levels. The walls and ceilings were covered with beautifully ornate paintings. The whole theater was like a tiny exquisite jewel box.
While we were there we checked to see if there were still seats available for the August performance and when the answer was yes we decided to buy two tickets. A belated birthday present for Art!
After we left Monte Castello we drove back through Marsciano. One of the best things about our drive was spotting the sunflower fields…apparently Mer is just as crazy as I am about sunflowers, and the intensely yellow fields are easy to spot.
Paul and Mer had told us that they had sampled gelato all over Tuscany, so we wanted to share one of Umbria’s best gelateria’s, Stefania’s, with them. As expected, Paul and Mare seemed quite impressed.
Because what I’d fixed for dinner had been eaten for lunch, because Paul and Mare wanted to treat us to dinner, and because our options were limited, we decided to eat at La Credenza, the restaurant at our local hotel, Villa Valentini. The restaurant had closed down over the winter and when they reopened they had added a pizza oven. We’d had the pizza there twice and it NOWHERE near as good as Ternana’s, but their regular menu is very good.
It was a mild night so we ate outside under the canopy. Everything we had was wonderful, from the appetizers of arugula with pineapple and a balsamic vinegar dressing to Art’s steak with mushrooms and Mer’s risotto with red wine. As we ate we heard music playing down in the small piazza at the bar centrale. After dinner we walked down to check it out.
As we approached the stairs leading down to the bar, the area was lined with people listening to the music. We saw friends and neighbors talking and enjoying the music. Children were dancing in the front of the band which was composed of three young women. There appeared to be one lead singer and two backup singers. One of the backup singers also played the accordion, and we later realized that the band was named after her-Erika.
As we listened to the band it was obvious that the lead singer really had a great voice. Art turned around to see that he was standing right next to Gioberto, our muratore (tile guy!) and he introduced us to the parents of the lead singer then told us that the two backup singers were his daughters! Complimenti!
As you can imagine, one of the best things about an event like this is just people-watching. Watching the kids dance was hilarious, especially as we watched one sweet little two year old try to get someone, anyone, to dance with her. Eventually a few of the adults danced too, and watching them was such a treat! They really knew what they were doing, but then of course we know that most of the town takes dance lessons. (If you don’t understand how we know this, you haven’t been reading the blog long enough)
During the evening we saw Mauro, Elvio, Frank, Armando and many others. It’s so nice to feel like a part of the community and to see friendly faces. What made this night even more special was to be able to share it with Paul and Mare. We don’t need to say a word about how much we love Italy, all people have to do is experience our life here and they immediately understand.
Eventually we walked back home…although Paul and Mer would be spending the night we knew they’d want to get up early. They had been invited to lunch by their friends in Montalcino, and after staying with this family for over two months, they felt like part of the family and felt obligated. It’s amazing how quickly people take you into their lives, and how easy it is to just become a part of this life. Somehow Italy seems to embrace you, to make you feel welcome…to make you feel at home.
Sunday morning got off to a slow start…..to be honest I still hadn’t caught up on my sleep from when Art was in the hospital and I KNOW I could have slept until noon! Luckily on Friday I had made a simple coffee cake for Sunday morning, and we had that along with coffee and yogurt.
As we sat at the kitchen table the phone rang. Because we know so few people in Italy, the phone ringing is still rather unusual for us. This call was even more unusual than most…it was the doctor who had come to the house on Tuesday night, just calling to see how Art was feeling! Can you even imagine such a thing happening in the states?!
By this time Mer was becoming more and more enthusiastic about living in Italy. The green of Umbria really appealed to her, and after seeing how we live, how we eat, and how much we love our life here, I think she was ready to make the move! Although Paul still has at least two more years before he can retire, Mer was planning to go home and crunch some numbers.
Art, ever ready to encourage people to make the move, showed Paul and Mare the plans for the new house that Mauro is planning to build just outside of the centro. We still had the plans from when Ramon and Anna had been here. Maybe Art’s just trying to choose his neighbors!
We walked the short distance out of town and showed Paul and Mer the building site. Although the view is spectacular, the site doesn’t have enough land for me. There is a small plot on the side where you could put in a small garden, but my recommendation would be to make friends with the neighbor….her garden looked great!
As we walked back to our house we passed one of our neighbors. She asked Art how he was feeling, and once he told her that he felt fine, she said to him (in Italian) “What are you doing, scaring everybody like that???” Just like family.
Eventually it was time for Paul and Mer to head back to Tuscany for their lunch. We offered to show them a different, more scenic route back to Montalcino. The E45 south of Perugia isn’t very attractive, and it’s probably longer to drive that way. We had them follow us down the SS317 through Marsciano then up along the ridge. I could just imagine Mare’s reaction to the fields of sunflowers!
We took the turn-off towards Chiusi, past Spina and eventually we pulled off to the side of the road to say goodbye. I remembered that we still needed to take a group picture, so Paul set up the tripod and Mer set the camera up for a timer shot. Here it is....
