2 days of nothing to report.
Just been going through the usual daily routine her.
Wash in the morning, then breakfast, exercises on my knee, and then supper in the evening.
Been really quiet.
Just got a call from my lawyer now, and he said that they are struggling with my old lawyer because he wont step down and wont meet with them to discuss this either! This is holding up the insurance company process!
I am still trying to get hold of Isidro's wife's number to ask her to talk to them and try resolve this that way, but as yet, no-one has gotten back to me.
Will try and push this again tomorrow.
Still no news on accommodation. 3 weeks tomorrow! Think i may have gotten myself a small discount on accommodation here, but even so, certainly not affordable to stay here any longer than i have to!
Nothing much else to report...
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Finally, Canela delivers a positive day!
Well, the good news is that i got to see the doctor this evening!
He cut the old plaster cast off and i got to see what my leg looks like.
Not as bad as i imagined to be honest, except that it is quite wasted away in the muscle department.
But this is inevitable, so although it doesn't look great, it doesn't look terrible. It still looks like a leg. And feels ok too.
Gabrielle went off to buy the materials needed for the next cast, and i sat chatting to the doc.
He was happy with the progress, and when Gabe came back with the gear, he wrapped my leg in cotton wool, then light bandages, and then, after dipping the roll of blue fibreglass in the water, wrapped it around my foot, creating a big blue sock up to just below my knee.
After about 10 minutes it started to go hard, and he moulded it into the correct shape, and then applied another 2 rolls over the top.
And that was that.
A big blue plaster cast. Yay! Better than the boring white one i had before!
He was really happy to hear about the physio Gabe was doing with me too.
Then he gave me a prescription for 2 xrays, 1 on my lower leg, and 1 on my hip, and i said goodbye and headed for the Radiology department.
I had my xrays taken and then we headed home.
The doc said to me that i didn't need to get any xrays now because it is only after 2 months that u will start to see any bone growth, but after seeing the xray of what my fibula looked like, i was keen to set my mind at ease and get another taken anyway.
I've just finished supper now, and have had a look at my 6-week-on xrays. I am very happy to say that the terrible picture of the fibula is somehow, almost back together. It actually looks like in the next 6 weeks before my next visit, it might grow back together!
The tibia is not lined up perfectly with the pin in it, but i reckon over time it will grow together ok.
So, with a mind a lot more relaxed now, i can look forward to a good xmas and 9th January i head back to get the cast off. Then its starting to learn to walk again!
This gives me 6 weeks to get my mobility back in my knee and strengthen my leg in eager anticipation!
A whole group of my closest mates here, came round this evening, which was quite a surprise!
I caught them up on all the news, and we chatted for a while.
They all said not to worry, and that monday next week was the 1st of the month, and that i would have another permanent accommodation by then.
Fingers crossed. But, i feel i have turned a corner now, and things'll be a lot better from now on. Just the house left, and then it is full on concentration on recovery, xmas, new years parties, and the best present ever in the new year. The gift of being able to walk again!
8))
He cut the old plaster cast off and i got to see what my leg looks like.
Not as bad as i imagined to be honest, except that it is quite wasted away in the muscle department.
But this is inevitable, so although it doesn't look great, it doesn't look terrible. It still looks like a leg. And feels ok too.
Gabrielle went off to buy the materials needed for the next cast, and i sat chatting to the doc.
He was happy with the progress, and when Gabe came back with the gear, he wrapped my leg in cotton wool, then light bandages, and then, after dipping the roll of blue fibreglass in the water, wrapped it around my foot, creating a big blue sock up to just below my knee.
After about 10 minutes it started to go hard, and he moulded it into the correct shape, and then applied another 2 rolls over the top.
And that was that.
A big blue plaster cast. Yay! Better than the boring white one i had before!
He was really happy to hear about the physio Gabe was doing with me too.
Then he gave me a prescription for 2 xrays, 1 on my lower leg, and 1 on my hip, and i said goodbye and headed for the Radiology department.
I had my xrays taken and then we headed home.
The doc said to me that i didn't need to get any xrays now because it is only after 2 months that u will start to see any bone growth, but after seeing the xray of what my fibula looked like, i was keen to set my mind at ease and get another taken anyway.
I've just finished supper now, and have had a look at my 6-week-on xrays. I am very happy to say that the terrible picture of the fibula is somehow, almost back together. It actually looks like in the next 6 weeks before my next visit, it might grow back together!
The tibia is not lined up perfectly with the pin in it, but i reckon over time it will grow together ok.
So, with a mind a lot more relaxed now, i can look forward to a good xmas and 9th January i head back to get the cast off. Then its starting to learn to walk again!
This gives me 6 weeks to get my mobility back in my knee and strengthen my leg in eager anticipation!
A whole group of my closest mates here, came round this evening, which was quite a surprise!
I caught them up on all the news, and we chatted for a while.
They all said not to worry, and that monday next week was the 1st of the month, and that i would have another permanent accommodation by then.
Fingers crossed. But, i feel i have turned a corner now, and things'll be a lot better from now on. Just the house left, and then it is full on concentration on recovery, xmas, new years parties, and the best present ever in the new year. The gift of being able to walk again!
8))
More lawyers...??
Yesterday was really quiet.
No-one came to visit. Just me and the tv.
This morning i was getting my usual wash, when a Dominican guy arrived to chat to me.
He said he knew a friend of mine, who had told him about me.
He knows the owner of the clinic i was treated at. He told me the hospital acted illegally in treating me without talking to me first. He also said that is totally illegal that they have confiscated my passport.
He said that his companies lawyer would be able to help me in a case against the hospital, and that i should speak to him.
He phoned his lawyer and passed the phone over to me, and i spoke to him.
He wanted me to give him all the paperwork i have from police/insurance companies, etc.
Ah hell, this gets even more complicated!
I tried to explain to him that i already have a lawyer that i have tried to fire, and wont step down, another lawyer who is trying his best to help me, and now he wants to be my lawyer too!
I cant have this many lawyers, surely??
He asked for my lawyers details, and said that he would phone him and talk to him.
Apparently he wants to start a case up against the hospital to get the bill reduced, and also get my passport back. This would indeed be awesome, but to technically have 3 different lawyers with contracts with each, surely isn't good practice?!
So, thats where the story lies at the moment...haven't heard back from him, or my existing lawyer, so not sure what is going on in the background??
Pretty sure i'll hear something in the next day or so?
Gabrielle, came round to do another session of physio with me. He's also helping me out hiring a car and driving me to the doctor's later on.
Hopefully some good news there later?
Still no word on the accommodation front? Into week 3 now...
Time to head to the doctor's for the 2nd time.
No.2 in the queue.
Lets hope that means it'll be a more promising visit?!
Stay tuned...
No-one came to visit. Just me and the tv.
This morning i was getting my usual wash, when a Dominican guy arrived to chat to me.
He said he knew a friend of mine, who had told him about me.
He knows the owner of the clinic i was treated at. He told me the hospital acted illegally in treating me without talking to me first. He also said that is totally illegal that they have confiscated my passport.
He said that his companies lawyer would be able to help me in a case against the hospital, and that i should speak to him.
He phoned his lawyer and passed the phone over to me, and i spoke to him.
He wanted me to give him all the paperwork i have from police/insurance companies, etc.
Ah hell, this gets even more complicated!
I tried to explain to him that i already have a lawyer that i have tried to fire, and wont step down, another lawyer who is trying his best to help me, and now he wants to be my lawyer too!
I cant have this many lawyers, surely??
He asked for my lawyers details, and said that he would phone him and talk to him.
Apparently he wants to start a case up against the hospital to get the bill reduced, and also get my passport back. This would indeed be awesome, but to technically have 3 different lawyers with contracts with each, surely isn't good practice?!
So, thats where the story lies at the moment...haven't heard back from him, or my existing lawyer, so not sure what is going on in the background??
Pretty sure i'll hear something in the next day or so?
Gabrielle, came round to do another session of physio with me. He's also helping me out hiring a car and driving me to the doctor's later on.
Hopefully some good news there later?
Still no word on the accommodation front? Into week 3 now...
Time to head to the doctor's for the 2nd time.
No.2 in the queue.
Lets hope that means it'll be a more promising visit?!
Stay tuned...
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Lazy Sunday...
Was dragged off to the local outside bar here last night.
Climbed into the wheelchair and went for a ride with a friend.
Had a beer and chatted.
Really enjoyed being out the house for a few hours.
Woke up 8am this morning with a sore back. Even with a good few blankets under me on the bed, i'm still feeling all the springs in my back! Would think at this price they would make sure the beds are comfortable?!
Sunday's nothing much happens here, so will see what the day has in store...
Climbed into the wheelchair and went for a ride with a friend.
Had a beer and chatted.
Really enjoyed being out the house for a few hours.
Woke up 8am this morning with a sore back. Even with a good few blankets under me on the bed, i'm still feeling all the springs in my back! Would think at this price they would make sure the beds are comfortable?!
Sunday's nothing much happens here, so will see what the day has in store...
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Therapy...
Had a good sleep last night.
Since getting the rest of my stuff from my previous accommodation, have had my ipod and earphones.
The earphones are the mallow type, that you compress and they fit in your ear, and then slowly uncompress to fill the ear canal.
Very effective for sleeping at night as they cancel out a lot of the noise of the road outside my window.
A quiet morning. My helper goes to school every saturday morning, so i have a day of sleeping in.
The guy i was going to get a house with, came round to visit, and to bring me one of those machines that exercises the muscles by putting small electrical impulses into it.
He is a qualified therapist, and has told me he will help me with my full recovery with physio, and also walking, etc.
We have started off with light exercises to the femur part of the left leg, the quads and surrounding muscle, every second day. Slowly will build up the muscle so that when the cast comes off the muscle will be strong enough to support my leg.
He looked at the post-op xrays, and like everyone else except my doctor, has said that by the looks of it, my fibula will need an operation!
On monday i will get a new xray of the tib/fib area, then i can see what has happened to the bones in the last 6 weeks. Then i can make a decision.
Footie on tv, so will be another quiet afternoon...
Since getting the rest of my stuff from my previous accommodation, have had my ipod and earphones.
The earphones are the mallow type, that you compress and they fit in your ear, and then slowly uncompress to fill the ear canal.
Very effective for sleeping at night as they cancel out a lot of the noise of the road outside my window.
A quiet morning. My helper goes to school every saturday morning, so i have a day of sleeping in.
The guy i was going to get a house with, came round to visit, and to bring me one of those machines that exercises the muscles by putting small electrical impulses into it.
He is a qualified therapist, and has told me he will help me with my full recovery with physio, and also walking, etc.
We have started off with light exercises to the femur part of the left leg, the quads and surrounding muscle, every second day. Slowly will build up the muscle so that when the cast comes off the muscle will be strong enough to support my leg.
He looked at the post-op xrays, and like everyone else except my doctor, has said that by the looks of it, my fibula will need an operation!
On monday i will get a new xray of the tib/fib area, then i can see what has happened to the bones in the last 6 weeks. Then i can make a decision.
Footie on tv, so will be another quiet afternoon...
Accommodation woes...
Yesterday was another day of nothingness...
The guy who i was going to take the apartment with, came to visit me yesterday afternoon.
After thinking about things for a few days, he decided that it would be too much responsibility to take a place with me, so has decided to get his own place.
So, that leaves me back to square one as far as apartments go!
My friend is looking for a place for me again. Needs to be soon as this place is eating the funds. Lets hope something is around the corner?
The last 2 hurdles for the near future? House and hospital...
Maybe then life can return to some sort of mundane normality?
Lol!
Not likely knowing my track record...
The guy who i was going to take the apartment with, came to visit me yesterday afternoon.
After thinking about things for a few days, he decided that it would be too much responsibility to take a place with me, so has decided to get his own place.
So, that leaves me back to square one as far as apartments go!
My friend is looking for a place for me again. Needs to be soon as this place is eating the funds. Lets hope something is around the corner?
The last 2 hurdles for the near future? House and hospital...
Maybe then life can return to some sort of mundane normality?
Lol!
Not likely knowing my track record...
Thursday, November 24, 2011
A whole day full of nothingness.
Usual morning routine, and then Javi, may mate came round with the hire car at 12ish.
We headed to the supermarket, for lunch in their eating area.
Then it was to arrive at the clinic by 3.30pm, so that i could be near the front of the line, for the doctor, arriving at 4pm.
To cut a long story short, at 6.30pm we were told that the doctor was not coming. So i have to go back on monday evening!
The good part is that because of my patience, i am now number 2 in the queue!
Will need to go through the car hire process again on monday.
Ah hell.
So we went back to my mates place and i chilled with them, getting used to my new mode of transport. Wheelchair power wherever i go now.
Had a glass of beer, the first thing i have drunk since before the accident. Needed it!
Now at home, relaxing in bed after a looooong day.
