Thank You Marco's Mom!

Prior to December 2003, I was one of those people who was constantly sick with sinus infections and strep throat. It was no big deal for me to have strep throat five or six times a year. My senior year of college I went to visit Health Services to get yet another round of antibiotics and the doctor asked me why I had never had my tonsils out. I remember my mom telling me she had asked my doctor about it when I was younger and they wouldn't do it. I knew getting your tonsils out as an adult was supposed to be horribly painful, but I knew it was something I needed to do...especially before I started teaching around a bunch of sickly children. So on December 23, 2003, I had my tonsils out. And it was the worst pain I had ever been in, but was 100% worth it. Since then, I have been healthy with the exception of a few random sinus infections over the years and bronchitis once, last year.

Well now, I am on Day 9 of my virus. Yesterday morning I woke up and thought I might be dying. I had just had my third night of little sleep. My whole body ached and my throat was raw from all the coughing. Kevin told me if I wasn't better by next week, he was putting me on a plane and sending me home to get checked out (he's a little extreme). But this is, by far, the sickest he has ever seen me.

I made the decision yesterday to quit all the over-the-counter medicines I was taking (Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom and Robitussin-DM). I didn't think there was any point in pumping myself with all those chemicals, especially if it wasn't helping me at all. I continued drinking my tea, sucking on lemons, and chugging water by the liter.

Basically, I spent all day yesterday laying in bed, watching a CSI marathon, and coughing up a lung. And then Kevin got home from practice and had a bag of medicine for me. He had told one of his goalie, Marco's, mom about how sick I was and she gave him some tips for me.

#1- Take a hot bath every night. And the water should feel like it is boiling me.
#2- Drink tons of water and tea with honey and lemon.
#3- Sleep (which is easier said than done)

And then, bless her heart, she went to the pharmacy and grabbed me some German/Italian medicines (without Kevin asking or anything) and brought them back to the rink. She explained to Kevin how I was supposed to take them and what they were for.

All my goods from the pharmacy.

Say what?

Of course I cannot read the packing on the medicines, but I was able to Google the directions in English and determined they were probably safe for me to take. I took them last night a few hours before bed and the coughing started subsiding within about an hour. I went to bed at about 1:00am and ended up sleeping until 11:00 this morning. I woke up a few times with the occasional cough, but overall it was a good night's sleep.

Today I am feeling better and my coughing has probably decreased by 75%, but my body still hurts, especially my abdomen. Is it possibly for my ribs to be in pain from coughing so much and so hard? And the gland in my neck is still swollen, making me feel like some kind of freak.

This is actually a picture of my swollen gland. Looks like I'll be wearing my hair down for awhile.

Adventures at the Krankenhaus

For about the past week, I've been feeling a bit under the weather...sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache. I tried to pump myself up with Vitamin C and Zinc, hoping to get it before it me, but I failed in my attempt. Instead, it's only gotten worse and my cough is ruining my life right now.

Monday, I woke up feeling horrible so I decided to take some cold medicine even though I despise the stuff. It worked for everything except for the cough. I even felt good enough to go for a workout. Since the cough was getting worse on Monday night I decided to take some cough syrup also. Well, it didn't work. I basically just rolled around in bed all night coughing my head off and clearing my throat, which also was keeping Kevin up so he went and slept in the spare room. I finally got a few hours of sleep in between coughing spells.

Kevin had goalie training Tuesday morning, but when he got home he told me we were going to go to the Krankenhaus (that's hospital in German) to see their team doctor. When we got there we obviously had no idea where to go or what to do and since we can't read the signs, we walked around for a good 10 minutes looking like idiots. Luckily, I ran into Sylvia (the blood lady at the hospital who is also a regular at the hockey games) and she pointed us in the right direction.

Well the team doctor was busy so he told me his wife, who is also a doctor there, would see me. She asked for my medical book, but I don't have one. She asked for my residency card, but I don't have one. So we gave her the long story about my visa situation and how we were still processing everything and yada, yada, yada and she said not to worry about it since Kevin had all his stuff. And I think the fact that Kevin is her son's coach helped too.

I got the usual exam. She asked about my symptoms, listened to my breathing, checked my throat, and checked my ears. Then came time to feel the glands in my neck. I had noticed a few days ago that one of my glands was abnormally large. I mean, it's so big you can actually see it sticking out of my neck. Well, when she got to that one she was all over it. She asked me how long it had been like that and if it hurt and then she said we needed to do an ultrasound on it. What?

My gland is not quite this big, but it's pretty close. Kind of gross, huh?

Of course, nine thousand things start running through my head, all of them being the worst case scenario. The doctor squirted the cold gel all over my neck...and shirt and hair. And then she started checking everything out, but didn't say anything but "okay" while snapping the pictures. "That's it, I'm dying" was my initial reaction. She told me to get up and then handed me a paper towel to clean my neck off with. And then she broke the news to me...I'm going to live and my gland is just swollen as a result of the infection and virus my body has.