We hated to say goodbye to these two new friends. We wished we had set up a meeting earlier in their stay rather than at the end so that we’d have another chance to spend time with them. Right now they don’t’ plan to return to Italy until November 2006, but I don’t see how it will possible for them to stay away that long. We encouraged them to be on the lookout for special airfares and told them that our guestroom is always waiting for them.
We fixed chicken fajitas a few nights later, using fajita seasoning and salsa mix that I had brought back from the states in May. Although we’d had those mixes, we’d never had cheddar cheese to complete the fajitas, and now, thanks to Paul and Mare, we could enjoy the whole enchilada……uhhh..…fajita! Thanks!
And these pictures were taken last Sunday after we left Paul and Mer...
   
CATAPULTATED INTO THE ITALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Tuesday had been a normal day. It had been fairly hot and we hadn’t done much all day. We’d had pasta for lunch so we just had paninis for dinner…red onions, tomatoes, smoked provolone and fresh basil on bread brushed with olive oil then grilled. After dinner we watered the vegetable garden. I knew I’d need to pick basil the next day and make some pesto. We harvested a few more tomatoes…they’re coming slowly because the nights are so cool.
I needed to take a shower but the breeze had picked up and the air was much cooler so we decided to sit in the garden and just enjoy the evening for a few minutes. I fixed a glass of tea and we relaxed. As we sat talking, all of a sudden Art said “Oooww!” He’d had a quick stabbing pain in his chest similar to ones he’s had in the past.
These pains never occur when he’s working or under any kind of stress, and they’re never accompanied by any of the symptoms of a heart attack like shortness of breath or pain in the left arm. When we were in the states Art saw a cardiologist, had a stress test and everything checked out normal. No explanation for the pains. He’d been taking a low dosage aspirin every day and decided to continue to do so.
As we sat in the garden discussing why he has these occasional pains I thought that he seemed preoccupied. I wasn’t facing him directly so it was hard to for me to tell. At first I thought he was just distracted….maybe he saw a lizard climbing up the wall but somehow something just didn’t seem right. I called his name several times, and he didn’t respond. I got up and stood in front of him, calling his name, asking what was wrong.
He started to answer me, then he just spaced out again. Then his head jerked back….his right fist was clenched and his arm was jerking back and forth. His head continued to jerk backwards, and I was torn….what should I do? What could I do? You know how you have about a zillion thoughts that race through your mind in a millisecond? Should I stay here with him? What could I do? What if it was a heart attack? I had aspirin in the house, but then I’d have to leave him alone….what if he fell out of the chair and cracked open his head? But what if I just stayed there and just watched him possibly die?
With reluctance and fear I raced up the stairs into the house…down the stairs to the kitchen….rooted through the cabinet looking for the bottle of regular strength aspirin we had brought with us. Of course I was all thumbs, and the cabinet that holds the medicine is too high for me to see into easily. Eventually I came up with a bottle of aspirin and I raced back up the stairs to the backyard.
Art was still unconscious and his head was still jerked back. As I approached him, blood started pouring out of his mouth. Oh my god, this couldn’t be a heart attack…what could this be? This must be really bad….I started screaming “Aiuto! Aiutomi!” (“Help! Help me!”) over and over. As I got closer I saw that it wasn’t blood after all….he was throwing up the sandwich…the red was from the tomatoes.
I ripped open the bottle of aspirin and dumped out the pills. It was then that I realized that I’d grabbed the low dosage aspirin and not the regular….Shit!!! I tried to open his mouth figuring that something was better than nothing, but his jaws were clenched. I yelled his name over and over, telling him to open his mouth, trying to get him to respond. I shoved a pill into his mouth, not knowing whether he would swallow it or not.
By this time the neighbors had arrived. Armando was at the gate, Giulda and her son were at the window. I’m not even sure what was said, but it was obvious to everyone that something was really wrong with Art. Giulda went to call the doctor and Armando came into the garden.
And then Art came to. Just like that he was awake and alert. He seemed perfectly normal and lucid and said “I feel fine”. I had to tell him, “no….you’re not alright….you were unconscious….your threw up all over yourself….your teeth were clenched …..“ And of course Armando agreed; whatever had just happened was definitely NOT nothing.
After a few minutes Armando asked Art if he thought he could walk to the bench we have near the front door. Armando thought that this would be a more convenient location to wait for the doctor’s arrival. Art said yes…although he was a little weak, he really felt pretty good.
I guess the doctor arrived after what….10 minutes? Fifteen? Or was it really two hours? Although it felt like forever, when we later thought about it we realized that it must have been only ten or fifteen minutes. We don’t know whether the doctor was in San Venanzo or if he had to drive up from Marsciano, which would have made a difference.
Once he was there the doctor asked Art if he could walk into the house, and of course Art said yes. The doctor asked what had happened, took his blood pressure, gave him a tab of nitroglycerine and looked at the various prescriptions Art takes daily. After some discussion the doctor decided that Art really should go to the hospital. He called the ambulance and we waited.
