Actually, I’d be just as happy being 82 again! (88 arrives in just six weeks!) My expectation has been to live to age 96 with as much energy as I had when I was 82, especially since I was so faithful to fitness in Lodi. I went to the gym five days a week, doing the thirty-minute circuit that exercised most muscle groups. I was pulling 80 pounds on the abb machine! On alternating days, I used the treadmill and the recumbent bike. I always finished my workout on the ten-minute massage bed. Ahhh . . .
When we settled in Albania, I walked to every desired destination within a mile of the apartment. I figured many two-mile round trips were enough to keep me in shape. I walked to the mall, the bank, many wonderful restaurants, the family doctor, the dentist, and the post office, where internationally shipped packages are held for pick up, etc.
Early on I lost fifteen pounds while eating anything I wanted, especially yummy chocolate bakery items.
Then November 17, 2025 happened . . .
It was the last day of ten sessions of an unusual form of body work that got results but was painful. I had developed a “computer hump” in my back just below my neck from being slumped over the computer for decades. After ten sessions the hump was gone.
Despite my good results I was done with a method that was based on the use of extreme force. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
One of the regular movements was with me laying on my back and the practitioner bending my leg at the knee then forcefully pulling my leg straight. At the time I didn’t think it was good for my knee but it didn’t hurt and she was the expert.
So, the day after my last session I noticed some discomfort in my right knee. Three days later it was still quite bothersome . . . time to see the physical therapist at our family practice clinic.
Thus began six weeks of one-hour weekly visits and a twice-daily home exercise routine, plus instructions to stay off my feet and give my knee a chance to rest and recover. This meant no more walking to destinations. Since there were no required things to do that couldn’t wait I ceased my usual walking for those six weeks.
The weight regain was hardly noticeable in the beginning. Now I am back at my arrival weight. Easy come, easy go, I guess. I look forward to walking these pounds off since plenty of my walking destinations included the bakery and the gelato shop!
Once the right knee was “healed” the physical therapy exercises were changed to help improve my balance. I received a new set of home exercises that included using a latex resistance band called a THERABAND®
My therapist demonstrated how to use the band. She tied the ends of the band together in a knot making a circle. She placed the circular band on the floor securing one edge with the chair leg and instructed me to sit on the chair and use my foot to stretch the band out in front of me ten times, then stretch my leg to the side ten times. She said to do this exercise twice a day. She reminded me, that just like my previous exercises, I should include both legs in the exercise, and come back in a week. On my way out I bought a THERABAND from the clinic receptionist (just 300 lek about $3.50).
Disaster ensued . . .
The next day I tried to set up the same exercise scene at home but the THERABAND just wasn’t working with the chair so I secured it to the dining table leg and did the exercises standing up. The next morning I had pain in both knees.
I’d not only introduced a new problem to my formerly perfectly fine Ieft knee, I set the progress backwards on what had been my newly reconditioned right knee.
The therapist looked at my now painful, totally messed up left knee. She told me I had inflammation and significant edema in the knee. The pain in my right knee was most likely caused by arthritis.
Arthritis? Really? Explain to me why I had no arthritis pain in either knee before having my leg yanked by the bodyworker and my own misuse of the THERABAND! The therapist responded that arthritis is common as people age. Hmm, I’ll see about that.
On my way out I stopped by the receptionist’s desk and paid the 2000 lek (about $22.30) for the session and asked if Dr. Monika was available. She was. I asked her to write an order for x-rays of both knees. She did.
A few days later I went to the American Hospital #3 and had the x-rays taken. I waited for the x-rays then asked one of the hospital employees if I could get an appointment with the orthopedic doctor to interpret the x-rays for me. She said the orthopedic doctor was not in that day. Over the next few days when I attempted to make an appointment with the orthopedic doctor, the response was he had not yet submitted his calendar of available appointment days.
After three unfruitful tries for an appointment, I WhatsApped Dr. Monika and asked if she could recommend an orthopedic doctor. She recommended Dr. Evid Selmani at American Hospital #1. I had no idea where American Hospital #1 was but I knew my favorite taxi driver, Bejkush, would get me there.
