Back To Coimbra

Friday morning I rented a car to make the trip to the University Hospital in Coimbra. The 44 km drive east was a lot smoother and faster than the 38 km ride we made on Wednesday morning.

Brenda had a 1:30 appointment with a maxillofacial surgeon who was to assess whether her fractured cheekbone needed further medical attention. We arrived at the hospital at around 12:35, but by the time we found the building and department we were looking for, it was a little past 1:00. The receptionist told us the doctor was running a little late and she wouldn't see Brenda until about 2:00. We were the first to arrive in the waiting room, but we weren't alone for long. As 2:00 PM approached, the room filled to overflowing with patients and I began to think we were back in Canada and for a 12 hour wait. At right around 2:30, Brenda's name was called and we met with the surgeon, a young woman who spoke perfect English. After completing her examination and reviewing Brenda's CT scan and file, she confirmed the fracture to be well aligned and in no need of surgery.

The care Brenda has received here has been exceptional and we are so grateful for the kindness of all the doctors, nurses and staff who have attended to her. Despite the language barrier, we were always able to make ourselves understood and, more often that not, were served in either English or French. In all, to treat Brenda's injuries we've spent a total of only about 6 hours in hospitals and 225.00€. Although the cost would have been less back home, I cringe at the thought of how long we would have spent waiting for treatment in the emergency room.

Brenda's wounds are slowly healing, but the road rashes are still quite raw and sore. She's up and about now, and is definitely feeling a little better every day, although she's anxious for the raspberries to form scabs. Hopefully, within a couple of days she'll be able to walk around without too many dressings on her injuries.

Rain is in the forecast for the next couple of days, so we'll just catch up on our reading and watch some of the shows and movies I've downloaded to my computer. It's not the trip we'd planned, but it beats working nonetheless.Read more