I think I left off last week with HNR 11.
After my Lembongan Bloo Lagoon Cliff Jump injury my lower back oddly wasn't coming right. When back in Sanur I was x-rayed at the BIMC. Advice was that I has muscle damage but needed the OK from the Radiologist the next day. That was where I left you and I suppose have been suspiciously quiet since.
Well next day the Radiologist calls me quite concerned. Please come back in right now for a CAT Scan as I think you may have a fractured vertebrae. Oh great, so back to BIMC for me it was. Once inside the door I was treated like a trauma patient. Lie down, do not stand for any reason etc. etc.
CAT scan revealed a compression fracture of my L1 vertebrae. No wonder it was a tad sore hummmm. The message I got was, you're not going anywhere sunshine until we get you all braced up and drugged to the eyeballs. So it was a fantastic three days/two nights for me in the BIMC. Peeing in a bottle, being sponge bathed and eating toasted sandwiches whilst I quietly became a morphine addict. They need to add this as a side trip in the travel brochures, I am sure they could come up with a spa treatment name for it.
Luckily my travel insurance picked up my medical tab.
After a few days I was climbing the walls. They finally fashioned a large full back brace into a 3XL with the handy use of some Velcro. Needless to say it fitted like a very undersized glove and dug deeply into every part of me. I just nodded when fitted up like the Michelin Man and agreed it was the best thing since sliced bread. They did also give me a Velcro wrap around lower lumbar support belt with sewn in metal supports which gave a great sense of keeping the area in check. Think I was going with option 2 even if I looked like a heroin smuggler.
After my release from hospital custody it was back to Villa Mahagiri to lie prone aimlessly feeling very inadequate. All the staff visited me and gave me a heartfelt fruit gift basket as though I was not long for the land of the living. Sweet bunch top villas just haggle direct.
Still trying to think how I can turn this negative into a positive? I am sure it will come to me. But realising I had a fractured back seemed to put a bit of a downer on the rest of the holiday. I did encourage the stoic wife and kids to press on and do Waterbom etc.
As the Saturday flight home drew closer my travel insurance did a bit of a backflip. The Dr. had authorised me fit to fly with the full back brace and with extra seating space. The Insurer had now appointed a local investigator as to the circumstances of my accident and would not cover a seat upgrade until they reviewed his report in a week or so. I offered to completely outline who, where when & why but they weren't interested which switched the financial risk back to me, leaving me in a bit of limbo.
So swinging in the breeze I managed to gain exit row seats home and wear the less obvious lower back brace. There was no way I was being wheel chaired to the plane like a medical muppet anyway. I did say I was ready willing and able to chuck the exit door out the plane in case of an emergency. Who knows where people find the strength to do things in life threatening situations anyway.
The trip back went quite quick as I delved into the morphine and slept most of the way. Used the ported service at Denpasar Airport and my wonderful wife loaded the baggage on trolleys everywhere else. Did get a few, 'you lazy bastrard' stares but such is life. Not once was I questioned about the lumbar belt or patted down leaving feeling like a naughty school boy who could have smuggled more than a bruised ego.
My Mum was intentionally kept out of my welfare loop until she picked us up from the airport. Even at 41 there were plenty of' oh my poor baby' calls. How embarrassing it's a wonder she didn't yell out 'do you need help going to the toilet' in the middle of the Hobart Airport baggage hall, god love her.
So here I lay in bed, typing on my side. Weaning myself of the pills and waiting for the local specialist to call me in the next few days. I have been told I will be laid up for 4-6 weeks whilst the bone fuses back together. Work have been good and I no doubt will be in excess leave when I return again. Just another reason to plan another trip away ha-ha. Ouch it hurts to laugh.