Soc 490, Week 4!

Yuck! Here I am for the fifth week sicker than I have been since we arrived. I started my third round of antibiotics this week and am taking a few other large pills for the pain and my fever. I'm pretty sure I am taking more medicine in one swallow than an entire retirement home gives out in a day. I had to miss class this week but it gave me a lot of time to read and to think.

Ever since I was in junior high I have been battling strep throat or other tonsil infections. I have gotten to the point that when I go to my doctor he knows me by name and usually skips the strep test and writes me a prescription for amoxicillin. Being sick here in Italy has been very interesting. I don't have to wait in a doctors office anymore because the doctor does house calls! The only downfall of a house call is, they can not take tests and give you the results all in one visit. When a test is needed you are sent to a lab and then told to come back for your results.... It makes getting better take longer because of all the days of waiting.

Another thing that was interesting to me is the way the ER works. At home, in the states, I was in a severe amount of pain or am concerned about what is going on I could drive to the closest ER for treatment. On Monday, I could no longer take the pain of my tonsils and was concerned that my airway was getting narrower by the hour. When I asked to see a doctor I was informed Italians do not go to the ER unless it is absolutely necessary (bleeding and broken bones kind of necessity) When I learned of this I began to panic because I had no clue what to do. The pain in my throat and lymph nods were getting worse and worse. Fortunately, someone got a hold of my doctor and she was able to prescribe a pain killer that I learned is similar to Vicodin. After the pain medicine kicked in I was feeling somewhat better but was still concerned about the swelling. The next day I saw my doctor again. She informed me I have pharyngitis. She prescribed me a stronger antibiotic and ordered me to stay in doors until the swelling goes down.
Staying indoors and resting are two luxuries that a Walsh Romer can not afford. We are constantly on the move and don't want to miss out on anything.

In class, ad out of class, we have been discussing if we have control over our health. Last week I wrote that we do have control over our health. While, I still agree that we can control our health with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and good life style choices....Like not smoking or drinking, we do not have complete control over what bacteria or viruses we come in contact with. We are never fully in control of our health.

In our Universal Healthcare book, Gladwell discusses preventative care. If people went to the hospital for regular check ups, were tested for diseases that run in their family, or in my case had tonsils taken out when the opportunity was there, we could save a lot of money in the long run. Yes, surgery is expensive, but testing, lab work, a other care for diseases add up just as quickly as surgery.

GL 350, Week 5!

Five weeks down, less than three to go! It's hard to believe how quickly time is going. It seems like only yesterday I was on a tour with Aubree and Gabby beig led around the Bourghesi gardens. It has actually been a week!
So many things have happened since my last blog I don't even know where to begin! Last week we had an American style thanksgiving dinner! I look forward to this time of year every year but, this year I could not get I out of my mind. I has been well over a moth since I have had American food and I felt like I could have put the entire table of food in me! Dinner was delicious!
With a long weekend ahead of us, I helped henna pack for London and watched my other fellow students pack for trips into Rome, Dublin, and Spain. I haven't been feeling the greatest again and was looking forward to a restful
weekend with Emily Cramer.
Friday we went to Albano to make a few purchases and ended up taking the wrong train home... Mike had to pick us up an hour away, in another province in the town of Cori. Although the journey was long and ruined all hopes of me beig in Bed before 10 pm I can't say I regret the experience. In The Italians book, Barzini discussed how you can not learn Italy through a classroom or textbook. You have to experience it to fully understand it ! I can't agree more with him. I believe I learned more being lost in Cori than I have been the entire time I have been here! It was a night I will never forget !

Soc 490, week 4!

Here we are finishing up another week here in Rome. It is hard fathom I will be leaving for the States in just three weeks. The past two weeks have been crazy we visited two museums and each one was insanely interesting!
The first, museum of the mind, had a lot of history and blew my mind away with unique antiques. The museum was an asylum that was closed down in 1999. It it was a facility used for the mentally insane, criminals, and even orphans.

