Having a medical emergency in Italy before you've got to grips with the healthcare system is many foreigners' nightmare. Mark Hinshaw, an American resident in Le Marche, explains what happened when he found himself in an Italian emergency room – without health insurance. The boy asked me: “Why is your face red? Did you run here?”
I had just arrived at his parent’s house to join them and some mutual friends for tea. Their house is a ten-minute walk from ours along a flat street and then up a short, steep winding lane. I walked very slowly, stopping several times, as I felt winded. I had been short of breath for weeks. I had trouble breathing at night. As soon as I lay down, my breath immediately became laboured. I had a disconcerting wheeze.