A lot of getting in and out of cars, hospitals, shopping centres, internet shops, friends houses...haha...i'm tired.
But definitely not defeated.
I'll be back on monday again for more story telling...
We headed to the supermarket, for lunch in their eating area.
Then it was to arrive at the clinic by 3.30pm, so that i could be near the front of the line, for the doctor, arriving at 4pm.
To cut a long story short, at 6.30pm we were told that the doctor was not coming. So i have to go back on monday evening!
The good part is that because of my patience, i am now number 2 in the queue!
Will need to go through the car hire process again on monday.
Ah hell.
So we went back to my mates place and i chilled with them, getting used to my new mode of transport. Wheelchair power wherever i go now.
Had a glass of beer, the first thing i have drunk since before the accident. Needed it!
Now at home, relaxing in bed after a looooong day.
A lot of getting in and out of cars, hospitals, shopping centres, internet shops, friends houses...haha...i'm tired.
But definitely not defeated.
I'll be back on monday again for more story telling...
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Another quiet day today.
The usual morning routine of wash, breakfast and exercises on my knee.
My mate who i might be getting a place with, is going to look at the other new build that i was told about, tomorrow evening, so, hopefully if all goes well, we'll have a place to stay by the beginning of next week?
Managed to get hold of the hospital today.
My doctor is around Monday to Thursday after 4pm.
That only leaves tomorrow if i want to get seen this week. Really want to do this sooner rather than later.
Spoke with another mate and he will see about hiring a car in the morning, and if it is possible, then we'll pick it up at 1pm, and try and sort out my internet connection in La Romana before heading to the clinic.
Fingers crossed all this happens tomorrow. Will require a minor miracle knowing how things work here, but we'll see how far we get?
A good supper of spaghetti bolognaise, and another evening of tv in bed.
Getting quite used to this now!
Used to really enjoy lying in on my days off....can guarantee one thing -- once this is over i will be spending as little time as possible in bed! Lol!
Nite all...
The usual morning routine of wash, breakfast and exercises on my knee.
My mate who i might be getting a place with, is going to look at the other new build that i was told about, tomorrow evening, so, hopefully if all goes well, we'll have a place to stay by the beginning of next week?
Managed to get hold of the hospital today.
My doctor is around Monday to Thursday after 4pm.
That only leaves tomorrow if i want to get seen this week. Really want to do this sooner rather than later.
Spoke with another mate and he will see about hiring a car in the morning, and if it is possible, then we'll pick it up at 1pm, and try and sort out my internet connection in La Romana before heading to the clinic.
Fingers crossed all this happens tomorrow. Will require a minor miracle knowing how things work here, but we'll see how far we get?
A good supper of spaghetti bolognaise, and another evening of tv in bed.
Getting quite used to this now!
Used to really enjoy lying in on my days off....can guarantee one thing -- once this is over i will be spending as little time as possible in bed! Lol!
Nite all...
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
A few steps forward?
This morning at 10am my nurse arrived to take care of me.
Wash and exercises on my knee again. Starting to bend a little more, but still only a few degrees of movement. Think it is gonna take a fair while t be able to bend it 90 degrees again!
But, time i certainly have in abundance, so that's not a problem.
A mate that i was diving with before, is also looking for accommodation here, and came to speak to me. He is keen to get a place together, which is great because it will halve all the costs. Also be good to have someone around every day.
One of my other friends made a phone call and seems like there might be a place for us available in the next few days? It is a new build, and they are just finishing it off.
My lawyer phoned this morning and told me that he was meeting with the hospital to get a copy of my agreement and the bill from them, to submit for my case with the driver. Sounds like we might be getting somewhere with that?
More work on the website today. Now translated into Spanish and German too. Almost ready to go live now.
Some footie on tv, so that'll keep me busy until supper arrives around 6pm...
Wash and exercises on my knee again. Starting to bend a little more, but still only a few degrees of movement. Think it is gonna take a fair while t be able to bend it 90 degrees again!
But, time i certainly have in abundance, so that's not a problem.
A mate that i was diving with before, is also looking for accommodation here, and came to speak to me. He is keen to get a place together, which is great because it will halve all the costs. Also be good to have someone around every day.
One of my other friends made a phone call and seems like there might be a place for us available in the next few days? It is a new build, and they are just finishing it off.
My lawyer phoned this morning and told me that he was meeting with the hospital to get a copy of my agreement and the bill from them, to submit for my case with the driver. Sounds like we might be getting somewhere with that?
More work on the website today. Now translated into Spanish and German too. Almost ready to go live now.
Some footie on tv, so that'll keep me busy until supper arrives around 6pm...
Monday, November 21, 2011
Some help at last.
This morning there was a knock on the door, and it was my friend's maid. She had asked her to come and help me, as i was struggling to find any decent help.
I had a wash, did some exercises on stretching my knee a bit, to get some movement back into it, and then she went shopping for me.
Still no word on the accommodation front. Hoping something comes up soon cos this place is eating the cash i have to survive on here.
Still need to visit the doctor at some point this week. Looking forward to getting this cast changed for a lighter one. And xrays to set my mind at ease that the bones are healing properly. Pretty confident all's good, but good to see it on the xray.
Another lazy day on the cards i reckon...everyone at work today...
I had a wash, did some exercises on stretching my knee a bit, to get some movement back into it, and then she went shopping for me.
Still no word on the accommodation front. Hoping something comes up soon cos this place is eating the cash i have to survive on here.
Still need to visit the doctor at some point this week. Looking forward to getting this cast changed for a lighter one. And xrays to set my mind at ease that the bones are healing properly. Pretty confident all's good, but good to see it on the xray.
Another lazy day on the cards i reckon...everyone at work today...
Fresh air...
Yesterday i woke up around 9am and waited in vain for my helper to arrive!
2nd day running and another no show!
Thats the end of my patience with her.
At lunch time a friend came round and brought me some lunch. Pasta. Really good.
She returned around 6pm, and i climbed in the wheelchair for my first visit outdoors. We went for a trip through town, to my old house before the accident, to collect the rest of my stuff.
The road to the house was dirt road, and, until you are in a wheelchair, you have no idea how bumpy it is!
We gave up after 15min or battling along, and i sat on the side of the road, and she went in to get my stuff.
Was great to be out in the fresh air. Didn't feel good to be stuck in a chair with everyone looking at me. Kinda feel like there's something wrong with you.
Cant wait to be able to get around again...even if it's on crutches!
Then it was back to my room again.
My hip was a little sore from the bumping around, so was good to relax in bed again.
An uneventful evening, and an uneventful weekend...
2nd day running and another no show!
Thats the end of my patience with her.
At lunch time a friend came round and brought me some lunch. Pasta. Really good.
She returned around 6pm, and i climbed in the wheelchair for my first visit outdoors. We went for a trip through town, to my old house before the accident, to collect the rest of my stuff.
The road to the house was dirt road, and, until you are in a wheelchair, you have no idea how bumpy it is!
We gave up after 15min or battling along, and i sat on the side of the road, and she went in to get my stuff.
Was great to be out in the fresh air. Didn't feel good to be stuck in a chair with everyone looking at me. Kinda feel like there's something wrong with you.
Cant wait to be able to get around again...even if it's on crutches!
Then it was back to my room again.
My hip was a little sore from the bumping around, so was good to relax in bed again.
An uneventful evening, and an uneventful weekend...
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The gift of wheels...
This morning i woke up around 8am, and lay here waiting for my helper to arrive.
I must've fallen asleep, and when i woke up it was 9.40am. No one had been to visit either!
I sent her a text and got no reply?
Around 11am, a friend came to visit, and we chatted and she sent the woman who was supposed to be here this morning, a text.
Apparently, she had forgotten that she needed to go to La Romana this morning?
In the DR, that usually means that she drunk too much the night before, and couldn't get out of bed!
She said she would be here tomorrow morning..
My friend went shopping for me, and i made myself some sandwiches for lunch.
Another mate came round and brought me a wheelchair! Its really cool, with the foot supports if your foot needs to stay straight out, so is perfect for me! I managed to get off the bed and into it by myself, and back on the bed again without help.
Its gonna take a bit of practice for the motor skills to get the hang of turning though, but i am stoked to be able to get around now if i want to!
Still no more word on accommodation, but am hoping something happens tomorrow?
Watched a bit of football on the tv. This evening is the final round of the Presidents Cup Golf from Melbourne. Looks set too be a good final day.
Nothing much else to report. Just that my arse is really hurting from sitting all day every day. This mattress is not the best, and i can feel all the springs poking through, no matter which way i sit!
Ah well...one of these days i will be upright again... 8))
I must've fallen asleep, and when i woke up it was 9.40am. No one had been to visit either!
I sent her a text and got no reply?
Around 11am, a friend came to visit, and we chatted and she sent the woman who was supposed to be here this morning, a text.
Apparently, she had forgotten that she needed to go to La Romana this morning?
In the DR, that usually means that she drunk too much the night before, and couldn't get out of bed!
She said she would be here tomorrow morning..
My friend went shopping for me, and i made myself some sandwiches for lunch.
Another mate came round and brought me a wheelchair! Its really cool, with the foot supports if your foot needs to stay straight out, so is perfect for me! I managed to get off the bed and into it by myself, and back on the bed again without help.
Its gonna take a bit of practice for the motor skills to get the hang of turning though, but i am stoked to be able to get around now if i want to!
Still no more word on accommodation, but am hoping something happens tomorrow?
Watched a bit of football on the tv. This evening is the final round of the Presidents Cup Golf from Melbourne. Looks set too be a good final day.
Nothing much else to report. Just that my arse is really hurting from sitting all day every day. This mattress is not the best, and i can feel all the springs poking through, no matter which way i sit!
Ah well...one of these days i will be upright again... 8))
Friday, November 18, 2011
A new nurse...
I am happy to say that i can now manage through the entire day without any pain killers. Sleeping isn't a solid 7 hours though, but still the same, just waking every few hours.
The pain in my hip is just every now and then a slight throbbing, and then its gone.
I haven't been able to do the exercises on my knee this week because the girls have stopped coming to visit me.
My mates are still looking for more permanent accommodation for me, but in the meantime i am still where i arrived from the hospital. Not cheap, but at least a roof over my head!
I am making plans with a mate to hire a car and drive up to the hospital on monday, to get my cast changed over and xrays taken to see how well the bone is mending.
Another mate came to visit me this morning, and i told him i didn't have a nurse looking after me. He said he would try locate one for me today.
Within 10min he was back, and had a local woman, who was willing to come in and look after me in the mornings, then make sure i had lunch and supper everyday too.
So, that is a load off of my mind now. I will have someone here every day for me, so i wont need to hassle my friends with this now.
All i need is accommodation, and i can start my long road to recovery, in relative comfort...
The pain in my hip is just every now and then a slight throbbing, and then its gone.
I haven't been able to do the exercises on my knee this week because the girls have stopped coming to visit me.
My mates are still looking for more permanent accommodation for me, but in the meantime i am still where i arrived from the hospital. Not cheap, but at least a roof over my head!
I am making plans with a mate to hire a car and drive up to the hospital on monday, to get my cast changed over and xrays taken to see how well the bone is mending.
Another mate came to visit me this morning, and i told him i didn't have a nurse looking after me. He said he would try locate one for me today.
Within 10min he was back, and had a local woman, who was willing to come in and look after me in the mornings, then make sure i had lunch and supper everyday too.
So, that is a load off of my mind now. I will have someone here every day for me, so i wont need to hassle my friends with this now.
All i need is accommodation, and i can start my long road to recovery, in relative comfort...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Groundhog Day...
Well, the days are blurring into each here.
The good news is that the pain in my hip is nowhere near as bad as it was when i first arrived here. I think maybe the most of the pain was caused by hurting it in the move from the hospital to here?
I can now manage through the entire day without a pain killer.
Just one before i go to sleep at night.
The girls were here again, and left around 5pm.
Sent my lawyer a text to see what the news was on the case with the driver, as it was supposed to kick off yesterday. He said that he was going to give me a shout later tomorrow with news...
The good news is that the pain in my hip is nowhere near as bad as it was when i first arrived here. I think maybe the most of the pain was caused by hurting it in the move from the hospital to here?
I can now manage through the entire day without a pain killer.
Just one before i go to sleep at night.
The girls were here again, and left around 5pm.
Sent my lawyer a text to see what the news was on the case with the driver, as it was supposed to kick off yesterday. He said that he was going to give me a shout later tomorrow with news...
Monday, November 14, 2011
An uneventful day yesterday, and much the same today.
The girls came back yesterday afternoon and helped me out. Then left again to return today around lunch time.
It seems the pain routine is one of a lot of pain in my hip around 10pm at night, which i battle through til about 11pm or so, then take a pain tablet, which takes about an hour to kick in, and then i get drowsy and drift off to sleep. Before this i cannot lie on my back as the pain is too intense in my hip.
