"My" Hospital

I love "my" hospital. Once or twice I week, I make the thirty minute drive to Fakultní nemocnice Ostrava (Teaching Hospital Ostrava). My dear friend, Lauren, often goes with me; she went a lot at the beginning to help with registration and translation. However, our doctor speaks great English, so sometimes, like today, just Brian and I go.

Some of the nurses recognize me, now, and so checking in is pretty simple. I go to the door, I smile, I point, the nurse that knows me, says, "I know . . . I know." She smiles.

Today, I had to bring my zkumavka na moc (vile for urine) with "moc" already in it. Yes, that's right, you bring your own vile, and you take care of things before you even get to the doctor. "My nurse" (the one who "knows" me) was so sweet to me today. She told me to come into the office; then, she said, "Mas zkumavka s moc (do you have your vile with urine)?" I said, "Mam (I have)." She then said (in Czech), "I don't know the English word for urine." I laughed; she laughed.

As Brian and I were headed up to the ultrasound room, he says, "they love you here." I said, "they are so gracious to me." And, they are! Both Brian and I are still taking Czech, but I'm only doing four hours a week now. With all the doctors visits and other life, that's all I can manage at the moment. However, I know that in a few years, if we just keep plugging away, it will make a difference. In the mean time, I know how to say, "I have my vile for urine" and even, "I need to buy a vile for urine". But, I also know how to apologize and smile, and that's working well too!

Our doctor is really great. He speaks great English, and he tells us what he's doing the whole time during the ultrasounds. Today's ultrasound went well. All the readings were good. The doctor also seemed more hopeful as I'm 26 weeks today. He said that 28 weeks is a big hurdle. Only two more weeks! Of course, the longer the better, but we are celebrating each week that these little guys are doing okay and still able to stay inside me!

Here is a picture of Lauren and I outside "my" hospital. This is also where the twins will be born.



The nice part about going there so often, is that it doesn't feel strange and foreign! What an incredible "up side"! Receiving care in a foreign country in another language could be so scary. I'm so thankful that it's not.