“Do you speak English?” seems to be one of the only phrases that I feel confident in saying in French. And most of the time the response is “non”. But considering I have not ventured out of the apartment very often this has not been a problem for me as yet.
However, one of my accomplishments is that I do know how to read and understand most of the meals that are served in the restaurant directly downstairs. This is a good thing as ordering French food blindly can sometimes be disastrous! Pronouncing the words to the wait staff is a completely different story! But so far we have managed. I must say that I particularly enjoy the Tartare de Beouf which is a French delicacy of finely chopped (minced) raw meat with an egg yolk cracked over the top. It is not cooked but very delicious if you are game to try it!
The surgery on my broken foot was on the 15th of June and from what we understand of the little English the surgeon and nurses speak it seems that it went well.
Basically I fractured and displaced the base of my 5th metatarsal, which is the bone that connects my little toe to the ankle. The surgery was to insert a 14mm screw into the bone to hold it in place. I was fitted with a large plaster cast and sent home for some serious rest for 12 days.
While I was a little delirious on some strong drugs, we were still able to enjoy the company of my great uncle Dudley and great Aunty Ann over the weekend after the surgery. They had popped into visit mum and dad on their tour around France. It was good to catch up with them. Dudley (a neurologist from Sydney) had a look at my original X-rays and was able to reassure me that surgery was my only option for such a fracture and that my French doctor, Dr Evrad Gancel, was doing everything brilliantly. Funnily, Dr Gancel thought the same, as described in his consultation notes: “Pyxis under satisfactory control. Stability brilliance.”
(Joke: What is the difference between a surgeon and God? God doesn’t think he’s a surgeon.)
Over the weekend mum, dad and Dan flew to London to attend Royal Ascot and witness Australian horse, Black Caviar’s 22nd win (from as many starts) in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. From the sounds of it, I missed out on a very enjoyable weekend, but am glad that I did not have to stress about buying a new dress, shoes and hat for the big day. (Refer to Dan’s “Black Caviar, Red Wine” Blog)
Yesterday we returned to the hospital to have the stitches removed and more X-rays. Dr Gancel and the nurses explained that the foot is healing well, and the the X-rays show a screw that is small and hardly noticeable. For the parts that we didn’t understand, Google Translate was a big help. Though I was a little worried about this direct translation: “CAT ablation son that day. Establishment of a shoe in resin. No support. AR one month for removal of the hoof”. I am pretty sure that it simply means that I am not allowed to put any weight on the foot and have to return to the hospital in a month to have my cast removed… hopefully I get to keep the foot/hoof!
So my 3 weeks in Lyon have been spent on the couch catching up on TV shows and movies or at the hospital. At this point I must send out my thanks to Stephie J, Helen, Abi and Kate who have provided me with plenty of good suggestions for TV and movies! I have been reading the Game of Thrones series and am now watching the TV series. Something I highly recommended!
With a much smaller plaster cast I am finding it easier to get around on my crutches without all of the extra weight. It is my goal to be able to see the church at the top of the hill behind us by the weekend. So far my ‘training’ has involved venturing to the local Irish pub to watch the football with Uncle Don on the weekend, and out for dinner a couple of nights a week. I think I will try to do a lap of the block this afternoon, and maybe some shopping tomorrow.
After waiting for some documents to arrive from Australia, we can start applying for full validity passports and Visas for the UK. A process I am not looking forward to, but at least it is an excuse to go back to Paris (and hopefully not break or lose anything this time!). This week we have also been putting together CVs and job hunting for our move to London in August. After Dan’s very expensive weekend in London, it is obvious that we will need jobs sooner than we first thought. I have also been looking out for accommodation or rooms for rent, which seems to be an adventure itself!
Until next time…
Love J & D
First Published on: Jun 27, 2012 @ 15:38 #12monthhoneymoon
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