February 8th...Off to the hospital

Buon Giorno mi amici,


Hope you are all well.  It has been a couple of days since I have shared a story with you.  On Saturday night I had a dinner party and invited a couple of my new friends to share in some delicious osso bucco.  I didn't realize that this was an authentic florentine dish.  We had so much fun and laughed through the evening.  On Sunday I was to have met my friend Susan at the bus station to do a last trip to Ikea.  As I left my house I turned on my phone and there was a text from her saying she had a fall on her way home and would not be able to meet.  I called her immediately.  She is doing fine...she missed a step in front of one of the Theatres and took a tumble.  The roads are a mixture of cobble stone, flagstone type rock and cement and very uneven.  As a result she broke her arm and at 5 am decided to go to the emerg department.  They xrayed and suggested she come back on Monday to see the orthopaed guy as there was no one available on Sunday.  I guess these doctors aren't on call :)  On Monday I met with her at the emerg department...I was very curious to see the inside of the hospital and of course wanted to be there to support her.  I know how scary hospitals can be for some people and how it affects them.  She was fine and taking it all in stride.   The doctor decided not to cast it and advised her to come back in 7 days and they would xray it to see if the bone had shifted.  Her arm needs to be immobile and is in a sling.  Now this can be tricky...especially when you walk on these narrow streets..people are not that cognicent of where they are going and there is always the chance of getting bumped checked.  He also gave her a presciption for some daily injection I would think to reduce inflamation, it started with an f and could be anything as it was in Italian.  She is a real trooper giving herself these injections.  And he suggested the arm would be healed in 3 weeks.   She is on the mend.


The hospital is old...what can I say.  I actually felt like I was in some kind of time warp.  The waiting room had about ten chairs and most of them were filled.  The clerk making appointments indicated that all the stalls were filled.  So I imagine that would be called a 'bed crisis'...well not really I would hardly call it a bed alert.  I think they just send people home and rebook appointments.  It was quite interesting really...it took more time to rebook my friend's appointment than it did for her to see the doctor.  The building is in dire need  of repair and the equipment is quite antique looking.  They had computers but they would continually freeze up.  And the paperwork...well I guess it would be no different as in our hospitals.  Everyone was friendly though and people smiled which was nice to see.  Those coming in on stretchers were primarily elderly...not much of a surprise to me.  I forgot to ask the clerk if they had social workers in the hospital.  One thing I noticed that was hospitable was on one side of the wall in the emerg waiting room they had a cart and on it were various kinds of juices and water and you could basically help yourself.  Nice touch to a very antiquated system.


Another observation I made was that there are a limited amount of homeless people in Florence.  You do not see the guy wrapped up in a sleepbag on the corner in the middle of the day.  First off the corners are not really big enough to pass let alone to set up house.  In front of the supermarkets you will see young and old gypsy women with their little cups sitting to the left of the entrance asking for donations.  Occasionally I will come across a young male teen with his dog asking for money.  I have met the two drunks in town and when they get revved up watch out.  The other night one started yelling at me because I wouldn't give him money...God bless him on his journey.  I am curious as to where the rest have them have gone...or is their social system such that these people are taken care of.  I must ask that question to satisfy my curiosity.  Maybe Italy..or Florence rather has put resources towards mental health.  


Florence appears to be a transient city much like San Francisco.  I read in a paper the other day that the Minister of Education has decided to put a cap on the number of foreign children attending their public schools and it was to be no more than 30 percent of the entire school.  There are a lot of foreigners living here...just go to the Questura on any given day and you would be amazed.  I also learned from a new friend that I met last week that Florentinians pretty much keep to themselves and forget about trying to get into their social circles.  They are like the elite...similar behaviour to the Parisians.  In other words can be very snobby.  Everyone I have met this far have been none other than friendly and courteous.  People are pleasant.  


So on that note I will bid you arrivederci and see you soon.  Next week I will be away for ten days so will not have access to my blog.  This Sunday I am going to see David.  The man with the big hands.  Okay now...I know what you are thinking...it is the real statue by Michaelangelo.  L'Accademia is one of the main art gallery/museums here in Florence.  Buona giornata.  Caio.