Those who have visited me in recent months will know that a previous back injury had returned and I had been walking with at least one walking stick, sometimes two. This had been going on for some time and gradual got worse and it resulted in me having difficulty getting in and out of the car. Really painful getting in and out of bed and when I saw the doctors a couple of weeks ago it took three people to get me on the examination couch! I think my cries of woe almost emptied the department!
I have now been in the local hospital for a week.
I say a week in hospital really it was 5 days and it was from 7.30am until 5.30 pm every day. As we live 5 minutes from the hospital I decided I would sleep in my own bed at nights.
I was having up to 12 different treatments a day and in between the various tests, ultra Scan, CT Scan, MRI, Xray (several times), blood urine and yes a stool test as well. I would receive a good massage following by a steam bed. Probably my least favourite was the acupuncture that I had to endure every day.
The nurse and doctors all had a translate facility on the phones so I was kept inform of every stage of the treatment.
Today was my last day at the hospital and I must say it was almost a pleasure to be attending it. I now have no back pain and can jump in and out of bed with ease.
Of course I had to pay for it and it was a private room. The total cost was less than one flight to the UK where I could have had it done for free but with anything up to 6 months wait for a bed after seeing the first doctor and then having the treatment spread over several weeks. What I had done in a week was probably a year long process in a free UK Hospital.
I cannot fault my treatment here. (Mind you the two doctors I saw the week before both advised me to return to the UK if an operation had been required.)
My wife has done some sort of deal with the masseur who will come to the house over the coming weeks to consolidate the progress.
Willy
