WEEK THREE

This week I was in pneumology, which is the unit that focuses on diseases of the lungs. This was interesting because smoking is a huge epidemic in Italy and Europe as a whole. I also worked with a lot of doctors this week since there are so many and they are all very busy with many patients. Most of the patients were there for COPD and sleep apnea, so most of the treatments were the same. They had ventilators to help them breath as they slept and to regulate pressure in the lungs during the day. What was interesting about this department was the fact that they had a whole rehabilitation gym for their unit.

When we first went it, we heard a young voice scream with much vigor, “DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!” As it turns out, that is synonymous with “come on” and used for encouragement when patients are breathing out so their lung capacity can be measured. It was a bit unsettling to hear when entering into the room though. Most patients there are working to improve their lung capacity and to prevent further deterioration. It was like a normal gym, full of treadmills and bicycles and a little TV that played music videos from the early 2000s.

At one point I was working with an Occupational Therapist and another student. They were taking various measurements and doing a lot of tests on a recently admitted patient when the main doctor came in and was gesturing for me. I looked puzzled and he said it was an emergency. I ran out and my partner joined me when we started briskly walking. He leaned in close and said “there are sweets in the kitchen that a patient brought in and you need to have some before they run out.” Needless to say, it was a welcomed emergency and the pastries were absolutely delightful. This emergency also happened twice, which is a testament to the success of the unit in my opinion.

Though that gesture was small, it showed me the kind of relationships that italians have. They truly care for each other, appreciate each other and serve each other there. (We also went to Lake Como this week, which was pretty dang great).