July 23rd, 2023

My first message after a long silence.

To pick up where I left off: Deniz’s internship went well, and he will start his training at Viktoria on 2 August. The next day, he will attend an introductory day at the Tertianum group’s headquarters in Zurich. So, his professional training is well on track.

On Friday 14 July, René, my motorcycling colleague from Cologne, came to visit me in hospital. He’s spending a few days in Switzerland: first in Bern, then in the Grisons for an open-air festival. He’s staying at my place, I gave him the keys to my flat. René is the one I mentioned on my blog on 1 June; he gave me the book that inspired my plan to cross Australia by motorbike.

My surgeon confirmed I could leave hospital on Sunday late morning. The antibiotics seem effective, although the side effects are unpleasant. I’m constantly tired, dozing off throughout the day, which then makes it difficult to sleep well at night. And with the summer heat that doesn’t drop at night, finding sleep is even harder. I will receive my final antibiotic infusion on Sunday morning before finally being allowed home.

On Saturday, the chief physician, also a motorcyclist, who assisted my surgeon during the operations, came to update me on my care. She started by changing my bandage. This time, the wound is healing well, and I won’t require any further scar treatment. I’ll continue the antibiotics in tablet form for another week and keep taking six other medications depending on my pain level. One of these is an anticoagulant that I’ll need to take for the entire duration I wear the plaster cast. I have an appointment with my surgeon on 9 August for a check-up.

She outlined three possible scenarios:

1.    The most optimistic: removing the cast and starting physiotherapy. But that seems unlikely...

2.    A more realistic one: removing the cast, then wearing an orthopaedic shoe to stabilise the ankle and gradually begin moving without the scooter. That would be ideal.

3.    And finally, the worst scenario: a new operation to put back the screws and plate that were removed during my last surgery. At present, I have no fixation material in my ankle, making it unstable. But their removal was necessary for the antibiotic treatment due to the staphylococcus infection.

Last Sunday, I finally left hospital after my last dose of antibiotics. The infusion started at 7 am, it always lasts at least two hours; then they removed the catheter, placed a stitch, and a bandage. I was able to take a shower and pack my bags. After thanking the nursing team; always friendly and competent; I took a taxi home. What a joy to be back in my own place! René and Deniz were waiting. That evening, René offered to drive my car so we could go out for dinner and get some fresh air. We went to the Jägerheim (https://jaegerheim-belp.ch/) restaurant in Belp, near Bern. They have a beautiful, shaded garden. As soon as we sat down, I heard my name: the HR manager of my former employer was dining nearby with her family. We had a long chat about my situation, she follows my blog, and she was especially interested as she has family in Morocco. René ordered perch fillets, I had roast beef, it felt wonderful to eat out after the hospital stay.

The first night at home went well. No pain. I decided not to take any painkillers. The doctor had prescribed a full list of medications to take if needed, including the antibiotics in tablet form. On Monday morning, René accompanied me on my scooter to the pharmacy to collect everything. In the afternoon, he went for a ride on his KTM 1290. That evening, he cooked pasta with a delicious homemade Bolognese sauce.

On Tuesday morning, we went to my mother’s place. My car needed its MOT check, but it still had winter tyres. We loaded the summer tyres and brought everything back home. I hoped to book an appointment at the garage 100 metres from my flat during René’s visit… but sadly, it was closed for annual holidays! That evening, we went out for pizza at a local restaurant. The hospital food had been good, but a proper pizza remains an irreplaceable pleasure!

On Wednesday, I received the translations for my former employer’s client magazine. I checked that the translation was faithful to the company’s image and that the technical terminology in French was correct. Meanwhile, René went off for another motorbike ride. That evening, we returned by car to a restaurant known for its huge cordon bleus. The portions were enormous, we barely managed to eat two-thirds. The rest went home in doggy bags!

On Thursday, René left Bern for the Grisons for the festival. My flat regained its calm, though I really enjoyed his company. René has a strong, extroverted personality but is always very friendly, and we get along well. We’ve already shared many trips: motorbiking in France and Croatia, trekking in Indonesia, a train journey in Portugal, holidays in Malta, Athens, and Madeira. And last year, the highlight: a long trip through Latin America and Patagonia.

Thursday afternoon, I spoke with my lawyer about the case with my health insurer, KPT. She advised waiting until after my treatment before taking serious action. A comprehensive approach would carry more weight than a series of small steps. Meanwhile, KPT has started reimbursing the transport costs between my home and hospital. It seems my persistent emails have finally been heard. The dispute now concerns home care assistance and the living expenses incurred during my hospitalisation in Morocco.

On Friday, I returned to working on the translations. It keeps me occupied and maintains my connection with the company I worked for nearly 37 years!

Yesterday, Saturday, Deniz came by (he’s back living with my mother) and we went grocery shopping. After my hospital stay, the fridge was pretty empty! That evening, I did the laundry.

This year, I haven’t had the chance to care for my balcony flowers. Fortunately, Deniz planted some sunflower seeds that are growing well, along with a few other flowers. A little splash of life and colour that’s nice to see.