I had spent the last three weeks looking like this … You know what they say … an Apple a Day … try three apples …
I woke up early …. today was the day! I go back to the hospital and find out how my ankle was doing. My angels would be Kristen & Yoanna this time (Yoanna is holding up my appointment card in her hand)
When we first arrived we went to door 108 and waited for a nurse to come out, see our appointment card, and tell us that we were in the right place. While were waiting Kristen said "Jess, Isn't that the lady from before?" as she pointed to an older lady walking down the hallway. It was!!!! I jumped up, on my one good leg, waving and smiling. It was the older lady I had let skip me in line here three weeks ago. She didn't seem to be as bad off as the last time I saw her. I gave her a big hug. i just felt so blessed to be seeing her and connecting with her once more. Yoanna tried to translate when I asked "How she was doing?" Im not sure I really understood what her current state was. I just felt she needed prayer and blessing. i held on to her through our short conversation. I looked into her sweet sad eyes, put my hand to her cheek, and said… "Awe, God Bless You"
Then we waited some more. Door 108 opened and closed a few times with employees going in and out. I didn't see my doctor anywhere. I really wanted to see him again. Finally, when the nurse came out, Yoanna showed her my appointment card. She told us we needed to go to door 123. Okay, this was on the other side of the hospital … time to start hopping. I actually love hopping on my right leg. My leg has become so strong and Im really good at it. It also seems to bring joy to the people around me (I get laughed at but Im laughing too.) It definitely brings joy in an interestingly good way. I've had fun with it all month. It was better than my nearest option… a blood covered wheel chair ….
(Things always look better in pictures than they really are … You can see the blood on the foot rest.. but it was also smeared on the seat and top of the hand rails.)
Yoanna, Kristen, and I found door 123. I joked how I liked those numbers, they make sense, and so I had a good feeling about this door. A lady sitting at a bench near the door had space next to her. She motioned for me to sit next to her. She had plaster wrapped up her leg above her knee. Yoanna translated for me. It was a knee injury. I remembered how I had dislocated my knee when I was younger. Knee injuries are awful and take so much time to heal. I was sorry for her and thankful for my less injured self. She noticed my cross necklace and said "Bog da vi blagoslovi!" I knew what this meant "God Bless You" I smiled and said it back. She siad I am a Christian. She was beautiful and sweet. I showed her my appointment card. She let us know we had to go get a number first from a window, down the hall. Yoanna went and got my number. It was number 36 (my age) I liked this number too. Just another gentle reminder from God…. that He was with me and directing things. I knew it would be like every other day I spend in His will … wonderfully blessed.
I sat being entertained by the contradictions to my hospital standards and taking pics. Kristen sat across from me picturesquely reading her bible. There was fabric hanging in doorways that led outside. Broken cement and stones along the walls and doorways (construction?) The walls were really dirty. Trash and bottles laid out in the hallway. I didnt know what the bottles and trash bags said but I did know the "biohazard" symbol. Occasionally a nurse, employee. or a patient would walk by holding something gross (urine sample, blood and iodine covered things) At one point I looked over at Kristen and said "Did you see that? … She had a urine sample in her hand." Kristen said "I thought it was coffee." Then I said "Yellow coffee?" She actually couldn't see the liquid in the plastic cup from her vantage point. I said "Kristen, Don't drink the yellow coffee!" This became our silly catch phrase of the day. Several patients were roaming the halls with their samples. it was strange.
Then I saw my doctor walk out of door 123. I got excited, he was here, I would get to see him. We were called into 123 soon after. The nurse looked at my appointment card, number, and took down my name. Then she sent us back into the hall to wait for him. Then the doctor went back into 123. I watched then as others, who were before me, were called in by the nurse to see him. I talked to Yovanna about how I thought the day might go. I explained to her I might need a CTscan. I wanted her to know we may be here most of the day. Then door 123 opened and Dr. Shovec himself excitedly called out "JENNIFER!" I said "JESSICA!" in a loud correcting voice. I smiled jumped over to him and gave him a big hug! He had a huge smile. The last time I was here he kept calling me Jennifer. He never got it right but he did remember me. It was funny because I know my name was written correctly on my appointment card, that he wrote out. The nurse also had my correct name. It was almost as a running joke between him and I.