Armando told me to go upstairs and get some things for Art…his pajamas, toothbrush, etc. Art asked me to bring him a clean shirt and some clean shorts for the trip to the hospital. I ran around like a chicken with my head chopped off trying to collect everything he’d need.
I decided to give Wendy a call just to see if she was available. I thought that once we arrived at the hospital I could call her and she could make sure that the doctors understood clearly what had happened and that we understood what they planned to do about it. As soon as I told her what had happened, and that we were waiting for the ambulance to take us to the hospital, she said, “I’ll meet you there!” Although I hadn’t meant for her to come to the hospital, by that time all I wanted to do was get off the phone and make sure Art was still okay downstairs. I told her “fine” and hung up.
The doctor left shortly after that, but we knew he had communicated all the information to the hospital. The ambulance arrived and the three medics came in to get Art. They insisted that he could NOT walk to the ambulance….even though he had walked INTO the house from the back yard. They strapped him into a small wheelchair and struggled to get him up the stairs.
About this time I discovered that we were NOT going to the hospital in Marsciano. We were going to a hospital in Perugia, San Silvestrini. We were told that this is where the heart specialists were, that the hospital in Marsciano was just not equipped to handle this sort of emergency. I quickly called Wendy to tell her about the change in plans, and luckily I did so as they were loading Art into the ambulance.
We were all outside now, and the doctor had returned for some unknown reason. Of course a group of neighbors had gathered, and there was a lot of confusion. Wendy asked how I was going to get to the hospital and I told here I was going to ride in the ambulance with Art. She asked me if that was possible, and I said I didn’t know. Wendy then asked to speak with Armando, and he then asked the medics if it would be possible for me to ride with them. We were told “no, it’s not possible!” Now what would I do?
I had no idea where the hospital in Perugia was, but if that wasn’t bad enough, I don’t drive a stick! Armando had only been to that hospital once, and at ten o’clock at night he certainly didn’t want to drive that far and then have to drive back. I didn’t blame him for that, and after seeing the way he drives, I’m sure it would have taken us at LEAST an hour to make what would normally be a thirty minute trip.
As Armando continued to talk with the medics, I’m not sure what happened, but apparently Armando knew the driver. Maybe he knew his parents, or maybe they were related. Anyway, the bottom line was that because Armando knew the driver, I would be allowed to ride to the hospital with Art! Once again, you have to know somebody who knows somebody! As the driver told me on the ride to the hospital “SOMETIMES it's possible”!
We drove down to Marsciano at a fairly moderate speed, but for Art, in the back, the curves were just too much. He threw up again in the back of the ambulance, but luckily the attendant was able to catch everything and to clean him off.
Once we hit the E45 the driver picked up his speed, usually driving right down the middle of the road, only moving to the left when some insane person doing a million miles and hour zoomed up behind us. The driver spoke a little English so we were able to talk a little, but for most of the ride I kept my head turned so that I could make sure that Art was still okay. As long as I could see him moving I was okay.
Finally we made it to the hospital, and I realized that I DID know where it was….it was in San Sisto, not too far from the Perugina factory! I saw Wendy and Giuseppe standing by the door waiting for us, and I jumped out to begin explaining to Wendy exactly what had happened so that she could relay it to the doctors.
Art was rolled in and back to an examination room, and the doctor who attended him spoke English…what a lucky break! After a few minutes she came out to tell us that he was going to be admitted, and that we’d need to go around the building to go in through another door.
Once we were on the seventh floor, in what appeared to be the cardiac ICU, we saw Art being rolled by and into a room. We were told to wait in the outer waiting area. By this time it was about 11:30, and I just wanted to get settled so that Wendy and Giuseppe could go home. Thank God for the support of good friends in a time like this.
Eventually I was allowed back to see Art for a few minutes. Of course he was hooked up to a heart monitor and an IV, but otherwise he looked fine and said he felt fine. He was in a room with another man, who of course had been abruptly awakened by Art’s arrival, so I didn’t stay too long. I wanted Art to relax and get some rest and I said goodnight.
I walked to the nurse’s station to ask if it was possible for me to stay there, and they said that yes I could stay, but not in the room. I could stay in the waiting area though. Although the waiting area was a large room, there were only a few sets of molded plastic chairs for visitors.
Wendy and Giuseppe offered to drive me back to San Venanzo, but that just wasn’t even thinkable. Additionally, how would I get back to the hospital the next morning? No, it was better if I just stayed there. Of course I still needed a shower, and I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and sandals, but the way I looked then, or even the way I might look in the morning just wasn’t important. Because what had happened to Art was so sudden and so unexpected, I just couldn’t risk leaving him.
After Wendy and Giuseppe said goodbye it was just me. The lobby was huge, with windows on two sides. A wonderful cool breeze was blowing through the room, but the only seating was on plastic molded chairs, fastened together in groups of three or four. I tried to lay down across them, but each seat was raised on each side, creating a sort of bucket seat effect. There was just no way to get comfortable. Eventually I just put my head back against the wall and closed my eyes.