Usually it's a good sleep and i wake up around 9am.
Then around 2pm or so, the pain returns to my hip, and only a pain tablet can give me any relief. Changing positions doesn't really help.
Today been a quiet one again. The girls left here around 6pm, and a couple of mates came to visit. They've just left, so i have the rest of the night to chill out and watch tv some more.
This is what life is gonna be like for the next 2 or 3 months...
Have sent my xrays of my, possibly, bad leg off to a few mates, and my brother, all of whom know someone in the medical field, so am hoping to have some feedback on this soon.
Really cant even begin to think of going into hospital for another op. Just praying its not necessary.
Thats all for now...
The girls came back yesterday afternoon and helped me out. Then left again to return today around lunch time.
It seems the pain routine is one of a lot of pain in my hip around 10pm at night, which i battle through til about 11pm or so, then take a pain tablet, which takes about an hour to kick in, and then i get drowsy and drift off to sleep. Before this i cannot lie on my back as the pain is too intense in my hip.
Usually it's a good sleep and i wake up around 9am.
Then around 2pm or so, the pain returns to my hip, and only a pain tablet can give me any relief. Changing positions doesn't really help.
Today been a quiet one again. The girls left here around 6pm, and a couple of mates came to visit. They've just left, so i have the rest of the night to chill out and watch tv some more.
This is what life is gonna be like for the next 2 or 3 months...
Have sent my xrays of my, possibly, bad leg off to a few mates, and my brother, all of whom know someone in the medical field, so am hoping to have some feedback on this soon.
Really cant even begin to think of going into hospital for another op. Just praying its not necessary.
Thats all for now...
Sunday, November 13, 2011
My mate came round to chat to me about the girls last night.
Turns out there is another woman who has also offered help. In her mid 30's and a lot more settled. Sounds like a much better bet.
I will probably meet her later today.
Last night the pain was back from my hip. I took another pain tab, and it kicked in after about 45min. I settled in to bed, and slept like a baby til about 9am this morning.
A bit of breakfast and see what the rest of the day has in store?
Turns out there is another woman who has also offered help. In her mid 30's and a lot more settled. Sounds like a much better bet.
I will probably meet her later today.
Last night the pain was back from my hip. I took another pain tab, and it kicked in after about 45min. I settled in to bed, and slept like a baby til about 9am this morning.
A bit of breakfast and see what the rest of the day has in store?
Saturday, November 12, 2011
After the pain killers, it was a good nights sleep, and i woke up at 8.30am.
Had a wash and something to eat, and the girls went through to la Romana to buy me some stuff from the shops.
Been a quiet day. Just trying to relax as much as possible. My hip started to hurt again this morning, so took another pain tablet.
Time to do some work on the website...
3pm, and the girls still wern't back, so sent them a message saying that i was in pain from my hip (which i was), and that i was hungry as i hadnt eaten since breakfast, and even then it was only a sandwich.
No reply!
About an hour later 2 of my mates arrived saying that the girls had called them and said to them to help me and bring me food because i was hungry! This is exactly why i have someone looking after me! My friends are there to visit me, and cheer me up, not run around trying to feed me and support me all the time!
My mates weren't too happy with having to come running, but stayed and chatted for a while. It looks like i will now have to find someone else to look after me! The shit is never ending!
Last night the one girl went back to La Romana, and the other stayed here to "help" me. She left the room at 8.30pm, saying she was just gonna be a half hour, and came back at 2am, only cos i sent her a text saying i was in pain with my hip (which i was), drunk!
They said they didn't want to paid for their help, but if this is how i am gonna get treated, then it is better paying someone and getting decent help.
Plus they took 1000 peso when they left, to buy stuff for me. And it doesn't look like they are coming back!
One of my dive mates brought me some food. Pasta, a piece of steak and some bread. Really good!
Thats one thing taken care of. Thank goodness for mates.
Carlos came round and organised me a tv remote which i managed to get working, and also locked the door for me.
Happy for now. Lets see what the morning holds in store...
Had a wash and something to eat, and the girls went through to la Romana to buy me some stuff from the shops.
Been a quiet day. Just trying to relax as much as possible. My hip started to hurt again this morning, so took another pain tablet.
Time to do some work on the website...
3pm, and the girls still wern't back, so sent them a message saying that i was in pain from my hip (which i was), and that i was hungry as i hadnt eaten since breakfast, and even then it was only a sandwich.
No reply!
About an hour later 2 of my mates arrived saying that the girls had called them and said to them to help me and bring me food because i was hungry! This is exactly why i have someone looking after me! My friends are there to visit me, and cheer me up, not run around trying to feed me and support me all the time!
My mates weren't too happy with having to come running, but stayed and chatted for a while. It looks like i will now have to find someone else to look after me! The shit is never ending!
Last night the one girl went back to La Romana, and the other stayed here to "help" me. She left the room at 8.30pm, saying she was just gonna be a half hour, and came back at 2am, only cos i sent her a text saying i was in pain with my hip (which i was), drunk!
They said they didn't want to paid for their help, but if this is how i am gonna get treated, then it is better paying someone and getting decent help.
Plus they took 1000 peso when they left, to buy stuff for me. And it doesn't look like they are coming back!
One of my dive mates brought me some food. Pasta, a piece of steak and some bread. Really good!
Thats one thing taken care of. Thank goodness for mates.
Carlos came round and organised me a tv remote which i managed to get working, and also locked the door for me.
Happy for now. Lets see what the morning holds in store...
Fresh air and Sunshine!
Woke up at 6.30am, and checked my emails to make sure that nothing had changed overnight and that i was still on for evacuation today!
I got a call from a mate in Bayahibe, and he said that he had found me something temporary, for a week, which would give us time to find something better.
At about 11am, a stretcher was wheeled into my room and the girls came in and hurriedly starting packing all my stuff up.
I was moved onto the stretcher bed, and taken outside to a waiting taxi. The ambulance had been too expensive.
The transfer from the bed to the back seat of the taxi was a little painful, but we managed it ok.
Then the trip over the bumpy roads to town, and then the transfer from the taxi to my bed in my room.
The girls were with me last night, and most of my friends came round to see me too, so it was a nice welcome home.
I'm hoping to have a permanent place sorted in the next 3 or 4 days, so fingers crossed.
Battled to fall asleep last night as i had quite a lot of pain form my hip.
Took a pain killer or 2, and that helped...
Thursday, November 10, 2011
A signature to "freedom"...!
A nurse knocked on the door and asked if i wanted a wash at about 6am this morning.
I agreed, and i got a wash, brushed my teeth, and got a change of bedsheets. Also got lunch and dinner yesterday, and breakfast this morning, albeit very small portions of each.
Waiting on my lawyer to get hold of me this morning. Really hoping to be out of here by this evening. My mate offered to come pick me up this morning and just drive me to Santo Domingo, but i thought it might be better for my case if i stayed here at least til i find out what the hospital says about a payment plan...
Well, it has been a busy old day. I suppose i suspected as much though.
My lawyers came round about lunch time and spoke to the hospital lawyers and tried to arrange a deal on paper. The original deal tabled, from the hospital, stated that i would make full payment within 7 days of signing! This is, of course, impossible, so have given up signing that piece of paper!
So it was back to the drawing board, and off they went to see what they could do.
In the meantime, i was brought some lunch by the hospital, also a small section of food, but lunch nonetheless.
About an hour later my lawyer arrived and said the words i haven't heard, in what feels like an eternity, "Simon, good news!"
He had managed to broker a deal with the hospital that i pay back the amount, in 6 months from signing the papers. They will charge interest at 1% a month on any outstanding balance, and after 6 months theyy will require full payment or they can come and confiscate my belongings to try make payment.
I wasn't too happy about this, but my lawyer said that seeing as though i had nothing, this would not apply anyway. He also said that he would see what we could do in these 6 months, as we had 2 court cases running alongside each other now. 1 with the driver, who is still in the country (his wife ran off and left him here), and 1 with the insurance company. The insurance company may take as much as a year or more to pay anything though, so for now, we would be concentrating on the driver and his assets to cover the costs. This should be settled inside of 6 months.
I certainly hope that it is, because it will be real scary in a foreign country with debt collectors knocking at the door.
I have also signed to say that before the debt is settled with the hospital, i will not leave the country, and that i give them the powers to enforce this with the immigration department.
And a few other clauses screwing me over if i dont come up with the cash in 6 months! But, this country is not one where you can be sent to jail for non-payment of a debt, so, as long as i make regular payments to them, they can see that i am trying to pay the debt off, and they cannot do much to me.
Lets hope the lawyer is correct in this! We'll know for sure in 6 months time!
They would not knock the bill down either, so it stands at a whopping 820 000 peso odd! Roughly US$21000!
So, that's the cost you put on a human leg! At least in a private clinic in this country anyway!
Now that the papers are signed, i am free to leave here and go back to Bayahibe, however my friends have not managed to locate me a house there yet, so i'm not quite sure where i am going at this point.
Hopefully this is the last thing i will need to be asking them for because it has stretched everyone i know here to try help me, and i feel really bad for them running around after me. Just a house to go, and i can start to support myself with the aid of my 2 nurses to look after me!
I must've fallen asleep after lunch, and was awoken by the doctor knocking on the door!
Wow! I hadn't seen him in almost as long as i'd been in here! And had a lot of questions to ask him!
He opened up the bandages, and got out the antiseptic creams and prepared the stapled area for removal of said hardware! It didn't hurt as much as i thought it would, and only a few of the 70 odd staples had actually grown closed. I have 2x 30cm cuts running from my left hip down to about half way down my thigh, and then the 2nd running from there, next to the first, down towards my knee.
The scars will just be 2 pencil lines, and i can see he has done a really good job.
The stitches on my knee came out too. This wasn't as painless unfortunately, but all looks ok too. I can see the knee is a little angry with all the work that has gone on in and around it, and he said that it will take 3 months to heal fully. In that time he has given me exercises to do every day, flexing the knee on the side of the bed with someone holding the cast and slowly lowering it till it pulls tight, then back up to horizontal again. He demonstrated, and it hurt like hell, but he said that daily exercise would slowly stretch the knee and get it back to full working range again.
Then he cut open a hatch in the front of the plaster cast with a tiny angle grinder, which was scary, because if he went too deep, we were looking at more injuries!
He opened the hatch up and removed the dressing and i could see what my shin looks like. Not as neat as the other areas of work, because he has had to pull the skin together a bit more, and kinda pinch it together and sew it. The stitches came out there too, and he explained that i had multiple fractures of the tibia. It took them a while to clean everything out before they could even begin the op. Also i had lost a lot of blood, so it was an emergency operation.
I asked him about the fubula being left in its fractured position and he said that the fibula is not an important bone in the leg, and usually it is not treated in these tib/fib fractures. He said it is commonly used as bone grafting material as it is not important to the normal function of the leg.
I am still gonna get a second opinion on this though.
I asked him about return visits, and he said that in a weeks time i must return for another xray to check the bones, and get a lighter cast put on. This would set me back around 3000 peso, about US$80. I have been told that it will be cheaper at the public hospital, so we will see where we go in a weeks time?
Then he left to write me a prescription of medication for pain killers. All my other meds have ended or are ending in the next 3 days, and don't need to be continued.
So, looks like it's almost home time, wherever that ends up being. I have to be out of here by 10am in the morning, so we'll see what the morning holds in store?
I'll continue the blog, documenting my recovery process over the next few months, and return hospital visits, etc. I know that this will come in exceptionally helpful for some person who might go through this same injury in the future.
I know that i have done loads of research in the last week, on the net, and recovery times are always one of the first things to research.
Here's to life outside of Prison Canela (clinks a glass of milk -- no beers for another 3 months i'm afraid, while i heal up)!
8)
Well, it has been a busy old day. I suppose i suspected as much though.
My lawyers came round about lunch time and spoke to the hospital lawyers and tried to arrange a deal on paper. The original deal tabled, from the hospital, stated that i would make full payment within 7 days of signing! This is, of course, impossible, so have given up signing that piece of paper!
So it was back to the drawing board, and off they went to see what they could do.
In the meantime, i was brought some lunch by the hospital, also a small section of food, but lunch nonetheless.
About an hour later my lawyer arrived and said the words i haven't heard, in what feels like an eternity, "Simon, good news!"
He had managed to broker a deal with the hospital that i pay back the amount, in 6 months from signing the papers. They will charge interest at 1% a month on any outstanding balance, and after 6 months theyy will require full payment or they can come and confiscate my belongings to try make payment.
I wasn't too happy about this, but my lawyer said that seeing as though i had nothing, this would not apply anyway. He also said that he would see what we could do in these 6 months, as we had 2 court cases running alongside each other now. 1 with the driver, who is still in the country (his wife ran off and left him here), and 1 with the insurance company. The insurance company may take as much as a year or more to pay anything though, so for now, we would be concentrating on the driver and his assets to cover the costs. This should be settled inside of 6 months.
