SDOW - External Tibias - Dr. Mitkovic - 2007 - Mental LL Problems

[MMTA]

SDoW,

Are there any cute nurses there?! I'm thinking that if I have to wait weeks for my surgery, I'll go stir-crazy unless there is some skirt to chase.

And is there any chance of you taking some photos of the hospital?

Thanks!

[Short Drink Of Water]

All of the cute nurses work in a different building. I haven't seen them since I went over there to get my X-Rays done. My camera's charger made it into my luggage. The camera itself was supposed to go around my neck when I was travelling, I forgot to put it on as I was unloading my massive amount of luggage from the car. I brought a lot of stuff and I'm glad I did. Three suitcases packed with stuff, and five jackets with the pockets bulging as much as they possibly could. I could barely lift all my stuff at once, and I was so hot in those jackets, but I'm happy I have the supplies I need to last me nine months. Some things you can get here, some things you can't, and some things you can get here only in very small quantities making them less than suitable for a long-term solution.

[MMTA]

Wow. You really went prepared. Shame about the camera now - and the cute nurses 

[Romegas]

What a lovely diary,

hours I spend to read it completely. I hope to read more about all soon!

Good luck, hope you get your OP soon!

[Short Drink Of Water]

Thank you Romegas. I hope you enjoy the rest of it as much as you've enjoyed what I've written so far.

They served this horrible dinner tonight. I can't think of a way to describe it except noodle loaf. It's overcooked noodles that are burned on the outer layer to hold them together. I looked out and it wasn't raining much, so I went and got kelly and told him about how bad the dinner he was about to be served would be. We agreed that we'd go to McDonald's. When we left kelly's room, a whole bunch of young Serbian soldiers were looking at him. He decided that this would be the perfect time to put his TV outside his room so they wouldn't bother him anymore. We left immedately after, and would only later find out what happened with the TV.

On the bus there, I sat next to one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen in my life. If only I knew how to say "marry me and come to America" in Serbian.

On that trip I got to talking with kelly, and he said Dr. Mitkovic said he'd be coming by the hospital tonight to give him a cellphone. This was news to me as I thought Dr. Mitkovic would be gone all day in Belgrade, but he is coming here at night to give kelly a cellphone, and possibly take him to the bank. He did that in the same trip for me. I don't know why Dr. Mitkovic didn't tell me this, as my surgery is still up in the air. I went to kelly's room to wait for Dr. Mitkovic so I could ask him to resolve the issue ASAP, but kelly said he'd tell Dr. Mitkovic that I want to see him.

And about the TV situation, it worked out in pretty much the best way possible. The soldiers came back and bothered him again, but it turns out they were just asking for the remote. They found a place to hook it up and can now watch TV, and kelly doesn't have to barricade himself in his room anymore. Everyone's a winner except kelly who pretty much breaks even because he has no TV now, but I'm sure he's glad to trade that TV to be left in peace.

[Short Drink Of Water]

It seems my frustrations earlier today were unfounded somewhat. The Professor is back from Belgrade and kicking ass and taking names. Right after seeing cuckoosnest, who of course should be his first priority since he is recovering from surgery yesterday, he came to see me and told me we're going to go out and resolve this problem tomorrow at 11:00. kelly didn't need to tell him I wanted to see him.

I told him that cuckoosnest has had to call me on my cellphone two days in a row to get help from the nurses here, and he said that that doesn't need to happen anymore. cuckoosnest can just call Prof. Mitkovic, who will immediately call the nurses to come and help.

All is well in Nis.

[Short Drink Of Water]

All is not so well after all. This morning, Dr. Mitkovic came in and told me I'm not cleared for surgery. The method he tried to resolve my difficulties didn't work.

I was pissed off like I've never been pissed off in my life. I borrowed the money to come here and can barely afford it, and now I find out I've just wasted a few thousand dollars by coming here. If I leave here, I come home a short guy in debt without enough money to get LL somewhere else.

I went out into the cold and rain and got on the bus. Maybe the driver didn't care, or maybe it was the scowl to end all scowls on my face, but nobody asked me for any money. I went to two travel agencies. One said they don't do international flights, the other said they only do that kind of thing monday-friday. So I'm stuck here all weekend at least. No matter, since I can't get my money out of the Serbian bank until monday anyway. It was 1:30 so I knew I'd missed lunch, and I didn't feel like eating hospital food anyway. I went to McDonald's and ate lunch.

I went back to the hospital to wait out the remainder of my stay here by watching the stack of movies I'd bought last week. cuckoosnest came by and visited me, but I didn't pay attention to anything he said. I had already mentally checked out of this place and didn't really care about anything except leaving.

I started to pack up my stuff, and while I was in the middle of that, Dr. Mitkovic came in and offered his apologies/condolences, and said he wished he could help me. He said his wife had noticed something was bothering him, and it was the fact that he couldn't do my surgery. We talked for a few minutes and decided we'd try one more way of getting me cleared for surgery. If that doesn't work, I'm afraid I'm all out of watercolor.

[MMTA]

Wow.

This is bad news - you must feel terrible.

All I can say is this - everything happens for a reason, and even if they are not able to go through with your surgery, it might still work out OK in the end. The universe works in mysterious ways, but the karma is always in balance...

