I thought I had written about everything I could write on my hospital stay, but my last 24 hours proved to be more eventful than I anticipated.  Burke came to visit me on Sunday and brought along a delicious green monster.  Mňam (Yum)as they say in Slovakia.  He stayed with me through most of the afternoon and I left him periodically to get my kvapky.  Several times the nurse and my new roommate asked if Burke was still there and were surprised when I said yes every time.  Finally the nurse called Burke a dobry manžel (good husband).

I could tell my roommate wasn’t too sad when Burke went home because that meant we could hang out some more.  Her name is Pani (Mrs.) Haňešova and she is about 75.  She has neon orange pajamas and is about the best roommate I could have asked for.  Before I went to sleep Sunday night I prayed a lot for my roommate and all the ladies on my hall.  At that point I was way past feeling pain, but I heard some of them say they still had pain.  So the next morning when my roommate told me she was praying for her surgery that was in 90 minutes I was happy to tell her I had been praying for her too!  I wished her good luck as she walked out of the room, fists raised and ready to take on the challenge of the operation!

Later that morning the doctors did their sweep through the floor releasing patients when appropriate.  The doctor said I could probably go home on Wednesday but after some light protest she agreed to let me go home Monday afternoon.

Not too long after that my roommate returned.  I asked her how it went and she told me it was not good and it hurt terribly.  It was about the saddest thing ever.  I could tell she had tried to be strong during the operation and now that it was over she was fighting tears.  Then, in walks the nurse at the most inopportune time saying she was going to take Elizabeth’s bed.  My roommate asked the nurse what was going on and she said that Elizabeth is going home.  My lady looked to me, realizing that I must be said Elizabeth and asked, “You’re going home?  But I will be sad! ” The nurse rolled away my bed and she walked over to me and repeated, “But if you go home I will be sad.  I will be so sad when you go.”  And with those words I could see tears start to form in her eyes.  I’ll just give you the English version of our conversation as it proceeded from there…

Roommate: You live in Banska Bystrica right?

Me: Yes, I live in Kyjevske Namestie.

Roommate: Where?

Me: Kyjevske Namestie

Roommate: Where?!

Me: Kyjevske Namestie

Roommate: Oh I don’t know where that is.  I live on Internatna in Fončordna.

Me: Yes, I know Internatna.  Kyjevske Namestie is in Fončordna too.

Roommate: OHH Kyjevske Namestie!  It’s CLOSE! Oh it’s so close!  We will see each other on walks!

And with that, she turned her frown upside down and was content that we would see each other again.  I went away for a while for my release screening and made sure to say goodbye before I left.  She asked me, “Pani Elizabeth, do you live in the three new apartment buildings?” I said yep, the middle one.  So if we don’t see each other on walks, Burke and I may get a surprise visit sometime.  Until then, I sure am gonna miss her!

You better believe I am happy to be back home.  I am excited to make my own dinner tonight and you can just imagine how many vegetables it will have in it.  I am so fortunate to have had your support during my stay in the hospital.  I know it is strange to say, but I had a pretty good time.  Maybe because I love and miss my Grandma so much and I was surrounded by other grandmothers!  I am so blessed that I was able to keep a positive outlook the entire 5 days.  Without a doubt it is a result of an inner peace that comes only from knowing Jesus.

Hmm this patient is a vegetarian. That means she won't eat the meat spread we're giving everyone else. What should we do? Lets give her extra bread! No, lets give her THREE types of bread!

môj dobrý manžel (note his big, ready-for-the-alps beard)

Yay! Vegetables brought by a friend:) She was SHOCKED to hear I ate the whole plate all at once. You can imagine how deprived I was.

My patient card that lead to being called Katka.

This is looking from one tower of the hospital onto the tower I was staying it. Beautiful, eh?

Wall art? No. But bubbling paint and two lights dysfunctional lights.

My room! I took this before my roommate arrived, she had the bed on the right.