HEALTH CARE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY
What I Understand After 16 Weeks of Medical Care in France
Competency helps heal the body, but other qualities are needed
Last year was the Hip-Op, this year it’s the Battle of Wounded Knee. I’m fortunate that at 79, I’ve never experienced — or needed — as much medical care as I’m still receiving. More than three months since my knee replacement surgery at the end of May, I still have daily visits from a rotation of nurses who arrive each morning to change the dressing, check for infection, take blood tests and carry out various other tasks that must be done daily.
It took me a while to remember all their names — Melanie, Elise, Corinne, Marianne and Séverine. Some speak a little English, others none at all. I listen carefully, pick out the words I recognise and try to make sense of what they’re telling me. Context helps. When I want to ask an important question, I use Google Translate.
I watch their faces as they remove the dressing, inspect the wound, then take a photograph for the agency. Their faces sometimes tell me more than their words. A frown can dampen my spirits, even reduce me to tears on a bad day.
All seem efficient and experienced. They carry small black bags with scalpels, tweezers and other…
