Still Making Housecalls!

Perhaps only Americans will truly appreciate what happened here a few weeks ago (that I forgot to blog about). It was like a scene out of Little House on the Prairie! The Italians may not be so surprised, but I mention it because it is one of the wonderful things about the Italian Healthcare system. Mostly, people complain about the state of healthcare here, but that is understandable because it has always been available for next to nothing. Things are changing (as in you have to pay for things now, but not everything and when you do it costs about the same as what you would pay with insurance on the day of the visit in the States).

One night about a month ago, my husband had terrible stomach cramps after dinner. They continued until he went to bed. Poor guy, he was literally moaning in pain from his side of the bed. I told him to go to the bathroom, the only place where problems like these get solved. So that is where he spent most of the night.

He was miserable and erupting at both ends. Finally he said he couldn't take it anymore. He was scared it would never end. He decided to call the hospital. He told them his condition was not life threatening but he didn't know what else to do.

They told him to call the Guardia Medica. You do that and within a few minutes the doctor calls you back. He asked a series of questions and when he understood the problem he asked if husband could come to his office. Husband said he was not able to drive (for fear of another acopalypse) and besides that, I couldn't take him because our young daughter was sleeping.

Ok, he said.

Then HE came to OUR HOUSE. Yes, at 5:00 am this kind man came to our humble apartment and gave my husband a big fat shot in the behind and left him a pack of immodium.

I felt so grateful and husband finally got some sleep. He snoozed like a baby until noon.