When some other people arrived in the waiting area, I decided to move over into the dark corner by the telephones. The light was subdued and I hoped that by sitting back into the corner my head would be supported. Of course this didn’t work either. Next I tried simply laying flat on the floor, and I discovered that the thick back seam on blue jean shorts is REALLY uncomfortable when lying on a hard tile floor. The only way I was ever going to sleep was to drop from exhaustion. Time for a walk.
The floor Art was on, the seventh, consisted of two large wings, both restricted and closed off by doors. A separate smaller wing contained a few offices, but of course no one was there.
I walked down the stairs to the sixth floor which appeared to be under renovation. All the rooms had been gutted and the waiting area was filled with doors that had been taken off the rooms. I did find a bathroom that worked, so at least I wouldn’t have to go all the way back down to the main floor. Thank goodness I carry a pack of tissues in my purse.
A survey of the fifth floor proved no more interesting than either of the two previous floors, until I spied an open room….an open SUPPLY room. Maybe I would find some towels or something to make into a pillow. There was one cleaning cart in the room, but it was empty. And then I saw it….a chair! It was like the lounge chairs used at the pool except that instead of webbing or plastic straps it had curvy metal supports, sort of like a mattress frame might have. This was covered with a cotton cushion…not as thick as I would have liked, but at this point it didn’t matter. I folded my lawn chair and headed back upstairs.
I set up camp in the dark corner by the pay phones and drifted in and out of sleep. Every time I did fall asleep I think I subconsciously jerked myself awake again, maybe just because I was still so tense and scared. Eventually six a.m. arrived and I walked down to the main floor to see what the bar had to offer for breakfast.
I ordered a cup of hot chocolate and a small panino, then bought a large bottle of water to take with me. I would later find out that the only water Art would have during his stay would be provided by me….even when the nurse brought him a pill!
Once I went back upstairs, I asked a passing doctor when I could see Art and I was told not until seven thirty…or maybe later. People had started to arrive and the waiting area filled up rather quickly. I stood near the doors, hoping to see something; I’m not even sure what. At some point the door was left ajar and I stepped inside and waited. After standing there for five, maybe ten minutes I decided to push my luck and walk down to Art’s room.
As I stuck my head inside the door, Art was awake and alert. He told me that he hadn’t slept at all due to the noise….you know how it is in hospitals. After a few minutes a woman popped her head into the room and asked Art if he would like breakfast. His response was an enthusiastic “YES!” and she asked what he would like and he told her “everything!”
Unfortunately he had temporarily forgotten where he was, and breakfast consisted of only coffee with everything….and when he finished it, there was still a think layer of undissolved sugar on the bottom of the cup. I guess the standard Italian breakfast of coffee and a cigaret had been modified since we were in the cardiac ICU!
I was able to hang around in the room until about 8:30 or so, when the nurse told me that I’d have to wait outside. Art was still hooked up to the monitors, but they had removed the oxygen mask. They ran an EKG on him and waited for the doctor to arrive. I called Wendy to give her an update and she asked me if we knew if Art would be able to come home. I told her I’d have to call her back when we had more information.
She asked if I’d like some magazines and newspapers in English, and I told her that would be great. Giuseppe stopped by later with imported British versions of People and National Enquire-type magazines. He also brought the Herald Tribune and I knew Art would enjoy that a lot more than reading about Brad Pitt/Jennifer Aniston/Angelina Jolie.
At lunch Art told me that they’d done some sort of a test where they strapped him on a board and tilted him. The windows were closed and the room was dark. His heart was monitored while they did this. I’ve never heard of this test and have no idea what it was for.
After a pretty blah lunch of tepid soup, pureed potatoes and veal with tomato sauce, (nothing to drink!) a nurse came in to hook up some sort of monitor. There was a large cassette player that was hung around his neck and it was attached to things stuck all over his chest. We were told that this was a 24 hour heart monitor, so we knew at this point that Art would be staying another day.
At lunchtime the doors again opened….visiting hours were posted and they were for two hours in the morning, two hours at lunch, and two hours in the evening. I did my best to hide whenever I could and usually managed to stretch my time beyond the posted hours.
I called Wendy to tell her that Art would have to stay for at least another 24 hours and she asked if I’d like to go home and take a shower, get some things for Art, etc. In Italy when you go to the hospital it’s standard to bring your own toilet paper, your own coffee cup and your own utensils. Oh, and your own water as mentioned previously.
We didn’t bother with the coffee cup or utensils because the hospital did have plastic cups and utensils and the man sharing the room with Art had offered to share his roll of toilet paper. I did bring a few packs of kleenex, which came in handy when the other man checked out later that day.
Giuseppe picked me up later in the afternoon and we drove back to San Venanzo. Giuseppe settled himself in front of the television and promptly fell asleep during the soccer match he was watching. Good….a quick nap for him meant that I didn’t feel pressure to rush quite as much.
