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Astratigos
Village Life....(continued
from last month).... Link
So there I still was... Still sporting my best and brand new (well, still only hours old!)
paralysed right arm and leg, but now, having gone to hospital voluntarily, the
situation seemed to be deteriorating. No one wanted me to go home. That I
wanted to didn't seem to be within the hearing range of anyone
else!
Then things, including me, my wife and my friends moved rapidly. I don't
really remember who started the race. One minute I was lying comfortably on
the examination couch - the next I was been driven (as only Greeks can drive)
out of the Emergency room, along corridors, into a lift, more corridors and finally
into the male 'Pathology' ward, four floors above! Most definitely not my
interpretation of 'I want to go home now'...
Accepting that Greek seems a difficult language for many English people
- 'Pathology' is what happens after you are dead. Yet here I was,
already examined by a 'Pathologist' who had sent me to the male 'Pathology'
ward! No one seemed to have been able to hear my polite requests to go home -
or - sweet Jesus - maybe it had been interpreted as 'Departure'.. Was I
already on my way? Was the 'Pathologist' on his? Was I dead?....
Nektarios appeared in the wake of the trolley and in no time had me hooked up
to a (excuse the pun) heady mix of intravenous drugs. Or - a sudden unwelcome
flash of (distorted) insight - he was the 'pathologist' -
maybe he was embalming me already!! But then I realized that that would be the
undertaker, not the pathologist.... And since a pathologist would not need to
give an anesthetic, I must be still alive... Good thinking....
I was hospitalized for four days only. But four days is a while when nurses
only give drugs. Your family (or a hired nurse) must care for you in
hospital! No sweat, my wife Pam is a highly qualified, albeit retired,
nurse. She took the first night and all the next day, after which our Cretan
friend Adonis arrived to take the night shift. Nothing like a telephone
engineer to look after you when in hospital.
Adonis was superb... I wanted for nothing and he did not eat my stafylia
(grapes). Because he was also working in the day he had brought his camp bed
and blanket. Then he went to sleep by my bedside. Within easy earshot
but not reach. I was still propped up by the adjustable bed head. Until
just after he reached slumberland that is...
I began to slide gently down the bed as the sheet lost it's grip on the shiny
waterproof mattress cover beneath. 'Adonis'.... 'ZZzzzz'.
'Adonis'.... 'ZZZzzzZzzzz'. 'ADONIS'..... He just grunted, turned over
and slumbered on!
I was now so far down the bed that I could use my good leg on the bottom bed
rail to stop the slide, but as my leg weakened I began to double in the
middle as my weight pushed inexorably down... Being an experienced 'hospitalier' I
recognized my predicament and knew the answer. Simple. The
call system. Push the button, get assistance... The button, of course was on
the panel on the wall behind my bed - but the extension button was right here
with me - in the bed. Under my back, assisting my propulsion downwards like a
round pole under a board. With the button right next to my paralytic hand!
By 6am I was desperate. Contorted. Wanted a wee! Exhausted with muscles
screaming - the ones that worked anyway. An then - salvation. Adonis
awoke...
He rolled off his camp bed, stood up, yawned and stretched,
arms above his head - and before I could decipher his Greek - 'Good morning,
looks a nice day, I'm just going to the canteen to get a coffee, back soon' -
he was gone! People leaving quickly was becoming a familiar feature of my
predicament. First the
Neurologist, now Adonis....
Two angels arrived. No, not the sort with wings. The sort with nurse's
uniforms - complete with nurses still in them. Like night nurses the world
over they were making a final check before going off duty. I was flipped upright and
straightened, my bed-head dropped flat. At last I was able to lie down! And it
was only daybreak! Maybe I would survive after all.....My drip was still
dripping so I couldn't be dead.
'Good morning, how are you'? Adonis had returned... Malice aforethought I saw
my chance.. 'Had a good night'? I sought... 'Yes Ok' he replied,
'You'?...
'Fine' I lied, 'but I need a bottle'. 'Oh'. 'Oh, a bottle' he replied,
bright as a new button! The thought was increasing my desperation. 'I'll get
one' he said, and was gone......
To be continued next month.... |
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APRIL
WEATHER ....
Improved rapidly over the month. There were some very cold, very wet and a
smaller number of very, very stormy days. But by the end of the month you
could well be forgiven for believing that spring is here and summer just
around the corner.....
Latest
Crete Weather Link.
In the News... Reviews..
Odysseas alive and well...
'Odysseas' - a nine year old boy who went missing
during a walk with his parents in the forested Mochos area of Crete on Sunday
8th of April, was discovered after an extensive search, safe and well, the
following day... A nice end. Link
to Story.
The original Odysseus survived too..
Gavdos, off Paleochora on the south coast of Crete saw Odysseus and St Paul survive shipwrecks there. It has also seen Rolling Stones Ron Wood
and Mick Taylor, artist Joni Mitchell; Arab pirates, the Venetians, the
Germans, Greek political prisoners - and summer tourism! Take a look...
Link
to Story.
Gavdos may well bring more visitors...
Directly to Crete. The only general access route to this increasingly
noticeable small island is via the southern Cretan port of Paleochora - itself
a popular holiday resort. As Crete becomes even more popular, attention will inevitably
turn to improving islands like
Gavdos... Link
to Story.
Plus Samaria Gorge reopens ....
A Cretan National Park, ancient home of Paliochairi flora and fauna
re-opened subject to weather conditions, on April 20th. No opologies - look at
this too.
(item 8) Link
to Story.
Cretan olive oil reigns supreme...
The winners of the 2nd Panhellenc competition to find the best extra virgin
olive oil in Greece all came from Crete - from Sitea; Kolimbari; and Irakliou.
Link
to Story.
And Cretan 'Spar-adise' opens...
As Greek Tourism Development Minister Fanni Panni-Petralia and Chania born Foreign
Minister Dora Bakoyiannis cut the Ribbon opening this 'Super-Spa' at Elounda.
Link
to Story.
But not all the news was good...
Alfa Bank became, without their knowledge at the time, the owners of what
was possibly one of the first mobile ATM machines on Crete...
Link
to Story.
Especially for Crete's postmen...
Many of whom travel daily to isolated areas handling post office
business, including the payment of pensions...
Link
to Story.
And operators of illegal beach canteens..
From Agia Apostoli to Stalos, prefecture of Chania. You may find your
expected beach canteen
unavailable.... Link
to Story.
Or possible closure by bomb...
Though in this case at an Iraklion bar there were no reported injuries...
(last item) Link
to Story.
Even a home-made one..
Or two! In this case of an Iraklion laborer's Centre they failed to go
off....
Link
to Story.
Add a fire...
Which reportedly started after a loud blast, and which destroyed 16
holiday apartments Iraklion during a three hour blaze with an unclear
cause...
Link
to story.
A road death near Chania...
Which coast the life of a 25 year old young man... (Last
Item) Link
to story.
The equally tragic loss ...
Of a five year old girl to Meningitis at Chania General Hospital...
Link
to story.
And you might be forgiven for thinking...
that the possible talks on loan to Greece of the Parthenon (Acropolis)
marbles might just be a case of double jeopardy! (Possible talks.. possible
loan). But it might just happen. Might just
save a few faces. Might correct an injustice without admitting such ever
existed! Cross your heart and hope to die.....
Link
to Story.
________________________
NEW GUIDE PUBLISHED
Carol
Palioudaki's book
'Living in Crete'
(A gold
mine of information)
is available now
Out Now - Get it at
www.livingincrete.net
Battle of Crete 66th
Anniversary Program
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