Me & My Back, Blip

A Greek Tradgedy - Part II

So, to continue the story from yesterday, this is me lying on my bed and basically unable to move at all, lifting the camera was about it. The pain is excruciating at this point but that's not surprising considering.....

Having had my fall at around 3am yeasterday we drove back down the mountain to the emergency surgery on Symi. The doctor quickly ran through some tests and quickly came to the conclusion that I must go to Rhodes hospital (the nearest) for x-rays. There are two ways off Symi; one - by boat, two - by helicoptor. It was 50/50 but the sea was calm enough that they aranged the coast guard to take me. So after the shortest ambulance trip ever (less than 1km) I was manhandled, on a hard plastic gurney, by 6 burley sailors, in a panicky and painful few minutes onto their little boat. A very very long hour later they unloaded me with the same reckless manner. There was much swearing by me at this point. Then an equally reckless drive in a rusty old ambulance (I swear she (the driver) forgot she had a patient on board) to the hospital.

My hopes were raised over the next two hours as I was whisked through x-rays, cat scan and ultra sound scans. Very quickly we (Mrs Cph was with me all the way) had a prognosis - a stable fracture in the 1st lumber vertebrae, in the 3rd part and no long term problems. I was to be kept in hospital for a few days until I could be sent somewhere to lie down for at least 3 weeks. We also had to order a back brace (120 euros) so I could get up to go to the loo ......but "not more than that - stay in bed!"

Later in the day Mrs Cph went back to Symi and contacted our insurance company.


........to be continued. Unfortuantely.