The retired traveller: 2026-05-24 - 2026-05-27 Louis Pasteur Hospital Colmar

May 24, 2026 – May 27, 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Louis Pasteur Hospital Colmar

Well, this is an adventure I never expected to have. I have been admitted to the Hôpital Louis Pasteur in Colmar. My asthma has been acting up for a week and doesn’t seem to be getting better. So, Dave drove me to the ER. Initial triage was quick and easy – the receptionist made a copy of my driver’s license and had me fill out a form. Then a woman at a second window triaged my situation and sent us to waiting room 2 next to her booth and after only a few minutes, I was taken to an exam room. Several staff members came in – taking vitals, drawing blood. An intern came in to take details of my complaint. Really just like I’ve experienced in the US. Dave remained in the waiting room.

The afternoon contained more tests and the start of meds: Ventolin nebulizer, intravenous corticosteroids and antibiotic. But, by now, I’ve noticed a difference between France and US. By late afternoon, I still haven’t seen a doctor. When I asked nurses about test results, they told me results are being sent to the doctor. Time between tests and treatments seemed to have become longer. I really needed them to give me antibiotic and corticosteroid prescriptions, like I do at home, but that’s not how France works.

Selfie getting Ventolin inhaler in ER

While I was in the ER and Dave was waiting, Mad, Ron, Chris, and Judy had lunch in Colmar and did some wandering around the old town.

Ron & Judy and tarte flambée - kinda like pizza but with a thinner crust, creme fraiche base and added toppings. very yummy

Hoping Ron and Chris are toasting me!

Judy, Mad, and drinks (jealous)

At 6 pm, I was finally told by a nurse that they will keep me overnight for observation without telling me why. I was transferred to the Pulmonology building via an underground network of tunnels and a crazy contraption where the hospital bed is loaded onto a motorized cart with high sides and driven through the tunnels to the appropriate elevator. I felt like I was in a 007 spy operation.

Next was a fiasco of our own making. Dave’s and my phones have not worked right over the past couple of days. I can’t reach Dave at any of his numbers, and he can’t reach me. I have no clue where Dave is, and the hospital does not communicate with those who brought you to the ER. They don’t even know that someone is with you. I expected Dave to wait in the waiting area for a couple of hours and then collect Chris, Ron, Mad, and Judy, bringing them back to the house. Dave did collect everyone, but, unbeknownst to me, he returned to wait at the hospital. And he had no way to know I had been moved. So far:

· The good: care & testing;

· The bad: lack of communication with family and patient;

· The ugly: patient seems to be outside the decision process.

The nurse who checked me into my room lives in Logelheim, just a few houses from us. She called our hosts, Dominique and Rene, whom she knows; Dominique & Rene knocked on our door to explain what was happening, and eventually my new location made its way around to all. Ron was able to call Dave from his phone. Dave (who it turns out was still at the hospital) found my room and we chatted for a time before he left at 8:45. Lesson learned: get better phones.

My room has a balcony but is otherwise hospital functional. Today was really hot and it’s stifling in here - no air conditioning. However, by opening my doors to the balcony and the hall, whose windows were also open, I was able to get a lovely cross breeze from the hall window for the night.

Monday May 25, 2006

Day 2 in the Pulmonary Hospital building: As is usual for hospitals, the night is short, and treatments begin early in the morning. I slept poorly, woke sweaty several times, and was hooked to a Ventolin nebulizer very early. But good news: a nurse appeared with a fan which made the room quite bearable. Today is also a holiday – I forget which – so I figure a backup will be covering for my doctor. And I get no more information from her. They are keeping me for observation and to continue antibiotic, corticosteroid and Ventolin treatments. Perhaps for several days. Sigh. At home they would have thrown me out of the hospital (insurance doesn’t like to pay hospital bills) with prescriptions for the needed meds.

Dave and friends visited Haut Koenigsburg

Dave and friends spent the day in Haut Koenigsburg, a restored castle near us.

Dave stopped by after dinner and brought some clothes and my computer and toothbrush. I’m supposed to write blog posts – but there’s no wi-fi at the hospital. There’s also no TV available without subscriptions which you can pay for. There’s one station called “LCP – Public Senat” which as you might guess shows lots of political stuff. Some’s interesting, some not, some are hard to understand. When these shows aren’t on, LCP plays documentaries about WWII – the “Hitlerizing” of German Youth; Hitler’s women; the Nuremburg trials. Pretty sobering stuff. Well worth watching, although difficult. The clips were undoubtedly from the war and after and I suspect the documentaries themselves are quite old. I wonder if they’re being shown now because of the world disorder caused by the US. Americans should be watching these. They are eerily familiar. And did you know, Hitler had quite advanced Parkinson’s by the end of the war?

Tuesday May 26, 2026

Day 3: I’m getting frustrated by the lack of information about my hospitalization. Treatments continue, the service and nursing staff are kind, responsive, and caring. But no one has any information for me. The doctor making rounds yesterday told me my lungs were clear but no other information. It’s late morning, another hot day. My fan is on, the blinds are closed on my balcony, and my door is open. I’ll admit to feeling a bit like a prisoner and certainly have had no part in decisions concerning my care. I hope to change that today.

The doctor and an intern arrived during lunch (of course), but provided time and information. On one of the scans, the doctor found a nodule that concerned him. But it doesn’t seem to need any immediate intervention. There was an infection, likely induced by allergy, which seems pretty much cleared up. (Which is what I suspected.) My lungs are clear. I will be released tomorrow with prescriptions for corticosteroids, antibiotic, and perhaps Symbicort, if he finds my dosage needs to be adjusted.

Of course, I got a phone call on the room phone from the hospital admission services providing instructions on where and how to pay. To date, we have not been asked for any form of payment. Our bill for 3 hospital days should be 3732 Euros and some miscellaneous small amounts.

Otherwise, nothing has changed. I missed saying good-bye to Judy as she left early this morning by train for Paris. I encouraged Dave and friends to have an adventure this morning and check in with me later.

Tuesday May 26, 2026

Dave & friends: Eguisheim

We've seen lots of storks in Eguisheim, so it is irresistable to take lots of stork photos.

After a wander through town, Dave & friends stopped at Charles Bauer winery for some tasting. (And a few bottles to bring home.)

I’ve been able to work on photos a bit, but with no internet, can only put blog posts in Word documents. It’s been interesting to see how French hospitals work, but I’m ready to be done.

Wednesday, May 27 2026

Home Again in Logelheim

I was released from the hospital by late morning with prescriptions to continue the treatments I had been having in the hospital. It was rather an easy process. Dave was to go to the registration area to pay the bill while I got dressed. When he came back, we just walked out. We stopped by the nurses station to show them proof of payment, but they weren't the least bit interested. (I'm assuming that having national health insurance makes such issues a moot point under normal circumstances.)

Still not feeling very well and having some side effects from the meds, I stayed home while Ron, Mad, Chris, & Dave went for a walk along the river in Logelheim. It is again fiercely hot - in the 90s somewhere - so they're not gone too long.