My Last Trimester in Rome

Day 29 in Roma

Looks like I am going to be here 60 days total and I am now at the half way point. The New Year wasn't that great. They set off the canons at the Vatican at midnight and you truly think you are being bombed...Now I know how the British felt in World War II. It was kind of scary. The hospital let the parents come in at midnight again to see our babies and a priest comes to help bring in the new year...carrying a bottle of spumante...it was very festive. They do not call this the pope's hospital for nothing. There are priests and monks everywhere here.

Nicolas is doing better. He is not quite 4lbs. I am hoping he catches up a bit on the weight gain. His little arms are tapped from the IVs and now they are putting his IV in his head and as as normal as they say it is...it still freaks me out every time I see him. His apnea (Pause in breathing) is essentially gone and was likely caused by his other infection in his kidneys. He has not had an episode for two days now when I am in there with him. Keep your fingers crossed Nic has his first MRI to see more closely the status of brain happens tomorrow...another long day for me.

Speaking of which...I have been sick since Christmas with a fever and sore throat...thought I had licked it and then it came raging back high fever...etc. on New Year's Day (Cappodanno -- New Year's Day) I was not able to see Nic for a few days and the nurses were so nice to him so he was not the only baby not getting a visit. Of course I realized I had a fever after holding him and worried for days he would get what I have,..but so far nothing. I will attach some new pic's from New year's Eve later. I am the one with the mask to keep my germs off of him.

I wanted to let you know a little about this neat hospital I will never know how I ever ended up at other than to say I guess it was fate like the doctors tell me. Here is an article I found about the hospital, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4230519.stm
I am told that if I were to say the name Gemelli Hospital or the Pope's Hospital anywhere in Europe, they would know this place.

I have made friends with two of the neonatalogists doctors (dottores) who have helped Nicolas. They often give me books to read and advice on what to do here and have offered to help me in any way they can. Dr. Luca Magi one of the dottores offered an extra room in his house for me to live. I didn't know doctors could be so nice. That is the neatest thing about Italians that I have noticed from all of them. It is not so much that they are friendly it is that they are just not shy. They intermingle with the patients go out for coffee and hang out with us in general. It is like camp where you get to know your counselors in a way and wierd since I have never had this experience with doctors at home. There are no doctors with God complexes here that I have met so far ...just a lot of optimistic people who like their jobs...how original.

As a matter of fact while out talking one night with those docs ..both Dr. Luca Magi (a man) and Dr. Daniel DeLuca I told them to come and see me when they come to Los Angeles. Dr. Luca Magi told me o.k. the next day he gave me his May itinerary to come to California. You know what...I THINK HE MEANS IT... I think he is coming to see me in May!!!

Anyway I received a package from home today with the movie 40 year old virgin in it. I am watching that drinking a bottle of prosecco given to me as a gift by someone here and just downed some cold medicine hoping I can sleep and will probably stay up until I hear how the MRI went...so I better go before this message begins to slur...Keep in touch and if you want to send me postcards to remind of what Orange County still looks like.

I am in apartment now. The hIlton was so great and I do mean great a 6 star hotel in every way but the extremely reduced rate they were going to charge me even with free meals and a lot of help they gave me was too much for a month and maybe longer so I rented an apartment nearby. You can reach me anytime at
011 - 39- 06-35589 and
address is
Villa Residence Tassoni
Viale Medaglie d'Oro 138
Apartment No. 36
00136 Roma, Italia.

posted by Tonto @ 2:42 AM