I certainly hope that it is, because it will be real scary in a foreign country with debt collectors knocking at the door.
I have also signed to say that before the debt is settled with the hospital, i will not leave the country, and that i give them the powers to enforce this with the immigration department.
And a few other clauses screwing me over if i dont come up with the cash in 6 months! But, this country is not one where you can be sent to jail for non-payment of a debt, so, as long as i make regular payments to them, they can see that i am trying to pay the debt off, and they cannot do much to me.
Lets hope the lawyer is correct in this! We'll know for sure in 6 months time!
They would not knock the bill down either, so it stands at a whopping 820 000 peso odd! Roughly US$21000!
So, that's the cost you put on a human leg! At least in a private clinic in this country anyway!
Now that the papers are signed, i am free to leave here and go back to Bayahibe, however my friends have not managed to locate me a house there yet, so i'm not quite sure where i am going at this point.
Hopefully this is the last thing i will need to be asking them for because it has stretched everyone i know here to try help me, and i feel really bad for them running around after me. Just a house to go, and i can start to support myself with the aid of my 2 nurses to look after me!
I must've fallen asleep after lunch, and was awoken by the doctor knocking on the door!
Wow! I hadn't seen him in almost as long as i'd been in here! And had a lot of questions to ask him!
He opened up the bandages, and got out the antiseptic creams and prepared the stapled area for removal of said hardware! It didn't hurt as much as i thought it would, and only a few of the 70 odd staples had actually grown closed. I have 2x 30cm cuts running from my left hip down to about half way down my thigh, and then the 2nd running from there, next to the first, down towards my knee.
The scars will just be 2 pencil lines, and i can see he has done a really good job.
The stitches on my knee came out too. This wasn't as painless unfortunately, but all looks ok too. I can see the knee is a little angry with all the work that has gone on in and around it, and he said that it will take 3 months to heal fully. In that time he has given me exercises to do every day, flexing the knee on the side of the bed with someone holding the cast and slowly lowering it till it pulls tight, then back up to horizontal again. He demonstrated, and it hurt like hell, but he said that daily exercise would slowly stretch the knee and get it back to full working range again.
Then he cut open a hatch in the front of the plaster cast with a tiny angle grinder, which was scary, because if he went too deep, we were looking at more injuries!
He opened the hatch up and removed the dressing and i could see what my shin looks like. Not as neat as the other areas of work, because he has had to pull the skin together a bit more, and kinda pinch it together and sew it. The stitches came out there too, and he explained that i had multiple fractures of the tibia. It took them a while to clean everything out before they could even begin the op. Also i had lost a lot of blood, so it was an emergency operation.
I asked him about the fubula being left in its fractured position and he said that the fibula is not an important bone in the leg, and usually it is not treated in these tib/fib fractures. He said it is commonly used as bone grafting material as it is not important to the normal function of the leg.
I am still gonna get a second opinion on this though.
I asked him about return visits, and he said that in a weeks time i must return for another xray to check the bones, and get a lighter cast put on. This would set me back around 3000 peso, about US$80. I have been told that it will be cheaper at the public hospital, so we will see where we go in a weeks time?
Then he left to write me a prescription of medication for pain killers. All my other meds have ended or are ending in the next 3 days, and don't need to be continued.
So, looks like it's almost home time, wherever that ends up being. I have to be out of here by 10am in the morning, so we'll see what the morning holds in store?
I'll continue the blog, documenting my recovery process over the next few months, and return hospital visits, etc. I know that this will come in exceptionally helpful for some person who might go through this same injury in the future.
I know that i have done loads of research in the last week, on the net, and recovery times are always one of the first things to research.
Here's to life outside of Prison Canela (clinks a glass of milk -- no beers for another 3 months i'm afraid, while i heal up)!
8)
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Evening...
I got a call from the South African embassy this afternoon. The woman on the end of the phone was horrified by what i told her. She said she would phone me back in a few minutes because she wanted to conference call with her boss.
I explained everything to him, and he told me that without travel insurance, my case is a very difficult one.
I explained that i might be in danger of infection and that they are holding me here against my will. He said to me that this country is not like other countries. Here, the business needs to look after itself, and the hospital is a business at the end of the day. So, them keeping me here is an assurance that they will get some money from me at some point.
He said that his advice was to pay them!
I told him i didnt have money and he said that i would need to find some soon!
Then he said he would speak to my lawyer and call me back. I have not heard back from him. It is 9pm now.
Then the girls came back from doing some shopping for me, and said that they had spoken to someone they know who knows people, and that word on the street is that the driver (who has my colleagues death hanging over his head and is out on bail), and his wife, have left the country and escaped back to Italy, where she is from. He is Dominican. Apparently they paid the right people and disappeared!
I am not sure how true this is, but i will know in the next 4 days if our legal notice isn't answered!
I then spoke to to my lawyer, and he said that he spent 2 hours with the lawyer from the hospital this afternoon, and that they are no nearer a solution! Apparently they are having another meeting with her and the hospitals administration in the morning and hoping to sort something out?
Looks like its another night or 2 in Room 8 for me...
So, after much thought about my predicament, i have decided that the only option here, if the driver has fled, is to firstly, get the bill verified independently to make sure i am not being overcharged, and secondly, to put into motion a payment plan with the hospital.
I cannot pay their bill, but i might have a small income managing my dive centre's website. It might only be $200 a month, but over 5 years, if they knock the bill down, this will just about pay everything back. At least i am making some effort to pay them their money. They know i am broke, so i dont know how they can possibly refuse?
And, if all goes according to plan, and the insurance company at some point comes to the party, i should get most of the money, if not all of it back, at some point...
But most importantly, i can get out of here and into a medical facility that will look after me and give me a physio program so that i can start to mend myself.
My brain has been so preoccupied with all the things that have been going on that i have not been giving much thought to my recovery, apart from possible complications i might have to deal with.
The best way to get better is to get positive, and through this ordeal it has been very difficult to do that.
So, will see what the morning, and the meeting with the hospital holds in store...
Night all...
Morning...
Well, it's now 7am, and i am happy to say i survived the night!
I still have very slight numbness in my toes in my left foot, but not as bad as last night.
I slept well. Woke up at 4am, and went back to sleep until now.
I cant take any chances here though, now that i know that this hospital doesn't care less what happens to me.
I need to find a way out of here urgently.
Julien will be here at 9.30am with his partner, Richard. Between them they need to sort something, even if its just being carried out of here and getting in a car!
8am and they came in to give me a wash and let me brush my teeth. I asked for clean sheets but they refused me this!
It's now lunch time, and Julien was here earlier.
He went to speak to the admin department, as last night most of them had gone home already. When he returned, after about half an hour, he told me that they wont budge!
According to the hospital, my friends told them when i was first admitted that i had money and that i could pay for everything! I could not answer for myself as i was in the emergency room and then being operated on! An operation that they refused to even undertake before one of my bosses of the dive centre had paid them a $700 deposit!
Their argument holds no weight though, because after the initial operation, i spent 2 full days in ICU while they waited for the pins to arrive from the capital, 1.5h away. All this time i was perfectly conscious, and of sane mind, just some pain killers for my femur and hip that had yet to be treated. And in those 2 full days no-one came to see me and ask me if i had the money to pay for all the bills that would be coming my way. No-one told me i was in a private clinic and that it would cost a fortune to have the op here. No-one gave me the option of being taken to Santo Domingo in an ambulance because it was a public, and possibly free hospital for me there.
So, as far as i am concerned, that's the end of that argument!
However, as much as Julien tried to make them realise that if an infection set in, i could very well end up dying in their hospital, they tried just as hard to make him understand that they have done an amazing job of putting me back together (debatable), and that they need their money or a signed reassurance to say they will get it, before they let me leave here!
They honestly dont care if i die here, even though he pointed out the massive implications for them if i did!
Unbelievable!
So then Julien was off to speak to the hospital's lawyer, who was apparently at offices about half an hour away. I am still awaiting the news of that conversation.
Then the girls arrived here, and we chatted and they told me that they knew the supervisor of the syndicate that looks after all of the hospitals in this jurisdiction, and had spoken to him, and he will come and see me at 4pm today, and then speak to the hospital to get me released, possibly tomorrow, so that i can go to Santo Domingo to get the staples taken out, possibly operated on, etc.
So, fingers crossed i do get to see him today. Seeing is believing though.
The girls said that the stitches in my knee, which are normal sewing type stitches, should have been removed after 8 days. It's now over 3 weeks!
They also removed some of the dressing to see what the skin looks like where the staples are, and the skin has already grown over most of the ones we could see on the hip area! These were supposed to be out already! So that is going to be lots of fun having them taken out! Not looking forward to that!
My mate is coming through with his camera in a couple of hours time and we are gonna start taking pictures of everything. The injuries, the room, etc, for legal purposes at a later date, because i have decided i am definitely going to sue the arse off this clinic once i am out of here!
Thats where things stand at the moment. Stay tuned for more of this rollercoaster ride...
I still have very slight numbness in my toes in my left foot, but not as bad as last night.
I slept well. Woke up at 4am, and went back to sleep until now.
I cant take any chances here though, now that i know that this hospital doesn't care less what happens to me.
I need to find a way out of here urgently.
Julien will be here at 9.30am with his partner, Richard. Between them they need to sort something, even if its just being carried out of here and getting in a car!
8am and they came in to give me a wash and let me brush my teeth. I asked for clean sheets but they refused me this!
It's now lunch time, and Julien was here earlier.
He went to speak to the admin department, as last night most of them had gone home already. When he returned, after about half an hour, he told me that they wont budge!
According to the hospital, my friends told them when i was first admitted that i had money and that i could pay for everything! I could not answer for myself as i was in the emergency room and then being operated on! An operation that they refused to even undertake before one of my bosses of the dive centre had paid them a $700 deposit!
Their argument holds no weight though, because after the initial operation, i spent 2 full days in ICU while they waited for the pins to arrive from the capital, 1.5h away. All this time i was perfectly conscious, and of sane mind, just some pain killers for my femur and hip that had yet to be treated. And in those 2 full days no-one came to see me and ask me if i had the money to pay for all the bills that would be coming my way. No-one told me i was in a private clinic and that it would cost a fortune to have the op here. No-one gave me the option of being taken to Santo Domingo in an ambulance because it was a public, and possibly free hospital for me there.
So, as far as i am concerned, that's the end of that argument!
However, as much as Julien tried to make them realise that if an infection set in, i could very well end up dying in their hospital, they tried just as hard to make him understand that they have done an amazing job of putting me back together (debatable), and that they need their money or a signed reassurance to say they will get it, before they let me leave here!
They honestly dont care if i die here, even though he pointed out the massive implications for them if i did!
Unbelievable!
So then Julien was off to speak to the hospital's lawyer, who was apparently at offices about half an hour away. I am still awaiting the news of that conversation.
Then the girls arrived here, and we chatted and they told me that they knew the supervisor of the syndicate that looks after all of the hospitals in this jurisdiction, and had spoken to him, and he will come and see me at 4pm today, and then speak to the hospital to get me released, possibly tomorrow, so that i can go to Santo Domingo to get the staples taken out, possibly operated on, etc.
So, fingers crossed i do get to see him today. Seeing is believing though.
The girls said that the stitches in my knee, which are normal sewing type stitches, should have been removed after 8 days. It's now over 3 weeks!
They also removed some of the dressing to see what the skin looks like where the staples are, and the skin has already grown over most of the ones we could see on the hip area! These were supposed to be out already! So that is going to be lots of fun having them taken out! Not looking forward to that!
My mate is coming through with his camera in a couple of hours time and we are gonna start taking pictures of everything. The injuries, the room, etc, for legal purposes at a later date, because i have decided i am definitely going to sue the arse off this clinic once i am out of here!
Thats where things stand at the moment. Stay tuned for more of this rollercoaster ride...
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Worse than prison! A Human Rights tragedy!
Well, to say i am absolutely, erm...i dont even have a word for it...dumbfounded, by what i have just heard, is putting it extremely lightly!!!
Julien arrived about an hour ago, and i told him about my concerns, especially since in the last hour, the numbness has spread into my other toes, and it just doesn't feel right under my cast. Well, not like it did the last month anyway...
He went to speak to the administration of the hospital, and was gone a long time.
When he returned he told me that the hospital refuse to treat me, and will continue to refuse to treat me or give me any services whatsoever until they have a guarantee that they will get their bill paid!
If i develop serious health problems and die in this hospital room, they do not care!
Un-****ing-believable!
They said that if i require any help then i need to pay cash for it, or nothing will be done.
There is nothing he could do for me tonight!
I have no idea if this will continue to get worse overnight or not? I have taken my anti-inflammatory tablets and hope that this helps in a small way, but according to the net, if this is what i read about, then the only solution is emergency surgery!