I took a quick shower and changed my clothes, then gathered a few things that Art had requested: his pillow, some lighter weight pajamas, eyeshades and an Italian book to study. I warmed up some pasta (thank God we still believe in the American concept of leftovers!) and ate a quick lunch/dinner combination. I grabbed a few more paperbacks to read and we were ready to head back to the hospital.
Giuseppe stopped in for a quick visit with Art, then we were left alone. I had brought my lawn chair into Art’s room and had put it under his bed so that I’d have it again for tonight. When his roommate had checked out, we wondered if it might be possible for me to stay in his room. That idea was dispelled when another man was wheeled in shortly after that. Oh well.
Art’s new roommate was a diabetic, and we watched as he gave himself his injection of insulin. Can you imagine such a thing happening in the states?! Art had been told not to take any of his prescriptions, even though we had brought everything with us. He was told to take only what they gave him, and I think that was only aspirin.
One of his prescriptions did cause some confusion. Art had been taking Topomax for the nerve pain in his legs. Apparently the most common use of this drug is for epilepsy. Once the doctors saw the Topomax, knowing that Art had had some sort of convulsion, they immediately assumed that he had some sort of history of epilepsy.
Art was able to explain this to the doctors in the hospital but later, when he saw our new family doctor, he got Our friend Ramon, a docotr, emailed us the results of studies showing that it HAD been proven effective, at least in the U.S., but we’d never be able to argue this point with someone who speaks no English.
We passed the afternoon reading, and every so often a nurse would come in, but not nearly as often as in the states. Apparently this is a teaching hospital and at one time Art had as many as eleven doctors, or a combination of doctors and doctors-in-training, in his room. This hospital is supposed to be one of the best cardiac care centers in Italy, and we were both very pleased with the care Art received. The nurses were all very nice, all spoke a few words of English, and all seemed willing to help in any way they could.
On Wednesday night when visiting hours were over, I pulled my lawn chair out from under the bed and said good night. At least I was able to leave my purse in the room with Art, but I did take a paperback to the waiting room with me. I knew it would still be a very long night, and that sleep wouldn’t come easily. Eventually I ended up moving my lawn chair to the vacant sixth floor where I knew it would be nice and quiet. I wasn’t quite as concerned that someone would come racing out of the ward telling me that there had been an emergency, and I slept a little better.
Luckily Art got a little sleep that night too, although every time he rolled over he had to reposition the cassette player hanging around his neck. The pillows they had in the hospital were fairly flat and not what he was used to. Having his own pillow definitely helped.
Unfortunately his roommate, whom we nicknamed the plumber because of the way his pajama pants fit, was a snorer, but I guess at that point Art was tired enough to sleep despite the noise. The eyeshades ensured that it was dark, and luckily for everyone the temperature cooled off considerably at night. During the day the windows were normally open to allow a breeze to enter, but it was still hot.
On Thursday morning we were told that today Art would have some neurological tests…an EEG and something else. He was wheeled out for the first test around 10:30 or so, and I waved to him both as he left and when he returned. Lunch was served shortly after that, and just as he was getting ready to eat the nurse came in and told him to wait because they wanted to do the other test right then. She promised that she would re-heat his lunch once he returned so at least he’s have a hot, if not delicious, meal to look forward to.
After lunch the 24 hour monitor was removed and more doctors came in. Apparently all the tests were coming back negative, or normal. It had been assumed fairly early on that the problem was NOT a heart attack, so the question was: what was it? We weren’t’ sure how long they would keep him or how many tests they would run before he was released.
At this point an amazing thing happened: a doctor who spoke very good English came in to talk to us. He was a cardiac doctor, Dr. Angeli, and he told us that as best they could figure, Art had had a TIA, which is a mini-stroke. He told us that we’d need to return to the hospital on Monday to get the results of the last test, but that Art would be released today! Yeah!
We started to gather up his things, and the nurse came to disconnect the shunt that was still in his arm. A few minutes later the nurse brought us in a letter stating what the findings had been and what follow-up care was necessary. And that was it! We were free to go! No papers to sign, no final instructions, just a simple letter. Now the only problem we had was….just exactly how were we going to get home?
Art called Giacomo to see if he was busy, and he said that he could come to pick us up, but not for about an hour or so. We told him that we might be able to get another ride sooner and told him we’d call him back. We then called Corinna who told us what time she’d be leaving Perugina, and of course she said that she’d be glad to pick us up on her way. I then called Wendy to tell her that we had a ride to San Venanzo. I swear she sounded as if here feelings were hurt! She said “Well…..if that’s what you want to do….If you want to make your friend drive you all the way up to ‘San Venanzo….” !
Now it would have taken Corinna ten minutes to drive past her house and up to San Venanzo to drop us off, versus the thirty or forty minutes it would take for her or Giuseppe to drive all the way from the hospital to San Venanzo, but I guess it was something they wanted to do. We arranged to meet her outside the hospital and headed down to the lobby. We called Corinna and Giacomo back to let them know we didn’t need a ride and thanked them for their kindness.
