Wow, what a week it has been! So many new experiences, and plenty more ahead. I've learned a lot being "handicapped", and its not nearly as fun and games as some people make it out to be. Europe is not handicap accessible, but I am making it work! Thankfully, Cynthia has been extremely helpful. She's pushes me all over the place, and gives me my injections (eeek!). 28 days till the cast is off, not that I'm counting or anything.
This guy Brian, pushed me to the hospital earlier this week, and I told him he could leave since I didn't know how long it would take. The lady said an hour, and after examining the room with like more than 50 people in there, I thought to myself, no way...I'll be here forever. Well in an hour I had seen a doctor, had the temporary cast off, and my foot x-rayed and was waiting for my real cast. It was crazy! I honestly felt like I was in an assembly line. They call your name, you go in one of two doors. There sits a panel of three doctors, a nurse, and someone taking notes. They get right down to it, "when did you do it", "how did you do it", "where did you do it", etc. They went to take my temporary cast off, and they were completely confused by the Ace bandages. It was funny watching them try to take it off. Finally the one nurse was going to cut it off, and I was like, here, this is how you do it. They found it "komisch". I'm not sure if that's good or bad? Anyways, time to get x-ray. A guy comes in pushes you down the hall (like 3 doors down) and you wait for your name again. They helped me up on the table, and unlike home where they put each x-ray "sheet" under the part being x-rayed, the "sheet" is like built into the table already, so they just turn you how they need you, and finish up. Back in the wheelchair, and back down the hallway to the same doctors. Ok, your leg is broken, we are going to do this, this, and this, and oh by the way, you need an injection everyday...starting now. At this point I lose it and start crying, and they decided to wait until someone could come be with me. The doctor kept laughing, he's like why are you terrified, you're so funny. I kept saying, I don't know what to expect, this is all new! Anyways, they took me over to get the cast, and halfway through that process the doctor comes in and said, we have to give this to you NOW (the injection), and doesn't even give me a chance to think about it. lol I started yelling, "es brennt, es brennt!" (it burns), and they kept saying "es ist normal" (it is normal). Anyways, injections for a month...yeah, not a favorite. Thankfully Cynthia, the other grad student in the building does them for me. And she stays pretty entertained by my antics.
School-wise I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, which I expected, but doing a grad program in another language just seems like a much different level than I had expected. Even our intro to grad studies is in German! And that seems like it will be the hardest class too...
I had my first dumur yesterday, its like a doner kebap only its in a burrito, and its bigger. I keep forgetting to eat...I think the shots are making me eat less. Anyways, extremely good dumur! Best thing I've had to eat yet. We also went out to have a drink with another guy, Scott, in our program. We ended up at the bar right across the street from our dorm. The beer was sooo good. It was just such a beautiful evening!
Speaking of weather, it has been extremely BEAUTIFUL here! 70s at daytime, a bit chilly at night-light jacket weather. Unfortunately tomorrow that is supposed to break, and we will be having intensive rain from what it sounds like. Needless to say, I will be staying in because wearing a trash bag on my foot outside of the comforts of my shower (to keep the cast dry), does not seem fun at all!
I can't wait to update you all again! Stay tuned :)
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