When can a speck the size of a grain of sand stop the presses at WatchTime.com? When it materializes in the editor’s kidney. So begins the story of my ill-fated trip to Baselworld 2010. I arrived at Zurich airport on March 16 feeling pretty well, but by the time I had my train tickets, the stabbing pain had started. A doctor visited a few hours later at my hotel in Germany. He dispensed some pain medication and I hoped for the best, but the next morning things were worse.
I ended up spending about 5 days in a German hospital where I received excellent care: in all about 15 x-rays, 4 or 5 sonograms (three administered by specialist doctors), and a CT scan, plus several visits each day and night from nurses, and plenty of medication. I generally felt the center of attention. Test results were consistently reported within a few hours. Without getting into politics, I appreciated the opportunity to experience a European health care system first hand while the health care debate raged back home. On my last day in the hospital, I met with doctors 6 times. They were not excited about me leaving – the stone had not quite finished its journey – but I checked myself out to catch my scheduled flight home. I got back late Tuesday night.
I am pleased to report that the dreaded speck is now history, and that I am feeling better.