Wendy picked us up and took us to her office where we met Giuseppe who then drove us to San Venanzo. I guess we arrived home around six p.m., exhausted but relieved. It would be good to relax in familiar surroundings and to sleep in our own bed….in the dark, in the silence. As for the follow-ups and the Italian healthcare system….we’d think about that tomorrow. For now it was enough to be together and to be home.
Here's a link to the American Heart Association site with info about TIA:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4781
And a short quote from the site: "A TIA is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke."
And for thoses of you who don't know, or for those of you who might not have acted on this: If you ever suspect someone is having a heart attack, GIVE THEM ONE REGUALR ASPIRIN ASAP! The aspirin should be chewed if possible, but the main thing is that you need to have REGULAR aspirin around the house. I now know where the bottle of aspirin is in the kitchen, and I have a few tablets upstairs in the living room and in the bedroom. I also have two aspirin in my purse. Do it today!
JUST WHOSE SIDE IS THE ROME EMBASSY ON?!?
Our friend Judith called us a few weeks ago to ask if we’d like to go to Rome with her for the day. She needed to visit the embassy there in order to initiate her Social Security payments.
I’ve had two experiences with the U.S. Embassy in Rome…one terrible and one good. The good experience involved the renewal of my passport by mail last summer. When I had questions I was able to call and talk to a real person who was very helpful, and in the end the new passport arrived very quickly.
The bad experience dates back several years to the time I lost my purse on a train. The good news is that the purse was found and turned in at the nest stop, Naples. The bad news is that apparently the people in Naples didn’t document what they did with my purse, and trying to track it down proved quite a challenge.
Eventually the lady who owned the hotel where we stayed located my purse at a Rome police station…..something the embassy couldn’t be bothered to do. I eventually emailed all the contact information to the Rome Embassy and after a long wait they mailed the purse back to me…..after I sent them the money to cover the postage. The whole experience left me very disappointed with the Embassy.
I guess bureaucracy is bureaucracy no matter where you go, but when you add Italians into the mix, things can really get tricky. There seems to be no sense of urgency for any Italian until they get into a car. Even when I told the (Italian) woman at the Embassy that my purse had been turned in, she advised me that it would just be easier to get a new passport! Oh yeah…what an easy process…..birth certificates, pictures, and don’t forget about the fees! Sheesh!
So back to the story……..we weren’t able to go to Rome with Judith because we just couldn’t get the train schedules to coordinate. I recently emailed her to find out how the trip went, and was (somewhat) surprised when she told me that what should have been a thirty minute stop at the Embassy turned into three hours!
Apparently in their over-zealous and misguided attempts to make the Embassy safe, women are no longer allowed to bring their purses into the Embassy. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to get by with just a wallet in my pocket like men do! And aside from that, if I were going to spend the day in Rome I’d probably take a very LARGE purse or backpack so that I would have a place to put things I’d bought.
When Judith asked the guard what she should do with her purse he suggested giving it to a passer-by or leaving it on the sidewalk. Huh?! And please understand, they didn’t even want to inspect her purse….it could have been an empty bag, but she was NOT allowed to bring it in. What world are these people living in? And who makes these ridiculous rules? Oh yeah, probably the same people who decided that nail clippers were deadly weapons. I wish I knew where to direct a complaint about this unreasonable and completely illogical policy. And these are the people we have to turn to when we have a problem……and they’re supposed to be on our side……
Eventually Judith left her purse with the concierge at a local hotel, but that’s certainly not a part of their job, especially when you’re not even a guest at the hotel! I guess this is an opportunity for some industrious person to make some money by guaranteeing the safe-keeping of purses and back-packs just outside the US Embassy. Maybe the Hard Rock Café across the street could help….
MAIL DELIVERY - ITALIAN STYLE
I know our firends who work for the Post Office will laugh at this one.....
A VISIT FROM THE WOOD FAMILY
I’ve been following the adventures of the Wood family on their blog. (http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/kaydee/) Kathy, Charley and twelve year old daughter Kelly are spending a total of fourteen months in Europe. They started off early last summer in the UK, then came over to continental Europe.
Initially they traveled around quite a bit, but always stayed at least a week in each location. Well, except for the time when the walked the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall at the England/Scotland border I guess! Once they had spent some time in Belgium and in Paris, they moved to Provence where they stayed for six months. Kelly attended the local school and they had their first real taste of living in Europe.
After leaving France they headed south to Italy and have been staying for a week or two at various locations. We knew they would be in Umbria at the end of June and had contacted them via email to invite them for lunch in San Venanzo. We were really anxious to meet this adventurous family and to hear more about the trip. Because they’re from Tennessee we felt as if we were practically neighbors in the states!
Kathy and Charley were interested to see what we had done to the house, partly because Charley is in the business of home renovation. Of course we proudly showed off what we had accomplished, and noted the hard lessons we had learned along the way.
