Thursday, June 17, 2010

Day Two/Three June 17, 2010

Had a few procedures and tests done at the Asklepios Hospital today.  An EKG and ultrasound for the heart to determine whether the port can be installed without risk.  That turned out just dandy by the way.  
We were sent home within 45 minutes WITH the test results in hand.  How's that for speed?  And all for 247 Euro's.  It practically costs me that to get my teeth cleaned.  

Asklepios is a greek god of medicine and healing.  The sign outside refers to it as a Krankenhaus.  Sounds like crankyhouse to me.  
I think it's important to let my hubby know that they offer this clinic at Asklepios. 
I think he should come and take advantage of this asap.
And Mom?  
She was taking it all in stride.
A waiting room televising the World's Cup soccer match of the day?

She could've waited all day with no crankiness whatsoever.

Guten Morgan, wie geht's?

Points of interests and not so:
Laundry facilities for public use are unavailable here at the clinic or anywhere locally.
This creates an interesting dilemma.
Do I case out the nearby valley for a local stream and bring my bar of soap?

Public washroom facilities are also a novelty.  Unless you find a fairly upscale restaurant with such a luxury, one's request is met with a shrug of the shoulder.   You have the option of playing the charade game to get the point across and follow an animated set of directions in German.  This could be highly entertaining.

There are no screens in the windows or doors.  Move the handle down to lock.  Move the handle to a centre position to open.  Move it upward to tilt the top of the door forward a few inches for some fresh air.  It's all very... provincial.
I couldn't get my patio door to stay shut at all and eventually moved a chair in front of it to keep it closed until the morning when the resident Mr. Fix-it Stop's 'em Fella came to show me a thing or two about European doors.

There are cows mooing in the pasture behind us.
There are two horses eating grass in front of a house about 90 seconds down the road in front of Leonardis.  They are the size of a Clydesdale.

This is a sugar free, wine free facility.
This is a cruel realization.

I humour myself however, with the small gains today.  Fritz the cab driver made a detour to Faukland (Germany's diminutive WalMart) on our way 'home' from the Asklepios Klinic in Bad Tolz.  He even escorted me into the supermart to scout out some shampoo and laundry soap.  
I was using the shampoo today and suddenly thought:  What if Fritz thought I meant Hair Remover??  
.... It was the quickest application and wildest rinse of my life.  
Six dice.  It's Mom's game and I need to prove to my sisters back home that I am sacrificially honing my skills.  In fact, I beat Mom two out of three today before supper arrived.  Hey.  I tried not to but only a seasoned gambler would know how to manipulate dice.  And I'm not seasoned.

The food is really good.  Yesterday I tried Ostrich Stew.  
I had to block out that pervasive mental image of a very tall beady-eyed bird staring me down,
but eventually my taste buds won out.  

Mom is getting infusions intravenously (thru a vein in her hand) until the port is installed in her chest cavity.  We take a cab back to Asklepios tomorrow for that procedure.  We may cajole Fritz (or Victor or Hans:) to make another detour of interest on the way back?  
I still have my hair on my head -- it seems the man can be trusted after all.