The second museum was the museum of medical arts! I was not looking forward to this museum because i thought it would be a lot of boring medical things. I was so wrong ! The museum enclosed a lot antique tools used back in the day and had preserved babies with birth defects. It was sad to learn about but filled me with pride that medicine has come so far since then!
Aside from museum visits, we also had a lot of interesting class discussions. Which has made me think whether we should "do as the Romans do." Have they had it right all along? America is always the leader but, maybe this time we should take other people's lead. Statistics prove that Romans are healthier and have lower infant mortality rates than we do. Is it universal healthcare that makes them that way or do we control our on health? I believe the latter. Even if an American learns from a young age what is healthier for us we still have so many options to be "fat". We know what is wrong and what is right, but given the opportunity we will always do what we want. It is a lot like what our book talks about in Canada. They have government funded healthcare but there hospitals are not the best. They choose to put money in other places rather than in hospitals. With universal healthcare Americans have the option to go to the hospital for a cheaper price but how many will take advantage of that?

GL 350, week 4!

As I typed the tyke of my blog, I had to recheck the calendar because it does not seem like we are halfway through our program! The days are whizzing by so quickly now I feel like I can't keep up! -hence why I am typing this blog at 1 am...turns out it is now Tuesday ! This past week has been such a blur, a lot has been happening here in Rome!

This past weekend m friends and I traveled to Paris and Dublin.. All in the same weekend. It is pretty cool to say I have been in three countries in one day! We had breakfast in Rome, lunch in Paris, and enjoyed a Guinness with the Irish! What a day! Unfortunately over the weekend I came back to Rome Home with a lot more than just souvenirs... I had strep throat, again!

Monday evening I met with the doctor and she prescribed me four antibiotics, one that they no longer used in the U.S. It was interesting to go through the process of universal healthcare, especially because of our 490 class! It was also really difficult commuting sting because te doctor did nt understand everything I was saying!

The next day I had to stay home from our tour of the Pantheon. I was really disappointed because I was looking forward to this tour the most ! Hopefully I have time to go back and visit it on a free day! Muriel Spark says in the Smiles of Rome, "but, if I can get, say, a glimpse of the Pantheon-- even passing in a taxi on my way to fulfill some banal commission-- I find the journey worthwhile." I love that because that's how I feel at this point !

Thankfully, I am feeling much better now and was able to finish the week out strong! I'm looking forward to the coming events for week 5 especially because it involves a traditional American dinner for thanksgiving !!

GL 350, Wk 3!

I can not believe I am starting week four of this amazing journey. It seems like I only arrived a few days ago! In my last blog I mention the confusion that Barzini and I share, I have been thinking a lot about it and have yet to wrap my head around the idea. This week was packed with tours and lessons and kept me up until the break of dawn studying once again. By Thursday evening, I was positive I had saw every church in Rome. When I glaned an the syllabus for the week to come, I realized I have not even saw half of them!

Margaret Visser writes in "The Geometry of Love," "Memory, in a church, is not only individual, but also collective: the building is a meeting place for a group of people who agree with each other in certain important respects." I could not agree more with her. It seems as if on every corner of the street there is a new church with its doors open beckoning people of all faiths to come in and admire its beauty. I am not Catholic and until I attended Walsh, I only knew a few Catholic people. I know hardly anything about the religion but when I walk into a church in Rome I feel like it does not matter whether you are catholic, jewish, or hindu everyone in the vast rooms with you are thinking the same things. It is a weird feeling, feeling so close to complete strangers.

While I was in highschool, I was very active in the Drama Club. I loved dressing up and pretending I was someone else for a few hours. There is no place in the world that I love more than a beautifully decorated stage. On the other hand, there is no place I hate more than a stage with no lights or sets. It is depressing to walk onto a stage that was once a whole new place. Visser stated in Smiles that a theatre is like a church the only difference is churches continue to "impress" others even when the lights are shut off. After visiting so many churches, I must agree with her.

I leave Rome in 34 days. It is bitter sweet knowing this information. I have fallen in love with the City and am not sure I am ready to leave it. On, the other hand I am looking forward to following a routine again and sleeping in sheets that do not give me a rash. I plan to make the next 34 days, the best of my life and living each moment to the fullest.

Soc 490, Week 2!

When I googled the definition of a right every website I clicked had a different definition. Some said it was what was just and some believed it is based on morals. Basically, I did not have any clearer idea of what a right is than before. I have concluded from all the opinions, definitions, and examples that a right belongs to a person to protect them from someone or something else. Every person is born with rights and deserve to have those rights no matter what happens in their lifetimes. In the fight of universal health care the question is whether it is a right to have health insurance or whether health care is a privilege. I believe health insurance is a privilege, however; I can see how many believe it is a right.