Just so you know this country runs on WhatsApp and that includes doctors and hospitals. I went online and WhatsApped American Hospital #1 asking for an appointment with Dr. Selmani specifying my preferred day and time. About ten minutes later I got a response with an appointment confirmation. Such a simple process.
Enter Dr. Edvin Selmani
I found Dr. Selmani very personable and he spoke excellent English. He studied my x-rays, which revealed minimal arthritis. Hmm . . .
He easily recognized the edema and inflammation symptoms in my left knee but wanted an MRI to get a better look. In the meantime, because the x-ray showed some arthritis, he spent unhurried time educating me on the function of the knee, using a plastic model of a knee joint and how all the parts work together.
He said there was treatment to relieve the pain of arthritis with a once-a-year gel injection to lubricate the knee joints but it was very expensive ($300 to $400) so he wanted to see an MRI to get a better look before offering that as a solution. He sent me to the receptionist at the front of the hospital with a written order for the MRI. Unfortunately, the MRI technician wouldn’t be in until four p.m. five hours hence.
I declined to wait and called Bejkush to pick me up and take me to Hospital #3 to get the MRI. Two days later I got a message that my MRI results were ready to pick up. I made an appointment with Dr. Selmani for the next day and arranged with Bejkush to take me to Hospital #3 to pick up the MRI folder that included a two page written report in Albanian and a CD, and then drive me to Hospital #1.
Dr. Selmani explained the results of the MRI and his recommended treatment: drain the fluid from the knee and inject cortisone. If the pain persisted return in a month. He also suggested taking Ibuprofen® for pain. Unfortunately, Ibuprofen is contraindicated for me because it is hard on my kidneys so he suggested Tylenol. He said it was okay to walk moderate distances. Yay! I could run some overdue errands. (Hmm . . . walk not run!)
He also prescribed a liquid supplement called ARTROHELP® to support joint health. He rattled off a list of ingredients of which I only recognized a few and held the belief they were useful: collagen, Omega-3, rose hip, nettle, calcium, and vitamins D3and E. Later I Googled the product and discovered the other ingredients are hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, chondroitin, and vitamin K2.
The last thing he did was insert a needle into my knee and drain off two syringes of fluid. Then he used the same portal to inject the cortisone. Except for the tiniest prick with the introduction of the needle the whole process was 99% painless.
Bejkush picked me up and took me home. Dr. Selmani didn’t give me any exercises to do so I didn’t do any. No need to further cripple myself out of ignorance! My knee still hurt a little when I walked. The next day I was back at the computer for most of the day. At the end of the day when I stood (which straightened my knee) pitiful grunts and groans accompanied the few first steps!
Two Weeks Later Barry Is Hospitalized
It was a Sunday morning. Barry had been experiencing gradually increasing foot pain for about five days to the point he could barely walk. Bejkush drove us to the Emergency Department at American Hospital #3. The waiting area was empty so we were immediately taken to an exam room.
A doctor examined Barry’s foot. It was a swollen but there was no obvious source causing the pain. They did a blood test which came back normal except for a sky high white blood count indicating serious infection. The attending doctor called the infectious disease doctor at his home. When he arrived, he couldn’t determine the cause of Barry’s foot pain either. The best he could offer was to admit Barry to the hospital to keep an eye on him and treat the high white blood cells with intravenously delivered antibiotics.
All the hospital rooms are private rooms complete with an alcove with a couch for a family member to stay in. Cost is $300 a day plus any additional tests and medications. Barry was there for four days at an average total cost of $500 a day.
I hobbled in every day, bringing things to add to Barry’s comfort: a change of underwear, clean t-shirts, and snacks. Sometimes I’d nap in the alcove when he was sleeping. Medical attendants came and went, doing things like EKGs, ultrasounds, and blood tests..
