thidwick
Free Member
(Many words here. A long story - but I’m not busy….)
We’re in France. We’d been here for a couple of weeks, touring gradually southwards, when I hurt my left knee.
(I was escaping from a rabid bear, running fast because the bear was wielding a huge machete. Sprinting through the woods, I came to a fence which I vaulted in a single bound - only to find that some enormous wombat had excavated a huge hole just on the other side…..)
Ok, so I climbed up onto the fixed bed in the motorhome, and as I went from all fours to prone, I heard and felt a big “click” in my left knee. Uncomfortable night, and next morning I couldn’t straighten my left leg, put weight on my left leg, or bend my left leg very far. It was jolly painful too.
This was our first night on a site in Saint Gaultier. We were intending to stay two nights so that we could cycle along the adjacent cycleway to look at a Roman amphitheatre a couple of miles away. As became painfully evident, I could barely stand, couldn’t walk, and definitely couldn’t cycle or operate the clutch on our motorhome.
Luckily we had a couple of walking poles with us, and I could use both of these to hobble slowly to the “facilities”.
“It will click back into place”. I thought - forever the optimist. But it didn’t.
We booked an extra couple of nights at the campsite, and my wife cycled to the nearby supermarket for more supplies.
The very helpful campsite ladyboss, who speaks a little English, told us she used to be a nurse (!) and offered to help getting me medical assistance. We took up this offer the next day when it was obvious I needed help.
The campsite ladyboss rang the “Urgences” hospital in nearby Chateauroux (about 30 miles I think). A long conversation, which I didn’t really follow, after which the Ladyboss assured me that I was expected at the hospital A&E. The hospital arranged a taxi to collect me from our campsite and take me to & from the hospital. My wife came along too, as she speaks much more French than I can.
The taxi collected us as promised. We duly arrived at the A&E dept, where the taxi driver took us to the reception, and gave us his phone number for when we were done.
i was booked in by providing details from my passport. I expected to have to show my European health card (follow on from EHIC), but wasn’t asked for it. I assured them we’d each had three Covid19 vaccinations, but wasn’t asked to prove it. Ten minutes booking in, five minutes sitting in an almost empty waiting room, then an English speaking nurse did some initial consultation and triage. He gave me an ice pack for my knee, and put me on a trolley to be wheeled off for x-rays. Mabe ten minutes wait outside x-ray, then two images made, before being wheeled out again. Another few minutes wait, then a doctor introduced himself and provided as much diagnosis as he could. Nothing broken, something strained. MRI not possible at this hospital, as only A&E, but he said it wouldn’t show anything as too much swelling. He recommended rest, ice packs, painkillers, and the medications for anti-inflammatory. He also prescribed crutches.
Another five minutes then a nurse, with very good English, came and applied anti-inflammatory gel and bandaged my knee.
I was handed the prescription, a certificate of hospital attendance, and the x-rays. (I was also signed off from work for 7 days!) After that we were free to go.
Total time at the hospital: about 80 or 90 minutes!
We called the taxi driver, who reappeared after 10 minutes, and drove us back. He asked about, and then took the prescription paper, for which he then stopped to leave the prescription at the pharmacy nearest to the campsite. The pharmacy then delivered the medications to me at the campsite within an hour. The delivering pharmacist discussed types of crutch with me, and the campsite ladyboss went to fetch them a few minutes later.
The cost of the hospital was nothing. The cost of the medications (three lots of tablets and some gel) was €14.50. The cost of the crutches was €24.50. The return taxi ride was €160.
All-in-all, I think the whole experience was efficient and caring. I‘m glad I wasn’t heading for an English hospital A&E.
I’m spending time sitting about and resting the knee. It is improving gradually.
This campsite is a great place to be “stuck”. We’ve been here almost a week so far. It is quiet and peaceful. Grassy and with trees. There‘s a bar which serves food, and one of the best swimming pools we’ve ever had on a campsite. Very friendly and helpful ladyboss too. “Oasis du Berry” at Saint Gaultier. Highly recommended.
We’re in France. We’d been here for a couple of weeks, touring gradually southwards, when I hurt my left knee.
(I was escaping from a rabid bear, running fast because the bear was wielding a huge machete. Sprinting through the woods, I came to a fence which I vaulted in a single bound - only to find that some enormous wombat had excavated a huge hole just on the other side…..)
Ok, so I climbed up onto the fixed bed in the motorhome, and as I went from all fours to prone, I heard and felt a big “click” in my left knee. Uncomfortable night, and next morning I couldn’t straighten my left leg, put weight on my left leg, or bend my left leg very far. It was jolly painful too.