Kelly fell in love with a small mosaic picture that we have hanging in the hall. We had bought this mosaic from a man who lives just outside of San Venanzo in the medieval city of Rotecastello. We told Kelly that if she was interested we could take her there after lunch.
We found Kelly to be a very bright and very interesting girl. I know that at her age I wouldn’t have been so open to this adventure, and I’m so happy for her (and her parents!) that she seems to be having a great time.
Kathy and Charley were so friendly and open….we had so much fun hearing about their travels first-hand, and they enjoyed hearing a little about our life here. They’ve made many of the same discoveries that we have about life in Europe…the sacrifices, the difficulties and the many, many rewards.
I had been uncertain about what to fix for lunch. Kathy had said that Kelly was a little picky, but didn’t indicate any major dislikes. Because the weather was still mild I decided to fix a pasta dish rather than something more suitable to an outdoor meal. I planned to have some pasta and a simple tomato sauce if Kelly didn’t like what I had prepared.
I fixed the “Lick Your Plate Pasta” recipe that I posted on the “1000 Recipes” blog. It’s a favorite of Art’s and is simple but still elegant. I made pasta the night before so that I wouldn’t be covered in flour when our guests arrived. I asked Kelly if she would prefer the dish without the sundried tomato pesto in the center, and she said yes. Everyone seemed to enjoy the dish, ESPECIALLY Kelly. She did try a taste of her mom’s with the pesto, but preferred hers without.
For dessert I made chocolate chip cookies and those too were a big hit. One by one they kept disappearing, and before the Woods went home I gave Kathy the few cookies that were left for Kelly to enjoy later.
We then drove the short distance to Rotecastello where our friend Francesco lives and works. He and his son were busy in the basement workshop preparing for a show.
We explained to Francesco’s wife that Kelly had seen our mosaic and would like to have one of her own. Although they had already loaded many of the mosaics into the car, Francesco graciously retrieved some of them for Kelly to see.
As was expected, the choices at first were over-whelming. Slowly but surely Kelly started to get a better idea of what she wanted and even began to ask “quanto costa” for the pieces she was interested in. 
They told us that they would make a special price for Kelly, and although tourists probably hear this a lot, I’m sure that in this case it was true. Kelly was really happy with her purchase, and it will be something she can keep forever as a wonderful souvenir of Italy.
We then drove down the road towards Fratta Todina because it has such fantastic views, then we took the SS 317 from Marsciano towards Pila. This, as I’m sure most people know, is one of our favorite drives. We had brought an empty five liter jug and planned to stop by a local vineyard, Cantina Busti in San Enea, so that Charley could get some local wine for the rest of their stay in Umbria. 
It was late afternoon before the Woods left San Venanzo and we wished they could have stayed longer. Their adventure will end on August 11th, but before they return to the states they’ll head north to Switzerland where they plan to do some serious hiking. We hope to see them again…..maybe we’ll stop by if we drive through Tennessee or maybe they’ll return to Italy one day.
SIMPLY LIVING
It occurred to me the other day that I hadn’t posted anything “meaty” in a while, and I started to think about what I should be writing about. We’ve been very busy ever since we returned from the states, mostly getting together with friends. We’ve hosted several get togethers at our house and have visited with friends, both new and old, at various locations. Some days we’ve simply stayed at home, enjoying the fantastic weather, listening to the breeze as it rushes through the trees behind our house. And then it struck me….we’ve begun a whole new chapter. Now the title of the blog REALLY applies….now we are simply LVING in Italy.
It’s not that I don’t expect there will be new challenges…I’m sure there will be plenty. And I still expect there might be a bureaucratic headache or three still in store….there’s no escaping that, especially in Italy. But, we’ve renovated the house, furnished it, planted the gardens, bought a car, established residency, found our favorite restaurants and shortcuts, and in generally, just settled into LIFE.
The most wonderful part about being retired and living in Italy is that we are still constantly in awe of our good fortune. This was never our lifelong dream, it just happened. We never expected to be able to retire ANYWHERE in our early and mid fifties. And yet here we are, ages 53 and (almost) 59, enjoying the sunflowers, watching the grapes get fat on the vine, checking the olives as they go from tiny, tiny flowers to dark green ovals filed with the oil we love so much.
We were lucky enough to realize what was truly important to us. Once we made the decision to move, Art sold his beloved BMW with only a tinge of sadness….but no regret. So many of the “things” we had accumulated over the years were sold at a loss or simply given away. Had we known earlier what our future held, perhaps we wouldn’t have bought so much “stuff”, but we enjoyed what we had, and when it was time to move on we did so with no regrets.
So now maybe the blog won’t be so interesting to other people, because now it’s just about us. About the little things we do or see that are memorable or noteworthy. Our neighbors in Rotecastello asked us if we’d like to help them at the festa next month, and of course we said yes. Last night we shared pizza with Belinda and Giacomo. We told Armando how much we’re enjoying the tomatoes from the plants he helped Art select. Just normal, everyday stuff….but with a twist……we’re in paradise...living simply...simply living.