But now she needs to get a sample of my blood. Great! Now I have to worry about not passing out. For some reason, the past few times I've had blood taken, I have passed out or been on the verge of it. So we were off to see Sylvia, who stuck a needle in my arm before I even knew what was going on. She took two vials and, luckily, I was still conscious.

My doctor was going home for the day, but her husband was going to finish up with me. We were told to go take a coffee in the bar while we waited for the blood sample results. They said it would only take about an hour so we headed to the bar. An hour passed so we walked out to the waiting room to sit. The doctor came out and told us the results still weren't back yet so to go take another coffee. How many coffee does this man think I need to drink?

After about two hours, the results came back and the doctor called us in. After an exam, an ultrasound, and blood work, I was diagnosed with a virus. Something I knew before I walked in the hospital three hours prior. And the doctor told me there was nothing he could do for me. No drugs, no prescription. I was told to rest and drink tea, coffee, and plenty of water. Although, I'm pretty sure you are supposed to avoid caffeine when you are sick. He did give me some type of powder substance to put in my water in the morning that is supposed to flush my system though. All of this for a grand total of €1.80, which is what it cost us to park. I don't even want to imagine what all this would have cost me in the States, especially without insurance.

Needless to say, I coughed all night and Kevin slept in the spare room again. I think in total I got about three hours of sleep, but I woke up this morning and had 2 cups of tea, 4 bottles of water, and my powder...just what the doctor ordered.

The End of Another Season

Across Europe, playoffs are well under way and in the States, most leagues are finishing up their regular seasons. The 2011-2012 hockey season is about to wrap up across the world. Bags are being packed and players and their families are making the long (or short) journey home. The end of a season is almost always bittersweet. While you are excited to be seeing your family and friends back home, at the same time, you are sad to say farewell to the friends you have made that year, who have become your family, without ever knowing if your paths will cross again.

The off-season for individuals in the "hockey world" is just as busy as the season. Families have to get insurance, decide where to live (if they don't have a house), and find jobs. Players have to find a place to work out and skate so they stay in hockey shape. And then comes the daunting task of deciding where to play the next season or, maybe, deciding whether or not to play.

Making a decision on where or whether to play is a family affair. Kevin and I have always approached it together. We always weigh our options, make our pros/cons list, and go over contracts together. When Kevin decided he wanted to retire from playing, I supported him 100% and when he decided he wanted to get into coaching, I again, was behind him all the way. We work as a team and always do what we feel is best for both of us. When/if he decides it's time to get out of the "hockey world" as a coach, I will support his decision and I know, that if at some point, I'm ready to be done with the "hockey world," he'll understand.

When I explain our lifestyle to people, I am met with mixed reviews. Some people think it is great, while others look disturbed that we move constantly and live out of suitcases (in a sense). I truly believe that no one can understand the "hockey world" unless they have lived in it. Every summer, family and friends ask us why we don't just settle down and get "real jobs." We don't expect people to understand the "hockey world" and its lifestyle, but we do ask that they accept that this is the decision that we have made.

While the pro season here in Vipiteno is over and all the imports have gone home, we will be here until mid-May while Kevin coaches the youth teams. Since we do not have our own house, we most likely will be living with our respective parents for the summer (600 miles apart). Kevin will work his hockey schools and I will nanny. And we will decide, together, what to do for the 2012-2013 season.

Instead of dreading the 2/3 months I'll be living apart from my husband (we will still visit each other), I'm excited for the summer. I'm looking forward to getting back to Springfield to go shopping with my Dad and then hiding our purchases from my mom. I'm counting down the days until I get to lay on the back porch with my Mom while we work on our tans. I can't wait to get snuggled off the couch by two pit bulls on a daily basis. And I'm so excited to be standing up as a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding. Summer 2012 looks promising and regardless of what Kevin and I decide for the 2012-2013 hockey season, I'm sure it will be the right decision.

This is definitely true after having my visitors here. I took ten days off of working out and did nothing but eat and drink alcohol that entire time. My body hates me right now, but it was worth it.

Come Back!

I cannot even explain how much fun it was having Jana and Kathy here last week. I am so sad that they are gone and I just wish they would come back, but I know that isn't going to happen.

The day we went to pick them up in Salzburg was miserable. It was raining, snowing, or sleeting the whole drive there. Luckily, once we got to Salzburg there was only a light rain. Since we were running a little late, Kevin dropped me off at the train station where I ran in to meet them. Their train was slightly delayed so everything worked out perfectly. I was standing on their platform for about 2 minutes before they pulled up.

We decided to take a hop on, hop off bus tour to see the whole city. Then, from there we walked around and saw the stuff we really wanted to see and did some shopping. We had an amazing meal at the Sternbräu in the Old Town, saw where Mozart lived, and saw where the scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed.

Our lunch at the Sternbräu.

We spent our second day in Innsbruck and the weather was perfect. We took two cars so Kevin could leave early to get back to work so that left the Tomasewski women's lives in my hands. And I would like to say that my driving was impeccable. I might have finally gotten the hang of it after 4 months.