Something that even at the very best, i cant hope to have until possibly tomorrow afternoon, if Julien can somehow get them to release me to Santo Domingo public hospital!
I'm really worried about my health. I'm always the optimist, but this is something i have no control over and it is my health we are talking about! Trying to tell myself it'll all be ok, but this is scary shit right now!
It was too late to call the embassy, and they dont have a hotline, so will have to wait til the morning.
Tried to email the South African Embassy, who are located in Cuba, but serve the DR, but all 4 email addresses i found on google searching and their website bounced back to me as undeliverable cos the address doesnt exist!
I sent a long email detailing my treatment and concerns to the UK embassy's email address as well, so i am hoping to possibly hear from them tomorrow?
I have also sent the same email to Amnesty International's offices that serve the America's in the hope they can help as a human rights violation??
I've kinda run out of options, short of getting my mates to pitch up here with a van, and a wheelchair, and carrying me out and driving me to the emergency room in Santo Domingo public hospital!
Julien has said that if there are any complications overnight, to give him a call. I'm not sure what he can do, but maybe drive me to SD hospital??
The legal proceedings will take up to 2 weeks for a decision to be made about paying the hospital through the driver and his wife.
Another 2 weeks without any help, and sitting in this room, will certainly see me pick up some infection, as my staples need to come out, and the dressing has not even been changed in over 3 weeks!
Tonight will be a very worrying night indeed.
I hope i will be around to write more in the morning??!
How crazy is it to think that?
Honestly, i cannot believe how i am being treated here!
I would be better off in prison. In prison if you need medical attention, they send you to a hospital. In this hospital, they treat you like you are in prison, but worse. Cut off all services, and if you get sick, leave you to die!
There must be someone out there who can make a HUGE international stink about this???!!!
Night all.... 8(
Julien arrived about an hour ago, and i told him about my concerns, especially since in the last hour, the numbness has spread into my other toes, and it just doesn't feel right under my cast. Well, not like it did the last month anyway...
He went to speak to the administration of the hospital, and was gone a long time.
When he returned he told me that the hospital refuse to treat me, and will continue to refuse to treat me or give me any services whatsoever until they have a guarantee that they will get their bill paid!
If i develop serious health problems and die in this hospital room, they do not care!
Un-****ing-believable!
They said that if i require any help then i need to pay cash for it, or nothing will be done.
There is nothing he could do for me tonight!
I have no idea if this will continue to get worse overnight or not? I have taken my anti-inflammatory tablets and hope that this helps in a small way, but according to the net, if this is what i read about, then the only solution is emergency surgery!
Something that even at the very best, i cant hope to have until possibly tomorrow afternoon, if Julien can somehow get them to release me to Santo Domingo public hospital!
I'm really worried about my health. I'm always the optimist, but this is something i have no control over and it is my health we are talking about! Trying to tell myself it'll all be ok, but this is scary shit right now!
It was too late to call the embassy, and they dont have a hotline, so will have to wait til the morning.
Tried to email the South African Embassy, who are located in Cuba, but serve the DR, but all 4 email addresses i found on google searching and their website bounced back to me as undeliverable cos the address doesnt exist!
I sent a long email detailing my treatment and concerns to the UK embassy's email address as well, so i am hoping to possibly hear from them tomorrow?
I have also sent the same email to Amnesty International's offices that serve the America's in the hope they can help as a human rights violation??
I've kinda run out of options, short of getting my mates to pitch up here with a van, and a wheelchair, and carrying me out and driving me to the emergency room in Santo Domingo public hospital!
Julien has said that if there are any complications overnight, to give him a call. I'm not sure what he can do, but maybe drive me to SD hospital??
The legal proceedings will take up to 2 weeks for a decision to be made about paying the hospital through the driver and his wife.
Another 2 weeks without any help, and sitting in this room, will certainly see me pick up some infection, as my staples need to come out, and the dressing has not even been changed in over 3 weeks!
Tonight will be a very worrying night indeed.
I hope i will be around to write more in the morning??!
How crazy is it to think that?
Honestly, i cannot believe how i am being treated here!
I would be better off in prison. In prison if you need medical attention, they send you to a hospital. In this hospital, they treat you like you are in prison, but worse. Cut off all services, and if you get sick, leave you to die!
There must be someone out there who can make a HUGE international stink about this???!!!
Night all.... 8(
Medical Emergency?? Who knows?? Not me!!
Well, things are already off to a better start than the last week or so.
A nurse came in and i actually had a wash and a shave and got my sheets changes this morning.
TV, aircon and food still not happening, but i'm not really too bothered at the moment.
No nurses came in to see me after this today, and its now 5pm! I might as well be in a bloody motel somewhere in the middle of nowhere! At least there i might have aircon, and a tv!
I started to feel pins and needles in my little toe on my left foot today, and a bit on the outside of my left foot too.
Naturally, this worried me somewhat.
I did some research on the internet, and it might possibly be something called Compartment Syndrome.
This is a medical emergency, and if left untreated, can result in loss of muscle and possibly even death if not remedied in a few days!
The injury site starts swelling up with blood due to the trauma, and as such restricts blood to the toes, causing the pins and needles feeling. The only way to fix this is through an emergency operation where the doctor cuts open the muscle and lets the pressure free. Even in as little as a few hours, muscle death can occur, and if this is the case, it must be cut out! Then, depending on how much has to be removed, you either walk with a limp, or crutches for the rest of your life!
One of the other symptoms is pain in the calf muscle due to the swelling, but i dont have this, so i'm not sure what to make of it?
It is bloody worrying though. I dont even have anyone to ask!
I haven't seen a doctor in over 3 weeks now, and according to a different site, that lists procedures that you follow with this type of injury, you should have the leg raised above your heart level for the first 48h after the operation to stop possible blood clots in the trauma site.
This wasn't done!
Then you should be released to go home after about 3 or 4 days.
Obviously, with my situation, this hasn't happened.
Then in the nxt 6 weeks before the plaster comes off, you should be getting regular xrays taken to show how well the bone is healing.
I haven't even seen a doctor, let alone had any xrays taken, in over 3 weeks now!
I'm freaking out a bit here coos i dont have any idea of how serious this is, and whether i am, at the moment, in danger?! How the hell would i know? No-one wants to even come in my room to ask how i am!
I just spoke to my lawyer, but he just said that the documents have been served, but that it might take up to another 2 weeks to get any verdict from the courts as to what will happen!
By that time i should've already had the cast taken off and be starting physio!
Meantime back at the ranch, i might still need another op, and might not even be here if things are serious and no-one helps me!
Shit, i need to get outta here asap, and at the very least, into a public hospital that can lend me some professional help!
I honestly cannot believe that these doctors can treat a person like this! I thought all doctors take an oath that they will look after the human being first and foremost?!
Shit, this is unbelievable!
I need to get onto someone about my human rights here, but i have no idea who?! I'm trying to spell this out as clearly as possible to my lawyer to speak to the right paople, but i dont know if it's getting through to him?!
Apparently he will be here in an hour to talk with me. Lets hope that is the case!
A nurse came in and i actually had a wash and a shave and got my sheets changes this morning.
TV, aircon and food still not happening, but i'm not really too bothered at the moment.
No nurses came in to see me after this today, and its now 5pm! I might as well be in a bloody motel somewhere in the middle of nowhere! At least there i might have aircon, and a tv!
I started to feel pins and needles in my little toe on my left foot today, and a bit on the outside of my left foot too.
Naturally, this worried me somewhat.
I did some research on the internet, and it might possibly be something called Compartment Syndrome.
This is a medical emergency, and if left untreated, can result in loss of muscle and possibly even death if not remedied in a few days!
The injury site starts swelling up with blood due to the trauma, and as such restricts blood to the toes, causing the pins and needles feeling. The only way to fix this is through an emergency operation where the doctor cuts open the muscle and lets the pressure free. Even in as little as a few hours, muscle death can occur, and if this is the case, it must be cut out! Then, depending on how much has to be removed, you either walk with a limp, or crutches for the rest of your life!
One of the other symptoms is pain in the calf muscle due to the swelling, but i dont have this, so i'm not sure what to make of it?
It is bloody worrying though. I dont even have anyone to ask!
I haven't seen a doctor in over 3 weeks now, and according to a different site, that lists procedures that you follow with this type of injury, you should have the leg raised above your heart level for the first 48h after the operation to stop possible blood clots in the trauma site.
This wasn't done!
Then you should be released to go home after about 3 or 4 days.
Obviously, with my situation, this hasn't happened.
Then in the nxt 6 weeks before the plaster comes off, you should be getting regular xrays taken to show how well the bone is healing.
I haven't even seen a doctor, let alone had any xrays taken, in over 3 weeks now!
I'm freaking out a bit here coos i dont have any idea of how serious this is, and whether i am, at the moment, in danger?! How the hell would i know? No-one wants to even come in my room to ask how i am!
I just spoke to my lawyer, but he just said that the documents have been served, but that it might take up to another 2 weeks to get any verdict from the courts as to what will happen!
By that time i should've already had the cast taken off and be starting physio!
Meantime back at the ranch, i might still need another op, and might not even be here if things are serious and no-one helps me!
Shit, i need to get outta here asap, and at the very least, into a public hospital that can lend me some professional help!
I honestly cannot believe that these doctors can treat a person like this! I thought all doctors take an oath that they will look after the human being first and foremost?!
Shit, this is unbelievable!
I need to get onto someone about my human rights here, but i have no idea who?! I'm trying to spell this out as clearly as possible to my lawyer to speak to the right paople, but i dont know if it's getting through to him?!
Apparently he will be here in an hour to talk with me. Lets hope that is the case!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Time for a good nights sleep...
This evening the girls went to speak to my doctor. Apparently he will be coming to take the bandages off and the staples out tomorrow.
Also my lawyer phoned me and said that the officer of the court couldn't get to deliver the summons to the driver and his wife, but managed to get hold of her on the phone. She knows she has a big problem now. He will meet her and serve her the paperwork in the morning.
My lawyer will head to the Dominican embassy in the morning and give them both the wife and husband's names so that they have no way of getting on a plane and running away from this.
Then he will be back in the afternoon to speak to the hospital's lawyers and let them know where we are at, and to get them to reinstate all the services that they have taken away from me.
Next thing is to get an independent doctor to assess my leg and see if i need another operation.
I have spoken to the girls, and also to my mate in Bayahibe, and they are looking for an apartment for me for when i leave here.
So, finally things are coming together. All this has happened within the space of a week with my new lawyers. Just shows how useless the previous one's were. And they have a bill wanting payment of $4k! I think they might have another thing coming!
I have also mentioned to my lawyer that when this is all sorted, and i have left the hospital, i want to sit down with him and discuss whether it is a good idea to sue the hospital or not? If i require another operation there will be no discussions. They will see us in court!
This is the first evening since arriving at this hospital that i feel like we have made any headway, and am looking forward to a good sleep and another positive day tomorrow as well...zzz
The hell that is Clinica Canela
Woke up to the smell of the toilet still in the room this morning!
No-one bothered to come and empty it last night despite me asking and them saying they would!
A nurse came in around 7.30am and i told her it had been there since last night. She turned her nose up and left. 10min later another nurse came in and walked up to it and looked at it for a while, then said something to me in spanish i didn't understand and then left.
Finally, at 8.20am a nurse came in and emptied the bed pan into the toilet! A great start to the morning! And one of the girls who was gonna bring me the money for the lawyer from WU is gonna be delayed, so i dont know if i can get this money to the lawyer in time now!
Happy mondays!
Well, its now 2pm, and what a stressful morning it has been once again!
First to arrive were the 2 girls around about 11am, bringing me the money my brother had sent and also some food. While I was chatting to them, the lawyers wife arrived to get the money from me.
The girls sprang to my defense, and went about questioning her and wanting to know who she was before i handed over any money.
After a rather confusing half hour or so, i sent a text to Julien, my lawyer, and asked him to phone me on the landline in my room.
His partners wife went for a walk, saying she'd be back in half an hour.
The next knock at the door was a policeman. He asked me if i was ok, and said hello to the girls. I asked him where he was from, and he said that someone had phoned the police to report to them that i was refusing to pay my hospital bill and that they need to look into things!
No doubt the hospitals lawyer who had been waving paperwork under my nose the last few times she'd been here!
He wanted to know the lawyers name from the UK embassy so that he could hear all of the facts of my case. I gave him the number, and just then the phone rang and it was Julien. I passed the phone to the policeman and they spoke to each other for a while, then Julien spoke to the girls and told them who the woman was, and that it was ok to give her the money. I spoke to him lastly, and he said that there was another problem now!
Miguel, my first lawyer who i had fired, was refusing to step down as my lawyer until he was fully paid up for his services to me. He was demanding 150 000 peso, roughly $4000!! For 2 weeks work in which he did absolutely nothing for me! He couldn't even put my name on the police report in that time, which Julien managed to do within 24h of meeting me!