This was our first night on a site in Saint Gaultier. We were intending to stay two nights so that we could cycle along the adjacent cycleway to look at a Roman amphitheatre a couple of miles away. As became painfully evident, I could barely stand, couldn’t walk, and definitely couldn’t cycle or operate the clutch on our motorhome.
Luckily we had a couple of walking poles with us, and I could use both of these to hobble slowly to the “facilities”.
“It will click back into place”. I thought - forever the optimist. But it didn’t.
We booked an extra couple of nights at the campsite, and my wife cycled to the nearby supermarket for more supplies.
The very helpful campsite ladyboss, who speaks a little English, told us she used to be a nurse (!) and offered to help getting me medical assistance. We took up this offer the next day when it was obvious I needed help.
The campsite ladyboss rang the “Urgences” hospital in nearby Chateauroux (about 30 miles I think). A long conversation, which I didn’t really follow, after which the Ladyboss assured me that I was expected at the hospital A&E. The hospital arranged a taxi to collect me from our campsite and take me to & from the hospital. My wife came along too, as she speaks much more French than I can.
The taxi collected us as promised. We duly arrived at the A&E dept, where the taxi driver took us to the reception, and gave us his phone number for when we were done.
i was booked in by providing details from my passport. I expected to have to show my European health card (follow on from EHIC), but wasn’t asked for it. I assured them we’d each had three Covid19 vaccinations, but wasn’t asked to prove it. Ten minutes booking in, five minutes sitting in an almost empty waiting room, then an English speaking nurse did some initial consultation and triage. He gave me an ice pack for my knee, and put me on a trolley to be wheeled off for x-rays. Mabe ten minutes wait outside x-ray, then two images made, before being wheeled out again. Another few minutes wait, then a doctor introduced himself and provided as much diagnosis as he could. Nothing broken, something strained. MRI not possible at this hospital, as only A&E, but he said it wouldn’t show anything as too much swelling. He recommended rest, ice packs, painkillers, and the medications for anti-inflammatory. He also prescribed crutches.
Another five minutes then a nurse, with very good English, came and applied anti-inflammatory gel and bandaged my knee.
I was handed the prescription, a certificate of hospital attendance, and the x-rays. (I was also signed off from work for 7 days!) After that we were free to go.
Total time at the hospital: about 80 or 90 minutes!
We called the taxi driver, who reappeared after 10 minutes, and drove us back. He asked about, and then took the prescription paper, for which he then stopped to leave the prescription at the pharmacy nearest to the campsite. The pharmacy then delivered the medications to me at the campsite within an hour. The delivering pharmacist discussed types of crutch with me, and the campsite ladyboss went to fetch them a few minutes later.
The cost of the hospital was nothing. The cost of the medications (three lots of tablets and some gel) was €14.50. The cost of the crutches was €24.50. The return taxi ride was €160.
All-in-all, I think the whole experience was efficient and caring. I‘m glad I wasn’t heading for an English hospital A&E.
I’m spending time sitting about and resting the knee. It is improving gradually.
This campsite is a great place to be “stuck”. We’ve been here almost a week so far. It is quiet and peaceful. Grassy and with trees. There‘s a bar which serves food, and one of the best swimming pools we’ve ever had on a campsite. Very friendly and helpful ladyboss too. “Oasis du Berry” at Saint Gaultier. Highly recommended.
I tripped and sprained my ankle while out one night, spent the rest of the night walking up and down the hotel room convinced It would lock back into place. Anyway, woke up in the morning and it looked like I had a tennis ball under my skin on my ankle. We phoned for the hotel doctor who immediately ordered an Ambulance to take me to hospital, I was crying all the way there as I didn't want to spend hours in a hospital in Bangkok as I thought it would be horrible. I was in fact taken to a private clinic and seen by an English speaking doctor. After an Xray he told me I had a torn ligament and put a plaster cast on my leg and ankle. Six weeks later I go to Derby City Hospital to have the cast removed. The Consultant was really interested in my cast, which I thought was odd. He then asked who the Doctor was who did it and when I told him his name, his said OMG he trained here in this hospital, He was the best plaster caster I have ever trained, I recognised his work !!! On the flight home the Captain came to speak to me and apologised as he said it would be a painful flight because of the cabin pressure with my leg being in plaster. It will really freek me out if that Pilot was nicholsong !!! Hope your knee heals quickly, Best Regards, Gina.