I sat down on the stained bed surrounded by very sketchy looking stuff …
(Don't drink the soda here either)
Dr. Shovec asked " Do you have any pain?' I happily said "Nope, and I've stayed completely off it." Then he said "When do you leave the country" I said "The 30th" He answered with "We will take the cast off today." I was surprised I thought he would required another CTscan. Then he sent me back to 108 to have it taken off. I asked "will I see you again?" Concerned that I needed him to look at my ankle again after the cast came off and I also just wanted to see him again. I liked joking with him and making him smile. I was in his office for not even 2 minutes. We seemed to both brighten each other in this typically dismal place. He assured me that he would look at my ankle after my cast was off, and he would come to me in 108. So I hopped back to the other side of the hospital. Kristen and strangers were laughing at me. i was hopping and laughing. My momentum would get going and I couldn't stop. I cut off one guy in the hallway by accident. I yelled to him "Excuse me, even though this is English and you dont understand!" Yoanna, Kristen, and I laughed harder. My hopping around Bulgaria was becoming my trademark. I would really miss this in a small weird way.
I was soon called in to 108 to get my cast off. I akwardly climbed up on the bed, short and one legged. I glanced around the room. Yep just like I remembered it. I had Kristen capture some of the scary plaster mess this time. I had later found out that plaster is all the people here can afford. The fact that some of the plaster jobs looked so bad was because to save money… they wrap and plaster themselves.
A guy came in to take my cast off. I expected the nice safe little electric saw I had seen used on my daughter in the States. It makes a quick, easy, and neat cut. Nope! This is the PLASTER hospital. I should have known, not even once during either hospital visit did I see anyone else with a cast. He had big, safe cutting, but just scissors. It took him some time. I cringed as the pressure from the scissors pushed against my injured ankle. He was also butchering my beautiful flower cast. I had told him I wanted to keep it. (Go ahead …Laugh …and then ask yourself "Seriously? .. She's keeping it? … and carrying it around for the next three months?)
I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone else, in a very defensive and hurt tone, with a pout on my face …
"IT'S NOT A CAST … IT'S A SNOW BOARDING TROPHY!"
This very happy (sarcasm) cast butcherer threw it out after he took it off of me. I saved it though! I could tell he wasnt used to removing casts and didnt really have the proper tool. I don't think he even really believed I was going to keep it.,
Then Dr. Shovec came in and checked on me (short video below.) He said I would need some physical therapy. Im leaving the country though in five days. He gave me a prescrption for some special ergonomic ankle wraps. Then I "Youtubed" physical therapy for ankle injuries. Currently walking is uncomfortable and weird. It feels like needles or shocks through my foot when I try to walk. Dr. Shovec assured me this would only last a few days, as would the swelling. He siad " You can walk!" Today there wasn't much waiting. It was all maybe three hours. It went smooth and I didn't have to pay for anything at the hospital.
Oh and I only saw one smoking doctor today. He was taking his break and smoking right next to me while Dr. Shovec looked at my ankle. It was still shocking when he lit up and started smoking next to me. However, Kristen and I laugh about it now.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS!
THANK YOU GOD FOR A DAY FILLED WITH SMILES AND
THANK YOU FOR THE HEALING YOU HAVE DONE AND WILL DO!
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL COMMENTS PEOPLE WILL START LEAVING UNDER MY BLOGS … LETTING ME KNOW THEY ARE STILL READING THEM! (HINT HINT)
HERE IS A GLIMPSE AT MY DOCTOR … I LOVE HIM! …
