09.01.08

September – Italy - Ileus

My husband and I were so excited to finally plan a vacation outside the US. We felt that since it had been 2 years post ostomy surgery, all health concerns were behind us and we were free to travel internationally. I had always wanted to go to Italy, where my mom was born and experience my true heritage. So tickets were purchased and off we went, my husband and Anna in tow.

We stayed in two places while we were there; the first was a bed and breakfast in a small town 2 hours north of Rome on an Island called Mt. Argentario. Everything was fantastic and we felt we were truly submerged in the Italian culture. The places we visited were filled with Italians on vacation and you never saw anyone from the US.

Then on the 4th day, something strange happened. I was putting my daughter to bed and started to feel some cramping. So I did the usual and drank LOTS of water and moved around. To no avail, the cramping got worse and I realized I was experiencing a full blown blockage. Several hours passed and after much pain and vomiting we realized I needed to get to an ER for some medical attention. But this is the kicker, we are staying at a bed and breakfast where no one spoke English (and unfortunately we do not speak Italian) and in our room there were no phones! Luckily, we were traveling with close friends who were native Italians. So at 3am in the morning, we woke them up and asked to be driven to the closest ER. We couldn’t even drive ourselves because the of the language barrier on top of now knowing anything about the location of where we were. (Usually when researching the area before traveling, hospital locations were not on the priority list!)

We find ourselves in an Italian ER, my husband watching my 3 yr old in the waiting room while my friend is trying to effectively translate my medical situation and history to the ER doctors. On a bed, I am bent over in excruciating pain and vomiting every few minutes trying to feeding my friend the answers to the doctors’ questions.

After many tests, I ended up having to be admitted to the hospital. I woke the next morning to a room filled with doctors probing me like I was some experiment, asking questions and speaking to be in Italian. FINALLY about an hour or so later, the blockage cleared and I got relief. I was asked to stay for 4 additional days and told them I was ready to go and knew how to handle things going forward. (Handling things meant a clear liquid diet for several days, something that was not easily done in a place known for their amazing food) The next day we were traveling to Rome for 3 days and then would be flying home. I was so thankful to the doctors and staff that took care of me, in a country with a different language and style of healthcare, they were unbelievably passionate and sympathetic while at the same time very professional and were able to treat me effectively! After getting discharged “AMA”(against medical advice) they continued to offer assistance - writing a letter in Italian explaining the ordeal, just in case I would have more complications in Rome and would need to be seen in the ER there as well.

Personally, I have learned that when going to a country where you do not know the language, it may be wise to stay in either a hotel where they do speak English OR stay in American hotel chains! You can never prepare for everything, so if something SHOULD go wrong, it’s wise to be able to communicate easily with someone as well as maybe also knowing where the closest ER is located!