If eating is a right that all human beings have and the government does everything in its power to feed our nation how do we not have the right to be healthy as well? I always think of the children during this argument. Would any person in the world deny a starving child something to eat when they had a full plate? No. So, why is it ok to turn a sick child away from medicine when it could save their life just because their parents can not pay for it? Mark Creech believes we should not have to pay for anyone but our selves, why would we help those who are taking advantage of the system? I understand where he is coming from but, not everyone needing government help is taking advantage of the system. What if his children were starving and needed a bite to eat?

Canada has universal health care and can most easily be compared to the lifestyle that many Americans lead. Although our lifestyles are very similar, Canadians out live Americans, are healthier, and have lower infant mortality numbers than we do. Why? Many people trace all of these things back to universal health care. As a child you can go to the doctors more often, which can educate you on healthier living. If you are sick, you do not have to wait until you can barely get out of bed before deciding to go to the doctor. Although nothing has been scientifically proven, there are many many links that prove these thoughts true. Helen Redman even discusses how many Americans are job locked because of  private insurances. People stay at jobs they are miserable at just to receive health insurance. Maybe, if universal health care was put in place more psychological problems like depression would also lower.

One link that stands out in my mind is how people living around the greatest hospitals in the world, for example the Cleveland Clinic, have the opportunity to see a doctor as much as they need to but are still unhealthy. Health insurance is so unaffordable even people who can walk to a hospital from their house can not go because it is an expense they can not afford. With universal health care people would not have to worry about the large expenses of hospital bills if they were paid for. If this was the case, maybe people would not let that lump continue to grow or let their persistent cough get worse.

Writing this side of the argument has really made me think about my opinions of why health care is a privilege. I stand by the decision I made in class last week but, I believe something should be done to lower the cost of private insurance so we can begin to move forward to better lifestyles.

GL 350, Week 2!

When I decided to come to Rome, I knew I would be learning a million new things, tasting food I have never tried before, and trying to speak a language that I barely mustarded a B in back at Walsh! When I arrived I was shocked and stressed about all of these things. So far, I have over come every obstacle that has come my way! I am really proud to say that. This week though, has been eventful to say the least.

The first obastacle I had to overcome was riding a bike. When I was told I had to ride a bike down the old Appian Way I laughed, but on the inside was mortified. The last time someone tried to make me a ride a bike I wrecked into an old man's truck and left a lovely pin strip down the side. As everyone joked about me never riding a bike, I tried to hide my horror of actually trying to do it. When I was handed my bike, I was also given a brief tutorial how to ride it. I was a little shaky at first, but quickly caught on! The cobblestone made it difficult to manouver but, I adjusted quickly! I was thrilled, I even rode better than most of those who teased me! I had a great time, I was sore the next three days but, I would glady go riding again!

The next obstacle I had to over come was traveling to a flooded Venice. Danilo kindly told us the water was taller than Henna; making the water reach my hair line! He did not seemed phased by the high water, but he left the rest of us in a tizzy. How do you even begin to pack for such a trip! I had not even left Rome yet but, was already thinking of Barzini's statment about how nothing compares to Rome. When we arrived the water had gone, thank goodness! I had renewed hope that I would enjoy Venice, it is after all one of the most touristy areas in the world. By the end of the weekend, the water was rising again and my mind was back on Barzini. I spent the entire weekend trying to find a real Venetian to talk too, it is nothing like Rome where you can find a native just about anywhere! It seems as though the only Venice natives are the gondaliers!

Returning to Rome home, the nickname we have all picked up for our home away from home, felt like the best day in the world. I was exhausted from all the traveling and wated nothing more than to see the familiar iron gate of our home. When I laid down in bed, I talked to my family for a while and I realized how homesick I really am. Rome home, is nice but it does not compare to my quite family farm in Ohio. It is strange to me how while I am away from Rome, I miss it and can not wait to return but, when I am back I miss my real home. The confusion in my head does not stop there. It is only week two being here, but I feel like I have been gone for a month. I also feel like my time here is so limited but, on the other hand I feel like the middle of December can not come soon enough. I suppose the once again Barzini somes all of this up for me; "Man must have many things, a great confusion, in his head, one must allow contradictory tendicies to proliferate, one must cultivate opposite ideals..."