Unexpected Detours in Istanbul

After all the prescriptions? Advil and ice for now.

I'm typing with a sore shoulder, so this won't be a long entry.  It's been a LONG past four weeks for me. I'm about to depart for the U.S. soon.

Four weeks ago I fell down a few stairs at school.  I tell the story, when someone asks, by saying, "I was trying to go upstairs and downstairs at the same time!"  It's the easiest way to describe how I move around.  I still hear my dad's voice saying, "Margaret!! Slow down!!" He never quit telling me and I'm sure it will never sink in.

After I fell, I was escorted to the nurse's station (infirmary, as they call it at Eyuboglu).  I wasn't happy about it, I was fine and it was embarrassing to sit on the little table next to a child with ice on his elbow.  I fell on my right shoulder and had a good-size bump on my knee from the fall.

A week later, I was in emergency in pain in both shoulders and across my chest. I went to Florence Nightingale Hastanesi, close to where I live.  The doctor gave me a shot in my butt to help the pain and an oral medicine to calm me down.  I had my blood pressure taken and my temperature and that was it.   He told me I could return for psychological treatments, which he highly recommended for me.  He said I was overly anxious and needed to take time off from teaching and rest.  And he told me to stay away from air-conditioning, it wasn't good for me.  The shot had a good affect for the time and I went home.

The next day I realized what had happened.  The pain was unbearable. I knew it was real pain and I wasn't crazy.  I got an appointment with a specialist named Doctor Yazıcı in Moda and he gave me a thorough examination and requested some blood work be taken. He wanted to eliminate some things that could be causing the shoulders to be painful with no apparent reason. (He didn't feel the pain starting a week after the fall was related to the fall)  He wanted me off all muscle relaxants and pain killers) I waited for the results. Patience is not very strong when pain has the last word.

Four days later, I was back in emergency. This time I went to the Amerikan Hastanesi. (a recommended hospital from my health care provider.  I thought of calling them when I realized how much each test and doctor visit was costing me in cash)  I couldn't manage the pain myself and couldn't bear to go another night in pain with no sleep.  They did an EKG and then gave me relief by IV for the pain. They scheduled a MRI and X-rays for the following morning.

Seeing the morning begin...

On and on it went.  I attempted to sleep sitting up, unable to lay down because of the pain.  Walking seemed to be the only thing that deadened the pain some. 

The MRI results showed tendonitis on both sides (more on the right) and a large calcium deposit on the right side.  It was real.  After a shot into the tendon two days later and more sleepless nights, I now handle the pain better. I've been to physical therapy twice and have five more days of teaching before school is done for the year.  I'm wearing a sling most of the day (more to remind me to be careful and not lift or over-extend the arm)

I've cancelled my travel plans visit to London and Ireland, and now plan to come home in seven days.  I'll probably be continuing physical therapy in Michigan.

I didn't mention my electricity has gone out twice in the past two weeks. My refrigerator went on the blink and the gas tank on the stove is empty.  Ice is an important factor in controlling the pain. (You have to have a working refrigerator AND electricity so you can make ice).  You can't just go to a store here in Istanbul and get a bag of ice. Normally, I wouldn't really mind. 

Am I fed up with Istanbul? No, I love it here.  I will miss this place and the people.  Yes, I will appreciate seeing my own physician. I will like to be able to get in a car to go get my groceries. (instead of making several trips walking, because I can only carry them with one hand)

I am sitting next to my wide open window.  I feel the cool breeze off the Bosphorus. I hear the birds singing and the honking horns on the street down below.  There's a magic to Istanbul.  I know I will return.  

I wanted to tell my readers where I've been,  not just to whine.  I have so much to write, but it aggravates the shoulder. For now, I'll have to wait.  I'll continue to write when I get a chance from my stain-glass eye viewpoint, so please don't give up on checking for a new entry now and then.