He told me not to worry about it though, and that he would take care of them, and that things were still going ahead at the courthouse today.
Wow, unbelievable! From one bit of bad news to the next!
The policeman spoke to me before he left and told me that the 2 girls were very good for me, and that i needed to keep them close. They were definitely looking after my best interests. He also said that there are a lot of corrupt and dodgy people in the DR, and that i should be very careful, and that he was disgusted how i had been treated. He apologised for his country and how i had been let down so far, and promised to speak to his superiors at the police station and get me released from the hospital in the next day or so.
The girls and i chatted for a bit and then they left to go and buy me some more medication from the pharmacy because the hospital was about twice as expensive!
So, that's where we stand at the moment. Just finished a lovely lunch that the girls brought me, and feeling a little better about things. Looking forward to finally getting out of here.
The doctor was supposed to take tha bandages off today and the 70 odd staples too, but never pitched up. The girls went to speak to the administration earlier and returned to tell me that the doctor refuses to treat me, and so does the hospital! So, it is now imperative i get out of here. After the nurses shock that i haven't been seen in over 2 weeks, i am a little worried about what is going on under the bandages, and i also still have my fibula to worry about. That will need a 2nd opinion soon too!
But it seems i am a step closer to being released from this hell that is Clinica Canela! Fingers crossed!
No-one bothered to come and empty it last night despite me asking and them saying they would!
A nurse came in around 7.30am and i told her it had been there since last night. She turned her nose up and left. 10min later another nurse came in and walked up to it and looked at it for a while, then said something to me in spanish i didn't understand and then left.
Finally, at 8.20am a nurse came in and emptied the bed pan into the toilet! A great start to the morning! And one of the girls who was gonna bring me the money for the lawyer from WU is gonna be delayed, so i dont know if i can get this money to the lawyer in time now!
Happy mondays!
Well, its now 2pm, and what a stressful morning it has been once again!
First to arrive were the 2 girls around about 11am, bringing me the money my brother had sent and also some food. While I was chatting to them, the lawyers wife arrived to get the money from me.
The girls sprang to my defense, and went about questioning her and wanting to know who she was before i handed over any money.
After a rather confusing half hour or so, i sent a text to Julien, my lawyer, and asked him to phone me on the landline in my room.
His partners wife went for a walk, saying she'd be back in half an hour.
The next knock at the door was a policeman. He asked me if i was ok, and said hello to the girls. I asked him where he was from, and he said that someone had phoned the police to report to them that i was refusing to pay my hospital bill and that they need to look into things!
No doubt the hospitals lawyer who had been waving paperwork under my nose the last few times she'd been here!
He wanted to know the lawyers name from the UK embassy so that he could hear all of the facts of my case. I gave him the number, and just then the phone rang and it was Julien. I passed the phone to the policeman and they spoke to each other for a while, then Julien spoke to the girls and told them who the woman was, and that it was ok to give her the money. I spoke to him lastly, and he said that there was another problem now!
Miguel, my first lawyer who i had fired, was refusing to step down as my lawyer until he was fully paid up for his services to me. He was demanding 150 000 peso, roughly $4000!! For 2 weeks work in which he did absolutely nothing for me! He couldn't even put my name on the police report in that time, which Julien managed to do within 24h of meeting me!
He told me not to worry about it though, and that he would take care of them, and that things were still going ahead at the courthouse today.
Wow, unbelievable! From one bit of bad news to the next!
The policeman spoke to me before he left and told me that the 2 girls were very good for me, and that i needed to keep them close. They were definitely looking after my best interests. He also said that there are a lot of corrupt and dodgy people in the DR, and that i should be very careful, and that he was disgusted how i had been treated. He apologised for his country and how i had been let down so far, and promised to speak to his superiors at the police station and get me released from the hospital in the next day or so.
The girls and i chatted for a bit and then they left to go and buy me some more medication from the pharmacy because the hospital was about twice as expensive!
So, that's where we stand at the moment. Just finished a lovely lunch that the girls brought me, and feeling a little better about things. Looking forward to finally getting out of here.
The doctor was supposed to take tha bandages off today and the 70 odd staples too, but never pitched up. The girls went to speak to the administration earlier and returned to tell me that the doctor refuses to treat me, and so does the hospital! So, it is now imperative i get out of here. After the nurses shock that i haven't been seen in over 2 weeks, i am a little worried about what is going on under the bandages, and i also still have my fibula to worry about. That will need a 2nd opinion soon too!
But it seems i am a step closer to being released from this hell that is Clinica Canela! Fingers crossed!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Disgusting treatment!
This morning i woke up around 4.30am with a fair bit of pain in my knee and hip.
I lay here bearing it for about an hour or more, and finally managed to fall asleep again.
I woke up again around 8am, with one of the nurses coming into my room to use the toilet area to fill her buckets for her cleaning duties. She comes in here every morning around the same time. She never actually cleans my room though, so i'm guessing this is a convenient room on her tour of cleaning to use for filling her buckets, etc?
No food this morning. No-one came in to wash me either, even though i asked to please see a nurse so i could request one. No nurse bothered to stop in.
It's like i am a forgotten person here in room 8. They don't care to help me anymore. There are some nurses here that i have made friends with, that will go behind the administrations back to help me, but the majority of them steer clear of me now.
The spanish nurse has said that she will bring me some food from home for this evening, so that will be a nice treat.
I had a yoghurt that the girls bought me yesterday, and was wondering what else i could find to eat, as my food stock was somewhat diminished now.
I decided to get online and carry on with the website building.
About 9.30am the girls and another of my friends arrived to say hello. I told them that no-one had bothered to even come into my room this morning yet, and as such had not brushed my teeth, or washed up yet.
They went into the bathroom and got the soap, basin and cloth and gave me a wash. They put a bit of cream on my bed sores on my backside, which luckily are starting to heal now. I brushed my teeth, and then they were off to get me some breakfast.
About an hour later they returned with my first burger since being admitted here, Burger King! Not my first choice of burger bar, but happily accepted anyway!
They also brought me some milk for calcium for my bones, and another orange juice.
While they were out shopping there was a knock on the door. It was a policeman! I started to feel the panic rising inside me, wondering what was about to happen?
He said that he was from the embassy and was a tourist policeman, and just wanted to know my name and surname, age, and where i was working and staying. I asked him if there were any problems and he said no, no worries. He was very polite. Then he left.
Not quite sure what that was all about, but no doubt i will find out at some point?
Decided to have a sleep cos i was tired from not sleeping through last night.
Managed an hour and then was woken up with the same pain in my knee again. Was lying here wondering how long it would take to go away this time, and there was a knock on the door.
A nurse came in to take my blood pressure. I told her about the pain and she said she would get another nurse to bring me an injection for the pain. That was a half hour ago!
She asked me how long i had been here and i told her 4 days short of a month. She couldn't believe it! I also told her about my fibula and that the doctor said that it'll heal on its own. She seemed sceptical. She asked me when last i saw my doctor. I told her over 2 weeks ago. She couldn't believe this! She also said that the hospital had told her that i am going home today! I told her i don't know anything about this?! And that it wouldn't make any sense even if i was because tomorrow i am supposed to get the bandages off my upper leg and the staples taken out.
She seemed amazed that my doctor had't been in touch. She said she would go and find out what was going on. Like i said, that was half an hour ago...
Lets see what the rest of this interesting sunday holds in store...
Well, my lawyer came to see me this evening. Just to fill me in with tomorrows proceedings.
They will be going to the courts in Higuey (about 30min away) to submit documents to be served to the driver and his wife saying that they need to sit down with my lawyer and come to an agreement regarding the hospital bill immediately or risk the husband being thrown in jail again.
Hopefully this action will keep the hospital at bay for a little while longer.
The catch is they need $400 to pay for stamps, the messenger, etc. So, it was back on the phone to my poor brother to ask for his help. He sent the money through, and the girls will pick it up in the morning for me and bring it here. I have told him i require a receipt for it, and will be keeping all my receipts that i am accumulating til this case is resolved and i can get my money back!
So, we'll wait and see what the morning has in store for us! I'm guessing it'll involve a frantic hospital insurance lawyer waving documents at me and telling me i have to sign them!
What a way to start the week!
The spanish nurse came round this eveing and brought me some cous cous and a bagel. Very nice of her. It was her day off today as well. She was disgusted when i told her about how i've been treated today, and stole me some clean sheets while no-one was looking, and helped me fit them.
I needed to go to the toilet this evening, and phoned the nurses at reception to ask them to please come and empty the toilet pan for me. Its been almost an hour now, and i'm still sitting in the smell! I hope i can find a way to advertise this in this country so that people will see how terribly this hospital operates! It really is disgusting!
I dont foresee anyone coming to help me either. The spanish nurse was telling me that she has heard the boss's telling all the nursing staff to ignore me if i want anything! Honestly, how do you run an operation like this and get away with it?!
According to my lawyer, when the ambulance arrived here, they should have only done the minimum required to patch me up so that i could get taken to the public hospital in the capital, Santo Domingo. It was the clinics greed of seeing a foreigner lying on their table and thinking they could fleece me for all they could, that kept me here!
And once they found out that i didn't have any money or travel insurance, they drew up the papers to make me personally responsible so that they could be guaranteed their cash!
Good luck to this stupid woman in the morning. I wont be signing anything, and in fact, am in talks with my lawyer to sue this place for malpractice for not fixing my leg properly, and also for human rights abuses while i have been kept here against my will!
Hopefully i can get a successful lawsuit against them! They don't deserve to be in business!
I lay here bearing it for about an hour or more, and finally managed to fall asleep again.
I woke up again around 8am, with one of the nurses coming into my room to use the toilet area to fill her buckets for her cleaning duties. She comes in here every morning around the same time. She never actually cleans my room though, so i'm guessing this is a convenient room on her tour of cleaning to use for filling her buckets, etc?
No food this morning. No-one came in to wash me either, even though i asked to please see a nurse so i could request one. No nurse bothered to stop in.
It's like i am a forgotten person here in room 8. They don't care to help me anymore. There are some nurses here that i have made friends with, that will go behind the administrations back to help me, but the majority of them steer clear of me now.
The spanish nurse has said that she will bring me some food from home for this evening, so that will be a nice treat.
I had a yoghurt that the girls bought me yesterday, and was wondering what else i could find to eat, as my food stock was somewhat diminished now.
I decided to get online and carry on with the website building.
About 9.30am the girls and another of my friends arrived to say hello. I told them that no-one had bothered to even come into my room this morning yet, and as such had not brushed my teeth, or washed up yet.
They went into the bathroom and got the soap, basin and cloth and gave me a wash. They put a bit of cream on my bed sores on my backside, which luckily are starting to heal now. I brushed my teeth, and then they were off to get me some breakfast.
About an hour later they returned with my first burger since being admitted here, Burger King! Not my first choice of burger bar, but happily accepted anyway!
They also brought me some milk for calcium for my bones, and another orange juice.
While they were out shopping there was a knock on the door. It was a policeman! I started to feel the panic rising inside me, wondering what was about to happen?
He said that he was from the embassy and was a tourist policeman, and just wanted to know my name and surname, age, and where i was working and staying. I asked him if there were any problems and he said no, no worries. He was very polite. Then he left.
Not quite sure what that was all about, but no doubt i will find out at some point?
Decided to have a sleep cos i was tired from not sleeping through last night.
Managed an hour and then was woken up with the same pain in my knee again. Was lying here wondering how long it would take to go away this time, and there was a knock on the door.
A nurse came in to take my blood pressure. I told her about the pain and she said she would get another nurse to bring me an injection for the pain. That was a half hour ago!
She asked me how long i had been here and i told her 4 days short of a month. She couldn't believe it! I also told her about my fibula and that the doctor said that it'll heal on its own. She seemed sceptical. She asked me when last i saw my doctor. I told her over 2 weeks ago. She couldn't believe this! She also said that the hospital had told her that i am going home today! I told her i don't know anything about this?! And that it wouldn't make any sense even if i was because tomorrow i am supposed to get the bandages off my upper leg and the staples taken out.
She seemed amazed that my doctor had't been in touch. She said she would go and find out what was going on. Like i said, that was half an hour ago...
Lets see what the rest of this interesting sunday holds in store...
Well, my lawyer came to see me this evening. Just to fill me in with tomorrows proceedings.
They will be going to the courts in Higuey (about 30min away) to submit documents to be served to the driver and his wife saying that they need to sit down with my lawyer and come to an agreement regarding the hospital bill immediately or risk the husband being thrown in jail again.
Hopefully this action will keep the hospital at bay for a little while longer.
The catch is they need $400 to pay for stamps, the messenger, etc. So, it was back on the phone to my poor brother to ask for his help. He sent the money through, and the girls will pick it up in the morning for me and bring it here. I have told him i require a receipt for it, and will be keeping all my receipts that i am accumulating til this case is resolved and i can get my money back!