Barry barely touched the hospital food which was typically tepid soup, yogurt, white cheese, dinner roll, some sort of bland casserole item, and a little dessert. I ate whatever he didn’t and that was fine with me. I’d stay until after dinner then call Bejkush to come get me.
I should mention we had gone to the hospital right after breakfast on Sunday and had nothing to eat all day. About 4:00 pm the guy in the Emergency Department who had orchestrated all the treatment Barry got before being admitted stopped by the hospital room at the end of his shift. When he asked how we were doing and I told him how hungry we were, he asked what we wanted. We said byreks. He went to the café in the hospital lobby and brought us back two byreks. He wouldn’t accept payment for them. I thought that was very caring for him to do that.
A byrek is a delicious melt in your mouth flaky pastry filled with spinach, cheese, or meat. My favorite is the spinach filling.
It is very common to see people on the street eating their byrek on the run, especially the younger people. Many grab a byrek for breakfast on their way to school or work.
Barry’s Back Home
The medical team never did discover what caused the foot infection despite the multiple tests they did. In any case, the antibiotics did their job and Barry was released from the hospital.
The following Friday night the expats were meeting at Hops Bar which is about six city blocks from home. My knee pain was minimal so I suggested we go because Hops Bar has the best cheeseburgers ever, even better than In-And-Out Burger in Lodi and that is saying a lot! By the time we got there my knee was hurting. On the walk home I felt like I was walking on a broken leg. Every step was agony.
Return to Dr. Selmani
It was a little less than a month since I last saw Dr. Selmani. My pain was debilitating and every time I thought I was getting better and used the opportunity to handle things that required walking the pain returned with a vengeance.
After a reasonable amount of time wallowing in self-pity, I took charge! I WhatsApped our family clinic and asked Dr. Monika to write an order for an MRI because I wanted Dr. Selmani to have a look at the most current knee condition. I was guessing a fresh MRI would be useful. Dr. Monika wrote the order and WhatsApped it to me. I printed it and Bejkush drove me to Hospital #3. There was no waiting. I was in and out of radiology in no time. I went home and made an appointment with Dr. Selmani for two days hence because I knew it takes a day before the MRI reports are available.
On appointment day, as usual I arranged with Bejkush to take me to Hospital #3, pick up the MRI results then go to Hospital #1 to see Dr. Selmani.
I handed Dr. Selmani the folder containing the MRI report written (in Albanian, of course) and CD. He just looked at the date on the folder and brought up an MRI image on his computer. I thought he was looking at my previous MRI. So I told him the packet I just gave him had a fresh MRI report. That’s when I found out American Hospitals #1, #2, and #3 draw from the same data base. It was a pointless exercise to stop at Hospital #3 to pick up the MRI report before going to Hospital #1. Sigh!
He pointed to the meniscus and explained it was like a sponge that kept the femur (thigh bone) from bumping into the tibia (shinbone). He noted the grayish area at the top of the tibia saying that was caused by a compromised meniscus failing to protect the joint. He said the bone can heal itself over time but the meniscus can’t, and a way to reduce the pressure to the tibia is by using a cane or crutches.
Okay, Barry has a cane. I can probably use it, though I’m not thrilled to imagine myself hobbling around town with a cane!
Later I recalled that Mike Dooley at TUT.com in his Infinite Possibilities program had healed his torn meniscus with visualization. Hmm . . . I need to check that out.
Conclusion
The ironic thing with my knee issues is that the injuries happened when I was doing things that were supposed to support my health and well-being! Talk about no good deed going unpunished!
And as far as the slogan “no pain, no gain,” I reject that. I am subscribed to the “no pain, no pain” philosophy!
When a medical professional asks if I am allergic to any medication, I say “No. The only thing I am allergic to is pain.” That always gets a big laugh.
It is interesting that Barry and I were never out of commission at the same time. One of us had the physical capacity to walk across the street to Flavio, our grocery store, and/or Ensari, our pizza shop, that offers so much more than pizza, including Albanian traditional dishes.
Is there a department of angels that aid the elderly? I think so! And they are working overtime for us.
If you have questions or comments scroll down and leave them in the comment box. Thank you.
