Friday, October 22, 2010

Bonjour, Hôpital! Part Deux

Bonjour, French Nurses!
Yes, it's true--the French health care system is wonderful--but I would like to talk about the wonderful nurses.  These femmes (and a handful of gentlemen) took such good care of me!  Merci beaucoup!
Here is Anne Laure and Fanny.  They were so good to me!  And so much fun.  We enjoyed switching back and forth from French to English.  One day, Anne Laure arrived with a little circular saw to "ouvrez la fenêtre."  Or open the window--on my cast, that is. 
She was very professional.  Truly, gentle and very calm.  And this is just what I needed considering the fact that a whirring little circular saw was cutting into my cast--mighty close to where my stitches where holding the incision together.  Very tricky! 




But, Anne Laure was very professional!  And very nice!  She told me that she is hoping to visit America in the not to far distant future.  She told me, with a little sparkle in her eyes that her husband's company has an office in "Weesheeeta!"  I didn't have the heart to tell her that it's pronounced "Wichita" as in Wichita, Kansas, because "Weesheeeta" sounds so much more romantic.


Another very pretty nurse, attended to my stitches (after the fenetra was opened).  She removed the dressing with little plastic pinchers, cleaned the area and then covered it with little squares of delicate white gauze--one at a time, layer after layer after layer.  This took quite a while, but she was very precise and very patient.  It really felt as if she was creating a French pastry!   A mille feuille.  To give you an idea, here's a mille feuille Betsy Johnson dress.
And here's the pretty nurse dressing my wound in mille feuille.  You can see, in France, everything is elevated to an art form!
And here are all the lovely medical accessories, our "pastry chef" nurse employs to make her art:
Here's my cast.  Don't you adore the lovely fishnet netting that keeps it looking pretty and fresh?  And don't you love the seam running up the back of the leg?  Très Français!
I felt very elegant and ready for my visitors--Beatrice and Jean-Pierre.
I was staying with Beatrice and Jean-Pierre in Toulouse when I slipped and fell.  They were so incredibly nice to me!  I am so lucky they were with me and got me to the hospital.  After my surgery, Beatrice had to go to Paris on business and when she came back she brought me back a lovely gift--macarons from the famous Ladurée.  




From right to left, we have almond, raspberry, pistachio and rose water.  
Yes, A ROSEWATER MACARON!!!  That was my favorite.  So delicate.  So perfumed.  So lady-like.  Honestly, I was over the moon for rosewater macarons!  Note to self:  next time in Paris, must buy an entire box of rosewater macarons!
I adore Beatrice!  I wrote about her in my book "French Women Don't Sleep Alone" because she gave me the strawberry recipe and she has such a romance with Jean-Pierre.  He's in the French military and most recently went to Haiti to help the earthquake victims.  He's such a calm and caring man.  He rode with me in the ambulance to the hospital while Beatrice followed along in her car.  Honestly, he's the kind of man you want around in an emergency!  
Oh, and look what Beatrice brought me the next day--home made meringues!  Yum!
Honestly, with all this delicious attention and sweet treats, staying in a French hospital felt like more like spa vacation! 

Merci Toulouse!  
Merci French nurses!  
Merci Beatrice and Jean-Pierre!



9 comments:

  1. Jamie, you're so cute! I love you, and especially love your last picture with that twinkle in your eye in the hospital bed. It is so nice to see how happy Jean Pierre and Beatrice are together, what a sweet picture of them too. I am so glad that they took such good care of you! Love, Laura Merriman

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  2. I'm so glad you were pampered and macarooned while marooned in the hospital! Yes, rosewater macaroons are the most decadent, next to the violet...

    Hope you're recovering well.

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  3. Ooh la la on the hospital nightie. Looks tres tres attractive for an injured patient.

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  4. Hey Deb--Thanks so much! It's actually a dress I bought in Toulouse the afternoon before the fall. xo Jamie

    Bonjour, Amy--Ooooh my goodness! Violet macarons!!! I didn't know! I must get them! Hope life is treating you grand! xoxo Jamie

    Hello Laura-- Yes, Beatrice and Jean-Pierre were so good to me! Oh, and it sounds like you're having a great time in India! It was great to see you in Paris! xo Jamie

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  5. I love it!!! Who looks that adorable in a hospital bed??!!!!!!

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  6. Oh, Jessica--You're so sweet! Bill took that photo. xo Jamie

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  7. You must be feeling better...visitors and macarons ooh la la...
    you look adorable in the last image...no tacky green hospital gown for you I see!
    Hope that you are hopping about soon.

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  8. You look so adorable in your black nightie in your Madeleine white French Hospital! Delicious cookies, and magnificent handiwork on that cast. Ah.... an accident and an adventure. Get better and better soon and sooner!

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  9. Oui, what an adventure!
    Who would think being in the hospital could be so much fun?!
    But after all you are in France...
    I hope you are much better now and out and about or perhaps resting the leg and gazing out the venetre at Toulouse..
    XXCarolg

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