So, we'll wait and see what the morning has in store for us! I'm guessing it'll involve a frantic hospital insurance lawyer waving documents at me and telling me i have to sign them!
What a way to start the week!
The spanish nurse came round this eveing and brought me some cous cous and a bagel. Very nice of her. It was her day off today as well. She was disgusted when i told her about how i've been treated today, and stole me some clean sheets while no-one was looking, and helped me fit them.
I needed to go to the toilet this evening, and phoned the nurses at reception to ask them to please come and empty the toilet pan for me. Its been almost an hour now, and i'm still sitting in the smell! I hope i can find a way to advertise this in this country so that people will see how terribly this hospital operates! It really is disgusting!
I dont foresee anyone coming to help me either. The spanish nurse was telling me that she has heard the boss's telling all the nursing staff to ignore me if i want anything! Honestly, how do you run an operation like this and get away with it?!
According to my lawyer, when the ambulance arrived here, they should have only done the minimum required to patch me up so that i could get taken to the public hospital in the capital, Santo Domingo. It was the clinics greed of seeing a foreigner lying on their table and thinking they could fleece me for all they could, that kept me here!
And once they found out that i didn't have any money or travel insurance, they drew up the papers to make me personally responsible so that they could be guaranteed their cash!
Good luck to this stupid woman in the morning. I wont be signing anything, and in fact, am in talks with my lawyer to sue this place for malpractice for not fixing my leg properly, and also for human rights abuses while i have been kept here against my will!
Hopefully i can get a successful lawsuit against them! They don't deserve to be in business!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Uncontactable...!
Well, tonight is saturday night, which brings this blog up to date now.
My lawyer couldn't get hold of the driver or his wife, despite knowing where they live, and they are not answering their phones. Looks like they think if they stick their heads in the sand then we will go away??
He says that now our only course of action is to draw up legal documents requiring the driver to sit down and speak to us regarding the payment of my hospital bills and after care.
This has just gone from bad to worse to worse still over the last month, and i am still no closer to finding out how i will survive here, or after i leave here!
After care requires a nurse full-time, accommodation, food and drink and medication.
It also requires a proper physio to help me to learn to walk again when the cast comes off my leg.
And then there's another 6 months of crutches until i build the muscle back up in my leg so that i can even support my own body weight!
1 year is the time period i have been given.
Oh, and the cherry on the top....
I have looked at the x-rays and the after op x-ray of my tibia/fibula break, shows that the fibula has been left alone. Only the tibia was operated on, and a pin inserted. The fibula, which is only about 17% weight bearing, but plays an important role in helping the ankle function correctly, is broken to such a degree that the bones are about 1cm apart horizontally, and about 1.5cm past each other vertically, in the x-ray!
According to the doctor this will grow together and heal itself over time!
According to the internet this will never repair itself unless the bones are aligned and touching, or very near to touching, so that they can grow together!
So, after all of this, it looks like i will have to go back into surgery at some point in the near future, not in this hospital, and get operated on again, and then another cast put on, and we're back to square one again!!
Tomorrow is sunday and no-one works here, so no more news there.
Monday the shit hits the fan when this woman appears with her legal paperwork again and starts shouting at me!
Happy days!
Stay tuned for more of this rollercoaster ride!!
My lawyer couldn't get hold of the driver or his wife, despite knowing where they live, and they are not answering their phones. Looks like they think if they stick their heads in the sand then we will go away??
He says that now our only course of action is to draw up legal documents requiring the driver to sit down and speak to us regarding the payment of my hospital bills and after care.
This has just gone from bad to worse to worse still over the last month, and i am still no closer to finding out how i will survive here, or after i leave here!
After care requires a nurse full-time, accommodation, food and drink and medication.
It also requires a proper physio to help me to learn to walk again when the cast comes off my leg.
And then there's another 6 months of crutches until i build the muscle back up in my leg so that i can even support my own body weight!
1 year is the time period i have been given.
Oh, and the cherry on the top....
I have looked at the x-rays and the after op x-ray of my tibia/fibula break, shows that the fibula has been left alone. Only the tibia was operated on, and a pin inserted. The fibula, which is only about 17% weight bearing, but plays an important role in helping the ankle function correctly, is broken to such a degree that the bones are about 1cm apart horizontally, and about 1.5cm past each other vertically, in the x-ray!
According to the doctor this will grow together and heal itself over time!
According to the internet this will never repair itself unless the bones are aligned and touching, or very near to touching, so that they can grow together!
So, after all of this, it looks like i will have to go back into surgery at some point in the near future, not in this hospital, and get operated on again, and then another cast put on, and we're back to square one again!!
Tomorrow is sunday and no-one works here, so no more news there.
Monday the shit hits the fan when this woman appears with her legal paperwork again and starts shouting at me!
Happy days!
Stay tuned for more of this rollercoaster ride!!
The nightmare gets worse!!
Friday i woke up and had breakfast and a wash as usual.
I tried to find out what was going on, but was told that it was difficult to speak to the insurance company because they were busy all day, but that he was working on it!
The rest of the day was uneventful.
At about 3pm the door opened and the hospital's lawyer appeared in the doorway clutching her portfolio of legal documents!
"This should be fun", I thought as she walked in!
I was right!
She had brought her interpreter with, the girl who had given me the food the saturday previously.
She translated what i already knew she was going to say. I needed to sign the papers, and she wasn't leaving the room until i had. She wanted them signed the same day and would not accept any excuses.
I tried to explain that my new attorney was doing a great job, but had only really had a few days of being able to do his job without hindrance, but she was having none of it! I had now been in the hospital very nearly 1 month since the accident, and she wanted reassurance that the bill, which was escalating every day, would be paid!
I refused to sign, and phoned my new lawyer. He spoke to her at length over the phone, and after about 10min, she hung the phone up.
I thought this was the end of it for now, but then she shoved the papers at me again and demanded i sign them!
I couldn't believe this woman! Intimidating doesn't come close!
Eventually she gave up and told me i had until monday or there would be very big problems for me! She also told me that from now on all i am to her is a person in a bed. She was cutting the tv reception, the air con, and not serving me food anymore!
I told her she couldn't treat me like this, but apparently this fell on deaf ears, cos 10min later the tv went off, then the aircon went off!
About an hour later my lawyer arrived.
I told him what had happened, and he said he would try and get the services switched on again and headed off to the admin office. He returned a few minutes later and told me that the girl that was there said her boss had sanctioned the changes and that she wasn't in a position to get them reinstated.
My lawyer had news though from the insurance company...
Unfortunately, once again, it would be bad news!
My colleague, who had been driving the motorbike, hadn't had insurance, nor a drivers licence, or even papers for the bike! As such, they had refused to deal with me as they had no case with me becasue the bike shouldn't have even been on the road!
So, apparently, this was now a dead end!
There was only one thing left to do, and that was go after the driver personally as a civil case!
He would need to contact the driver and present our situation to him and tell him if he didn't help us then we would start court proceedings against him!
He would try contact him the same day, but would also try on saturday because this was now a very urgent case of finding a solution!
With this he left.
Great! Another sleepless night of worry!
I tried to find out what was going on, but was told that it was difficult to speak to the insurance company because they were busy all day, but that he was working on it!
The rest of the day was uneventful.
At about 3pm the door opened and the hospital's lawyer appeared in the doorway clutching her portfolio of legal documents!
"This should be fun", I thought as she walked in!
I was right!
She had brought her interpreter with, the girl who had given me the food the saturday previously.
She translated what i already knew she was going to say. I needed to sign the papers, and she wasn't leaving the room until i had. She wanted them signed the same day and would not accept any excuses.
I tried to explain that my new attorney was doing a great job, but had only really had a few days of being able to do his job without hindrance, but she was having none of it! I had now been in the hospital very nearly 1 month since the accident, and she wanted reassurance that the bill, which was escalating every day, would be paid!
I refused to sign, and phoned my new lawyer. He spoke to her at length over the phone, and after about 10min, she hung the phone up.
I thought this was the end of it for now, but then she shoved the papers at me again and demanded i sign them!
I couldn't believe this woman! Intimidating doesn't come close!
Eventually she gave up and told me i had until monday or there would be very big problems for me! She also told me that from now on all i am to her is a person in a bed. She was cutting the tv reception, the air con, and not serving me food anymore!
I told her she couldn't treat me like this, but apparently this fell on deaf ears, cos 10min later the tv went off, then the aircon went off!
About an hour later my lawyer arrived.
I told him what had happened, and he said he would try and get the services switched on again and headed off to the admin office. He returned a few minutes later and told me that the girl that was there said her boss had sanctioned the changes and that she wasn't in a position to get them reinstated.
My lawyer had news though from the insurance company...
Unfortunately, once again, it would be bad news!
My colleague, who had been driving the motorbike, hadn't had insurance, nor a drivers licence, or even papers for the bike! As such, they had refused to deal with me as they had no case with me becasue the bike shouldn't have even been on the road!
So, apparently, this was now a dead end!
There was only one thing left to do, and that was go after the driver personally as a civil case!
He would need to contact the driver and present our situation to him and tell him if he didn't help us then we would start court proceedings against him!
He would try contact him the same day, but would also try on saturday because this was now a very urgent case of finding a solution!
With this he left.
Great! Another sleepless night of worry!
No news again...
Thursday heralded no more news, and as the weekend approached i wondered how much longer i would be kept in this prison that was Room 8!!
Back to square one...!
Wednesday morning i received a visit from my new lawyer.
He informed me that the old lawyers were proving impossible to get hold of, and refused to share documents with him, etc, which was making his life near impossible with regards to my case!
He suggested getting rid of them and taking him on by himself as this would greatly speed things up.
He also told me that without the police records including my name, it was impossible to speak to the insurance company because legally, i did not exist!
How then had my other "lawyers" been speaking to the insurance company for the last 3 weeks??!
He left, and said i should phone him once they were with me and he would speak to them for me.
I phoned them and they came to see me. I tried to phone my new lawyer but he was in a meeting in the courthouse and couldn't join us. I spoke at length to them and told them they were basically being an obstruction in this case, and that i needed them to step down from representing me.
They agreed and said that they would speak to the new lawyer and get this sorted out.
The new lawyer then arrived shortly afterwards and said to me he was to speak too the insurance company in the next day or so and that he would get back to me as soon as he could.
An eventful day, but still none the closer to settling this situation!
Online...
On tuesday the girls were back again, bringing me their brother's internet connection to use so that i could get online and chat to my friends overseas.
It was so nice to back online, and back in touch with people again!
No more news of my case from the lawyers, so i thought they must be working nicely together then??
It was so nice to back online, and back in touch with people again!
No more news of my case from the lawyers, so i thought they must be working nicely together then??
Laptop heaven...
I had been trying to get my laptop brought to me since the accident. Even if i had been told that it was not working, i wanted to see if i could get it working myself. At least it would be something to keep my brain busy because i was starting to meltdown after weeks of having nothing but tv to watch!
Finally on monday afternoon my laptop arrived and i plugged it in. I pushed the power button and it started straight up! Perfect condition too! It had been through the head on collision with me and survived without even a scratch on it!
Dell Alienware plug here....amazing piece of machinery!
I now had access to movies, games, and probably more importantly, my spanish lessons!
I kept myself busy with the laptop most of the day, and no-one phoned, so i didn't get much more info on my situation.
Later in the day 2 Dominican twin girls came to visit. They were friends of my friend. They were lovely, and went out and bought me more food and drink, and a cellphone!
I didn't have any money to give them, but they didn't want any. They paid for everything and wanted nothing paid back either! They made sure i was comfortable, and said to me that when i left the hospital they would travel every day from their house to see me and make sure i was ok.
Finally on monday afternoon my laptop arrived and i plugged it in. I pushed the power button and it started straight up! Perfect condition too! It had been through the head on collision with me and survived without even a scratch on it!
Dell Alienware plug here....amazing piece of machinery!
I now had access to movies, games, and probably more importantly, my spanish lessons!
I kept myself busy with the laptop most of the day, and no-one phoned, so i didn't get much more info on my situation.
Later in the day 2 Dominican twin girls came to visit. They were friends of my friend. They were lovely, and went out and bought me more food and drink, and a cellphone!
I didn't have any money to give them, but they didn't want any. They paid for everything and wanted nothing paid back either! They made sure i was comfortable, and said to me that when i left the hospital they would travel every day from their house to see me and make sure i was ok.
Another long weekend...
Friday came and went and once again no-one bothered to fill me in as to what was going on!
I tried to phone my mates to see what was happening, as the lawyers phone was once again off, but i couldn't reach them either.
I was out of money now, and out of food and almost out of call credit.
Friday night supper arrived. A ball of mash half the size of a human fist, and a single boiled egg cut into slivers and placed in a semi circle around the potato.
There was no way i was gonna last on this til morning!