Oh my goodness, you both have been through the wringer lately!
I have so many friends who have had injuries from exercise, usually gym type activities. I follow your “no pain, no pain” philosophy! It is a good philosophy!
You may have explained this in a previous post, but what is an American Hospital? Does it receive a subsidy to care for ex-pats? If so, be prepared for the network to close if private equity buys it!
Sending good organic vibes to you both from Nevada County!
Thank you for your kind words on my recent blog post. As for health care in Albania they have free health care and private health care. The free health care is somewhat substandard, meaning sometimes there is a long waiting time to see a doctor. The American Hospital is patronized mostly by Albanians who can afford excellent care with good doctors. Everyone speaks passable English but they are mainly providing service to Albanians. I am guessing it is called American Hospital more as a label of quality care.
Most of the Albanians I meet have a strong desire to go to America, the land of the free. Unfortunately the current political scene is somewhat dampening the idealism due to current examples of US government corruption. There is plenty of corruption in Albania, too but none that affect us at all. Albanians are “mind your own business” people and just get on with their lives. I am feeling very grateful that I am living in a bubble of peace and calm.
ONWARD!
Jennifer
Sweet Jennifer ! I soooo love love love reading all your “ adventures “ ! You make visions with your words, so it seems I’m watching a film about you! ❤️
I’m sorry for your painful knees and Barry’s painful infection but very happy you are both recovering well !!
It is to read of Albania and appears you have made many new friends as well as great doctors when needed !
Love your taxi driver too !
Looking forward to more good stories from both of you !
Your Okie Friend ,
Joni ( Gypsy ) Brown ❤️❤️
Hi Joni,
Thank you for your lovely comment. Knowing my posts are being read and enjoyed encourage me to keep writing!
Honestly I was concerned it was way too long, it’s nice to know it was not too long for you!
Happy Easter, and again, many thanks!
Jennifer
Wow! Thank you for sharing your recent medical mishaps! I am glad to hear you are both on the mend. It’s not easy getting old. And living in America these days makes it harder! So happy you live in a peaceful part of the world. You made a good choice!
I have wondered how you feel about residing away from the U.S. if you need extended medical treatment. Your latest seems to indicate you are being treated well. I wager the cost is a fraction of the same treatment in the U.S. You appear to have a good handle on your medical situation. Good luck. I enjoy reading your comments. Be happy and keep up the good work.
Harlan
Hi Harlan,
So nice to hear from you. Yes, the medical care is wonderful. It is easy to see a doctor. I can make an appointment online usually for the next day. Or I can just go and say I want to see a particular doctor and I can be seen. Sometimes they are busy and I might have to wait an hour or so, but I never have to wait days or weeks to see the specialist of my choice. No referral necessary. Costs are so low I can pay cash that day. I decided I wanted an MRI, asked my family doctor to write an order, the MRI only cost $146. It is that simple.
I don’t know if you read Barry’s post about being in the hospital for 4 days for a bacterial infection in his foot. Total cost was about $500 a day including all tests, medications, etc. plus I got to stay with him in a little alcove with a couch to nap on in his room. If I wanted I could have stayed the entire four days with him in his room. The bathroom in the room included a deluxe shower. The room was like a first class hotel room with room service! (The food was typical hospital food. Nothing fancy and no menu to choose from. Given the current political climate in the US we are very glad to be here in our peaceful bubble.
We were out to dinner with another couple last night. Chinese dinner . . . 4 dishes, plus fried rice and steamed rice for 4 including drinks. Total bill $61.00 plus we ;eft a $5 tip. Tipping is not expected but is appreciated. The restaurant is a 15 minute walk from our apartment. We have half a dozen great restaurants within 15 minutes of walking distance. For restaurants further than that we have Bejkush our favorite taxi driver to take us and pick us up after dinner. The round trip taxi ride is usually around $12. So much cheaper than owning a car! Our friends who have been here for 3 years take the bus everywhere. Just.40 each way per person.
ONWARD!
Jennifer