MMT

[cuckoosnest]

SDOW, you have been one of the most supportive person here, I would hate to see you leave. I truely hope you will get ok for surgery soon. 

Kelly had his operation few hours ago. I was waiting to have my bondage change across from the operation room, so I heard all the instrumental noises that went on  I saw doctors brought him out of the room while still unconscious with breathing tube. Kind of a nerve wrecking image.

You are one of the most positive person here. We pray for your clearance for surgery.

This is by far the most difficult process I've been through, I can't help but ask if I've made the right choice. Only time would tell.

[jungle]

SDoW, just hold on a bit longer. You are already here, so wait for few more days even a week it wouldn't hurt much but if you packing and leave now, you would give up the whole thing.

[seventogo]

Hi SDOW, i'm really sorry to hear about your situation as I was enjoying your diary, waiting everyday until i finish the work and turn the computer on and be able to read what's new. Didn't expect this however. Can You please specify what is the reason You're not cleared for surgery? I'm holding my fingers crossed for You, hope You and Dr. Mitkovic will figure things out and You'll have your surgery done in no time

[Romegas]

Wait a minut,

I can not understand it. Is it because of some pysiological/technical reasons the operation can not be done or is it the PRofessors own subjective things?

Come on, there must be a way, dont give up, keep waiting.

Believe me, when the first inch is coming you forget this everything and feel really better. Even me, first doubting doubting a lot even after surgery now the most happy days, what 1inch can do!


Hoping to get your good news that you stay and everything go allright. I agree with Jungle!

[jack0life]

Can't imagine how you are feeling.
Having to borrow all that money to have the surgery and finding out you may not be able to have it.
Crossing my fingers for you.

[Short Drink Of Water]

I suppose I might as well just come clean with you guys. This diary is getting vague and ambiguous. I don't mind sharing it with the people who know me personally here in Serbia, and the rest of you know me only anonymously. There's a definite possibility this could come up for someone else, and I don't want to have someone else go through this and waste their time and money. If any good can come of this diary, let it be that.

I'm on an antidepressant meication. That's what the entire hold up is about. Dr. Mitkovic visited two lawyers yesterday, and they said that under Serbian law, there's no waiver I can sign to give up certain rights and proceed with the surgery. Our last ditch effort will happen today or monday, when Dr. Mitkovic will call another psychiatrist to see if they'll be more reasonable than the usual guy he uses. My current LL hopes rest on that and only that.

[willbe58]

Hey friend, I am truely sorry for your pain & for what you are going through.

I truly wish that this issue get handled in your favor and all the good luck in the world comes to your way in your time of need.

[174cm]

if there are too much problems over there you can just go to China ...

[sna78]

Why dont you lie and say that you have given them up ? Make up a good reason..

[Short Drink Of Water]

Dr. Mitkovic came and saw me this evening. He told me we still have some possibilities, and that he'd be looking into them tomorrow for me. I'm not holding my breath, but it's enough that I'm unpacking a few of the things I just packed up earlier today.

They served me breakfast food for dinner, and not a very big breakfast either. jungle came in to visit me just as they were bringing it, and he commented to the nurse about what a lousy meal that was. They had a little exchange about it in Serbian that I didn't quite understand.

[Short Drink Of Water]

Today they served us a sausage for breakfast with skin so tough, I had to peel it. That and a medium-large serving of bread and one yogurt. For lunch, today and yesterday they served us apples along with repeats of meals that have already been mentioned. It's the first fruit they've served us in the two weeks I've been here.

Both cuckoosnest and kelly are recovering from their operations pretty well. They both rolled to my room and visited me and talked for a while about their operations and how their recovery was progressing. I'm happy for them. However, I feel like a kid in school who's been held back a grade, watching his friends move on while he gets left behind. The three of us should be rolling around this hospital right now. I should be conquering weakness and doing everything on my own by now, before the nurses thought I was capable. I should be making plans to move into jungle's apartment and figuring out how to get all my stuff over there. But I'm not. Here I wait in a hospital bed, completely healthy, with a new plan in my head to make things the way they should be, that I can't put into action just yet. Patiently I wait.

[Short Drink Of Water]

I got a call on my cellphone from cuckoosnest, and he told me that kelly had sent him an IM online sayng that he was bleeding seriously, and needed a nurse. kelly still hasn't been given a cellphone yet, so IM was his only means of communicating with anyone.

I ran to the other end of the hospital to kelly's wing, and there was one nurse in the nurse's station watching TV with the door closed. I motioned for her to come with me because she didn't speak English, then she and I walked in on the bloody mess that was kelly's bed. He was indeed bleeding quite a lot. The nurse called these two doctors who took about 5-10 minutes to arrive, and I called Dr. Mitkovic and informed him of what was going on. He said he'd be here as soon as he could. The doctors changed his bandage and said he likely sustained an injury near the skin (rather than a deep pin/bone problem) during his bandage changing today. Dr. Mitkovic arrived about 10 minutes later and examined kelly's leg, and looked at his X-Rays. That's when cuckoosnest and I left.

This is an example of how much on your own you really are when you're getting LL here. I had called Dr. Mitkovic a couple hours earlier and gotten no response. kelly's only way of getting help was through his fellow LL "investigators" here at the hospital.