We started our day off with some coffees and decided to go to the top of Bergisel Ski Jump to get a view of all of Innsbruck. We were told that it was a 10-15 minute walk and then there was a tram to take you to the top. Well, it turned out to be about a 30 minute walk, uphill most of the time. Then once you make it to Bergisel, there is a lift to take you to the top I must say all the walking was worth it.

What an amazing view of Innsbruck.

Showing the hubby some love.

Once we made it back to Old Town, it was time for Kevin to go. Us girls walked around Old Town, did some shopping, checked out the river, and had more coffees before heading back.

Jana and Kathy taking a break from shopping.

We decided to show Kathy and Jana our tiny little town on their third day here. There isn't much to see, but we figured a light day would be good for them. We had Spritzes and Hugos in the square and did some shopping. That night Kevin had an away game so us girls went for pizza at the Derby because no trip to Vipiteno is complete without a pizza from there.

Another gorgeous day.

Day four we were up bright and early so we could make our 7:30am train to Venice. We got there, checked into our hotel, and set out. We started with pizza (of course), went to the Rialto Bridge, checked out St. Mark's Basilica, and walked along the Grand Canal. At around 4:00, we decided it was time to sit down for a drink. From there, we pretty much made up our own bar crawl. We drank Prosecco, Spritzes, Bellini's, white wine, and red wine. It felt like well after midnight when we got back to our room, but it turned out it was only 10:30 and we were getting old.

Every Italian city tour should start with pizza.

The Rialto Bridge

Pass the Prosecco, please.

Day five started off with Jana and me being locked in the hotel room. Kathy got up before us and took the key with her (locking us in). After Jana and I got ready for breakfast, we realized the key was gone, we were locked in, and had no electricity (the key controls the electricity). We didn't know how to call reception from the hotel phone and my phone's charge lasted just long enough for her to tell the receptionist that we were locked in Room #114. Needless to say, the lady at reception was not impressed with us regardless of how much we apologized. And to top it off, while we were locked in the room, the man across the road from us was running around his apartment naked from the waist down.

After being rescued and having breakfast, we headed back to St. Mark's Square to take pictures and then headed out to find the cutest gondolier (per Jana's request). We met Niccolo and headed out for our gondola ride. In my previous two visits to Venice, I had never done a gondola ride so I was pretty excited. Niccolo provided us with tons of information about Venice and even sang to us. Before leaving Venice, we grabbed lunch, walked along the Grand Canal again, and grabbed some last minute gifts.

I now know why they say a gondola ride in Venice is a must.

Niccolo was full of information that I forgot already.

From Venice we made our way to Verona by train. Since it was already about 6:30, we basically checked in to the hotel, dropped our stuff, and went out. We walked for a bit and then stopped to have dinner at an amazing restaurant, Ristorante Greppia. All the pastas there are homemade in-house and it was the best pasta I've had since I arrived in Italy.

Spaghetti with black and green olives, spinach ravioli with a creamy tomato sauce, and gnocchi with radicchio and mascarpone cheese...Delicious!

Day six was another gorgeous day in Verona. We checked out the Arena, the Roman Theatre (which I recommend), saw Juliet's balcony, and had pizza...again. Verona is pretty small and everything is close together so 24 hours there was enough for us.

The fountain in Piazza delle Erbe.

Taking it all in at the Arena.

The Roman Theatre

I am so lucky to have had these two amazing women come to visit Kevin and me. These are memories we will have for a lifetime and I can't wait to reminisce about them in the years to come.

Thanks ladies! Love you both! XX

I'm so excited, I'm losing sleep!

When I told my best friend, Jana, that Kevin and I were going to be in Italy this year she swore to me she was going to come visit. I, of course, didn't believe her. I cannot tell you how many times people have said they were going to visit us in our 3 hockey seasons overseas, yet we have only had visitors twice...Kevin's parents our first year and Marina and Sergei, our Latvian visitors, in January.

Well, Jana kept her word and Kevin and I will be picking her and her wonderful mother, Kathy (also known as Momma T), up tomorrow. They flew into Munich on Thursday and have been doing some sightseeing and I still can't believe we are in the same time zone. Tomorrow morning, they are taking a train to Salzburg and we are going to meet them, check out the city, and then head back to Vipiteno. The plan is to check out Vipiteno and Innsbruck on Monday and Tuesday and then us girls are heading to Venice and Verona for 3 days (Sorry Kevin, you have to work).

I have been looking forward to their visit since Jana bought her plane ticket. This past week, I've been having trouble sleeping because I am so excited! I've kept busy by preparing for their visit though. I got my hair done (so I don't look a hot mess in our pictures), our refrigerator is stocked, the house is clean, the laundry is done, and the car is fueled up and ready to go. In less than 24 hours, Kevin and I will be taking in the sights of Salzburg with the Tomasewski ladies!

Only one more day and I'll be reunited with these lovely ladies!

The Truth

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