1000 RECIPES
I'm participating in this project called 1000 RECIPES
http://1000recipes.blogspot.com/2004/12/project.html
I've just mailed book number 11 to Melanie in New York state. I was the fifth person to have book number 11. The previous four people had posted not only recipes but had drawn cute little pictures and decorated their pages quite artistically. All I did was write a bit about where the recipes had come from....guess my crreative juices area running low. Anyway, here are the three recipes I submitted....
LICK YOUR PLATE PASTA SERVES 4
1 TBSP BUTTER
1 LB TURKEY BREAST, BONELESS & CUT INTO PIECES
SALT & PEPPER TO TASTE
1 BAY LEAF
1 SPRIG PARSLEY
1 SPRIG THYME
2 CUPS CHICKEN STOCK
1 CUP DRY WHITE WINE
1 TBSP BUTTER
1 TBSP FLOUR
1 CUP CREAM
½ LB FETTUCCINI
½ CUP SUNDRIED TOMATO SAUCE (STORE BOUGHT)
2 TBSP CHOPPED FRESH BASIL OR PARSLEY
IN A LARGE SKILLET OR SAUCEPAN MELT 1 TBSP BUTTER & COOK THE TURKEY UNTIL GOLDEN. SEASON W/SALT & PEPPER. ADD THE SPICES, CHICKEN STOCK & WHITE WINE. LET SIMMER OVER LOW HEAR FOR 30 MINUTES. STIR IN THE MIXTURE OF FLOUR AND BUTTER. LET SIMMER UNTIL THE SAUCE THICKENS. ADD THE CREAM & BRING TO A BOIL.
COOK THE FUTTUCCINI WHILE THE SAUCE IS SIMMERING. SERVE THE TURKEY AND SAUCE OVER THE FETTUCCINI AND TOP W/THE SUNDRIED TOMATO SAUCE. SPRINKLE W/THE CHOPPED BASIL OR PARSLEY.
PUMPKIN SOUP
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 large shallots, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 lbs pumpkin flesh, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 lb russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tbsp salt
Black pepper
4 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add the pumpkin, potatoes, salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 45 minutes until the pumpkin is tender. Puree the soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pot, add the whipping cream and the parsley and stir. Check seasoning and serve immediately.
Serves 6
DEATH BY CHOCOLATE COOKIES
16 OZ SEMI-SWEET BAKING SQUARES, DIVIDED
¾ CUP FIRMLY PACKED BROWN SUGAR
¼ CUP BUTTER
2 EGGS
1 TSP VANILLA
½ CUP FLOUR
¼ TSP BAKING POWDER
2 CUPS CHOPPED NUTS (OPTIONAL)
HEAT OVEN TO 350º
COARSELY CHOP 8 OZ OF THE CHOCOLATE AND SET ASIDE.
MICROWAVE THE REMAINING 8 OZ OF CHOCOLATE IN A LARGE GLASS BOWL ON HIGH FOR 1-2 MINUTES. STIR CHOCOLATE UNTIL MELTED.
STIR IN SUGAR, BUTTER, EGGS AND VANILLA.
STIR IN FLOUR AND BAKING POWDER.
STIR IN RESERVED CHOPPED CHOCOLATE AND NUTS.
DROP BY ¼ CUPFULS ONTO AN UNGREASED COOKIE SHEET
BAKE FOR 12-13 MINUTES OR UNTIL COOKIES ARE PUFFED AND FEEL SET TO THE TOUCH.
MAKES ABOUT 1 ½ DOZEN
And here's one that I'd been craving and finally made a few days ago. I got this one back when I worked in the deli at Kroger!
GREEK PASTA SALAD
6 CUPS (UNCOOKED) ROTINI
1 CUP OLIVE OIL
4 TBSP LEMON JUICE
1 TSP SALT
½ TSP PEPPER
½ TSP OREGANO
1+ OZ GARLIC POWDER
2 CUPS PEPPER STRIPS, RED, GREEN, YELLOW
36 BLACK OR GREEN OLIVES, PITTED
3 CUPS FETA CHEESE, CRUMBLED
16 RADISHES, THINLY SLICED
½ CUP GREEN ONIONS, SLICED
8 TBSP PARSLEY, CHOPPED
COOK ROTINI AND RINSE W/COLD WATER TO COOL QUICKLY.
COMBINE OLIVE OIL, LEMON JUICE, SALT, PEPPER, OREGANO & GARLIC POWDER IN A SMALL BOWL AND WHISK UNTIL WELL BLENDED. CHILL.
COMBINE ROTINI, PEPPERS, OLIVES, FETA CHEESE, RADISHES, GREEN ONIONS AND PARSLEY IN A LARGE BOWL. POUR DRESSING OVER SALAD AND TOSS GENTLY TO COAT.
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Spina Bifida
