You have arrived at that part of the story where you will understand why this is my first entry, and with it Note to self #12: If you feel sick, don’t hesitate in going to the doctor. During the first week of classes my throat started hurting, but since it got better after a few days I ignored it, thinking that it was just another normal throat infection. In reality, I wasn’t that far from the truth, it was a normal throat infection, only I didn’t take into consideration the fact that I’m in another country, and thus there are many different types of bacteria to which I am not used. Also, the change in diet affects your immune system, and depending on the person it might make it healthier or not. In my case, it was the latter:
On a Tuesday I make an appointment to visit the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. On Wednesday, I visit the doctor and he tells me I have a normal throat infection (emphasis on normal) and that if I didn’t feel better within a few days then I should get antibiotics. Thursday I wake up with a huge ball on my neck, crying in pain, and unable to get up or do anything. I called the Palazzo and we made another appointment to see another doctor that same day. The second doctor starts me on antibiotics, and tells me to keep taking painkillers for the neck pain. Friday, I am completely under the influence of painkillers, which are the only thing that help me get through the day. Saturday and Sunday I kept getting better, the throat infection was gone but that ball on my neck wouldn’t go down. And here is when it gets interesting. Monday, I go back to the doctor because I don’t think that ball on my neck is normal, and how right I was. The doctor referred me to another doctor, a surgeon, and said I had to go immediately. He gets me into a cab and away I go. I get to the other doctor’s office and the first thing he says to me is: “Do you have everything you need to go to the hospital?” I felt my pupils dilate and my head spinning in circles. Hospital? What? Apparently I did have a normal throat infection that had spiraled out of control. The antibiotics dealt with the infection, but since that gland was already too big, the antibiotics had no effect on it and it kept growing. This is the next thing he said to me: “Yes, you have to have surgery to have that gland drained because we’re running the risk that the pus inside the gland starts spreading through your body, and the next places it might go are either your heart, your lungs, or your brain.” At this point I’m severely confused, not scared yet. There was no time to register what was going on. Long story short, by 9pm that night I was in a hospital bed with an IV in my arm, waiting to see if the inflammation would go down so I wouldn’t need to get surgery. Thankfully my awesome roommates responded very well, and one of them spent the night with me.
You’re probably dying to know what happened next, and you’re probably guessing right. Wednesday at 5pm I was put under general anesthesia so that a German and an Italian doctor could drain a gland in my neck. After the surgery I called my parents to tell them everything was ok. Thursday my parents tell me that my mom was going to come to Rome to take care of me. Friday, the AAP in Rome program headed to Napoli for the second field trip of the semester. They managed to leave before the first snowstorm in 25 years hit the city, which left the city in complete chaos. The roads were impossible to navigate, everything was full of snow. Sunday, my mom made it to Rome, and Monday I was let go. Everything was going back to normal at last. For about a week after, I had to visit the doctor everyday so he could drain the gland and clean the wound but at least I could go back to class and start having a normal life again. Intense right? Note to self #13: Never panic, make sure you keep your parents posted, and listen to your doctor, and remember, never panic. I had the luck that all of my doctors and nurses were great and on top of things all the time. If you ever need a doctor, ask Anna Rita or Pam, they were the ones who recommended these doctors.
After the whole hospital incident things have been running a lot more smoothly. The next time you read me you’ll read about our Tuscany field trip. So stay tuned!