I didn't have a choice though, and just lay here watching tv, dreading the advert breaks because they always involved food adverts of burgers and steaks and seafood! Even McDonalds was starting to look good! I must be hungry!
Saturday i got hold of my mate and he told me that they managed to get my name on the police report. It had cost 2000 peso into someone's pocket and it was done. Like i said, everyone and everything has a price over here!
Saturday evening was another miserable supper. It consisted of the same ball of mash potato, and 2 pieces of ham! Breakfast and lunch had been pretty poor too, so by now i was starving!
One of the nurses here, a spanish girl who spoke decent english who i had made friends with, came in and asked me if i wanted anything. I told her about the tiny bit of supper the last 2 nights, and she said she'd see what she could do.
Unfortunately the kitchen was closed, but she did manage to bring me a packet of biscuits. At least it was something!
Then another Dominican girl came to visit me. She was the same one who had done the interpreting for the hospital's lawyer.
She asked me if there was anything she could get me, and i told her how hungry i was. She went shopping for me, and returned with about $20 worth of food! There were chips, drinks, chocolates, apples, banana's...
She didn't want anything in return. She said it was between her and the Lord, and made sure i had a fridge brought into the room too to keep the fruit in! Then she said goodnight and headed off to her church group.
That saturday night was the best night i had spent here so far. I watched a movie on tv, and enjoyed some good food to go with it.
Sunday was another boring day with nothing to do except watch heaps of football on tv, and no-one to speak to because my phone cards were now finished. No-one phoned either, so i was all alone again...
I tried to phone my mates to see what was happening, as the lawyers phone was once again off, but i couldn't reach them either.
I was out of money now, and out of food and almost out of call credit.
Friday night supper arrived. A ball of mash half the size of a human fist, and a single boiled egg cut into slivers and placed in a semi circle around the potato.
There was no way i was gonna last on this til morning!
I didn't have a choice though, and just lay here watching tv, dreading the advert breaks because they always involved food adverts of burgers and steaks and seafood! Even McDonalds was starting to look good! I must be hungry!
Saturday i got hold of my mate and he told me that they managed to get my name on the police report. It had cost 2000 peso into someone's pocket and it was done. Like i said, everyone and everything has a price over here!
Saturday evening was another miserable supper. It consisted of the same ball of mash potato, and 2 pieces of ham! Breakfast and lunch had been pretty poor too, so by now i was starving!
One of the nurses here, a spanish girl who spoke decent english who i had made friends with, came in and asked me if i wanted anything. I told her about the tiny bit of supper the last 2 nights, and she said she'd see what she could do.
Unfortunately the kitchen was closed, but she did manage to bring me a packet of biscuits. At least it was something!
Then another Dominican girl came to visit me. She was the same one who had done the interpreting for the hospital's lawyer.
She asked me if there was anything she could get me, and i told her how hungry i was. She went shopping for me, and returned with about $20 worth of food! There were chips, drinks, chocolates, apples, banana's...
She didn't want anything in return. She said it was between her and the Lord, and made sure i had a fridge brought into the room too to keep the fruit in! Then she said goodnight and headed off to her church group.
That saturday night was the best night i had spent here so far. I watched a movie on tv, and enjoyed some good food to go with it.
Sunday was another boring day with nothing to do except watch heaps of football on tv, and no-one to speak to because my phone cards were now finished. No-one phoned either, so i was all alone again...
Police reports...
The following day i heard nothing from anyone, and just lay in bed wondering what was happening.
Eventually at about 4pm, i phoned one of my mates and asked them what was going on. They told me that the new lawyer had been to the police station and that he needed to go back to the station the following morning, but that it looked like he might be able to do this without me going there in person.
Finally, some good news!
My original lawyers had been more than 2 weeks on the case, and had repeatedly told me that it was impossible to get my name on this report without going there in person. My new lawyer had gotten this done in less than 24h!
I was now pretty sure that my old lawyers had ulterior motives with this case!
Eventually at about 4pm, i phoned one of my mates and asked them what was going on. They told me that the new lawyer had been to the police station and that he needed to go back to the station the following morning, but that it looked like he might be able to do this without me going there in person.
Finally, some good news!
My original lawyers had been more than 2 weeks on the case, and had repeatedly told me that it was impossible to get my name on this report without going there in person. My new lawyer had gotten this done in less than 24h!
I was now pretty sure that my old lawyers had ulterior motives with this case!
A morning from hell...
I got a phone call from one of my mates saying that they knew of a very good Dominican attorney and that he could be there to help me because it didn't sound like these other 2 were doing much for me?!
I had been in the hospital for almost 3 weeks now, and nothing had been resolved. As far as i understood, things were in the same position as when i had arrived as far as sorting the hospital out and me leaving this dreaded room 8!
The hospitals lawyer, the lady from the previous evening, arrived around 9.30am. I told her that my friends would be here at 10.30am, and she left saying she would be back soon.
My lawyers arrived around 10amish, and she came into the room with them. I told them i needed to wait for my other friends to be here. They agreed, but sat in my room discussing my case in spanish.
When my mate arrived, they came into the room with another lady, and she told them to leave and that she needed to chat to me alone.
I chatted to her and she told me that she had a lawyer whom she had known for many years, and he was legit, and couldn't be bought off. Unfortunately, a big problem in the DR. If you have money you are untouchable. Everyone has a price! This might explain my lawyers attitiude towards getting this case resolved?!
She called her lawyer friend and he was here within 15min.
I explained the entire case to him and he listened and then said to me that we needed to urgently get my name put on the police records and that this would be his first thing to sort out.
Then the other lawyers came in, and the hospital's lawyers, and their interpreter, and my mate, and they all started talking and ended up having a heated debate about my case all in spanish, with pointing of fingers and raised voices! It was not a pleasant situation at all.
So, at the end of all this commotion, which lasted for about an hour or more, my old and new lawyers were left behind, and the hospital lawyer had given them a few more days to sort something out.
The lawyers chatted amongst themselves and decided that they would work together on the case.
My new lawyer would head to the courts in Higuey and see if he could get my name put on the police reports without me being there, and the other lawyers would try to speak to the insurance company(which they had apparently been doing for the last 2 weeks).
Finally it seemed like things were moving forward, although i now had another lawyer onboard and them working together seemed to me to be a case of too many cooks....but at least i had people doing something for me now!
I had been in the hospital for almost 3 weeks now, and nothing had been resolved. As far as i understood, things were in the same position as when i had arrived as far as sorting the hospital out and me leaving this dreaded room 8!
The hospitals lawyer, the lady from the previous evening, arrived around 9.30am. I told her that my friends would be here at 10.30am, and she left saying she would be back soon.
My lawyers arrived around 10amish, and she came into the room with them. I told them i needed to wait for my other friends to be here. They agreed, but sat in my room discussing my case in spanish.
When my mate arrived, they came into the room with another lady, and she told them to leave and that she needed to chat to me alone.
I chatted to her and she told me that she had a lawyer whom she had known for many years, and he was legit, and couldn't be bought off. Unfortunately, a big problem in the DR. If you have money you are untouchable. Everyone has a price! This might explain my lawyers attitiude towards getting this case resolved?!
She called her lawyer friend and he was here within 15min.
I explained the entire case to him and he listened and then said to me that we needed to urgently get my name put on the police records and that this would be his first thing to sort out.
Then the other lawyers came in, and the hospital's lawyers, and their interpreter, and my mate, and they all started talking and ended up having a heated debate about my case all in spanish, with pointing of fingers and raised voices! It was not a pleasant situation at all.
So, at the end of all this commotion, which lasted for about an hour or more, my old and new lawyers were left behind, and the hospital lawyer had given them a few more days to sort something out.
The lawyers chatted amongst themselves and decided that they would work together on the case.
My new lawyer would head to the courts in Higuey and see if he could get my name put on the police reports without me being there, and the other lawyers would try to speak to the insurance company(which they had apparently been doing for the last 2 weeks).
Finally it seemed like things were moving forward, although i now had another lawyer onboard and them working together seemed to me to be a case of too many cooks....but at least i had people doing something for me now!
Pay, or else!
Another 2 days passed. It was now almost 3 weeks since the accident!
I awoke in the morning, and had my wash, and breakfast. Not long after 2 women walked in, and one of them started talking to me in spanish. The other listened and then translated for me.
They wanted me to sign documents saying that i will fully accept all the hospital charges as my own. This will give them a guarantee that they will be getting some money from me at some point.
I obviously refused this as this would immediately open me up to a lawsuit from the hospital for money that i didn't have!
She got really angry with me, and said that she wanted a signature immediately, and was not leaving before she got one!
I told her i needed to speak to my lawyers first. Needless to say, when i phoned them, there was no answer!
She refused to leave, badgering me to sign and intimidating me no end. I had a list of numbers of attorneys form the UK embassy that my brother had given me, and i tried them all to see if i could get an impartial lawyer in the room to try help me, cos i seriously suspected that my lawyers were in bed with someone at some point and thus were holding out on me!
I managed to reach a lawyer who was the UK embassy representative. He came down here, and sat chatting with her (her arm around his shoulder?!). Then he asked me to explain the entire case to him.
After i finished and had answered a lot of questions for him, he told me that it was a good idea to sign the documents that she had, and get myself out of the hospital. This seemed like crazy advice! Then he asked for my UK passport, which i had with me. I gave it to him and he gave it to her and she put it in her briefcase and that was that. My passport was now confiscated too!
He explained that this was a precautionary exercise to ensure that i didn't flee the country with this bill hanging over my head!
Not that i was going anywhere with a broken leg in 3 places and instructions from the doctor to stay in bed!!
But, that was that, I now had no passport and was being told to sign this document!
I refused once again, and she raised her voice in spanish to me for a few more minutes and then they left, with her saying she would be back the following morning for my signature, or else!
I was pretty intimidated by this, naturally, and phoned my friends and asked them if they could please get hold of the lawyers cos this would be getting ugly in the morning!
I was in constant contact with my brother in Ireland at this point, speaking to each other every 2nd day or so. He put sum questions to mates and work colleagues, and told me exactly what i suspected...that these lawyers weren't acting in my best interests to get me out of the hospital!
That night i didnt sleep much, scared of what the morning would bring!
I awoke in the morning, and had my wash, and breakfast. Not long after 2 women walked in, and one of them started talking to me in spanish. The other listened and then translated for me.
They wanted me to sign documents saying that i will fully accept all the hospital charges as my own. This will give them a guarantee that they will be getting some money from me at some point.
I obviously refused this as this would immediately open me up to a lawsuit from the hospital for money that i didn't have!
She got really angry with me, and said that she wanted a signature immediately, and was not leaving before she got one!
I told her i needed to speak to my lawyers first. Needless to say, when i phoned them, there was no answer!
She refused to leave, badgering me to sign and intimidating me no end. I had a list of numbers of attorneys form the UK embassy that my brother had given me, and i tried them all to see if i could get an impartial lawyer in the room to try help me, cos i seriously suspected that my lawyers were in bed with someone at some point and thus were holding out on me!
I managed to reach a lawyer who was the UK embassy representative. He came down here, and sat chatting with her (her arm around his shoulder?!). Then he asked me to explain the entire case to him.
After i finished and had answered a lot of questions for him, he told me that it was a good idea to sign the documents that she had, and get myself out of the hospital. This seemed like crazy advice! Then he asked for my UK passport, which i had with me. I gave it to him and he gave it to her and she put it in her briefcase and that was that. My passport was now confiscated too!
He explained that this was a precautionary exercise to ensure that i didn't flee the country with this bill hanging over my head!
Not that i was going anywhere with a broken leg in 3 places and instructions from the doctor to stay in bed!!
But, that was that, I now had no passport and was being told to sign this document!
I refused once again, and she raised her voice in spanish to me for a few more minutes and then they left, with her saying she would be back the following morning for my signature, or else!
I was pretty intimidated by this, naturally, and phoned my friends and asked them if they could please get hold of the lawyers cos this would be getting ugly in the morning!
I was in constant contact with my brother in Ireland at this point, speaking to each other every 2nd day or so. He put sum questions to mates and work colleagues, and told me exactly what i suspected...that these lawyers weren't acting in my best interests to get me out of the hospital!
That night i didnt sleep much, scared of what the morning would bring!
Houdini...
It had now been more than 2 weeks since i was admitted and i could sense that i was not wanted here at the hospital any longer.
I would go days without any news, and i was battling to survive on the little bit of food i was getting fed! It was a very depressing time indeed.
My lawyers eventually returned after another 3 days of Houdini tricks.
But the story was the same...they were battling to come to an agreement with the insurance company. But now, after all this time, a new twist on the story...
I was apparently not a part of the case as yet because my name had still to be entered onto the police records in Higuey, a town about a half hour's drive away!
I couldn't believe it! How were my "lawyers" supposedly talking to the insurance company when i was not even a part of the case yet?? I asked them this and they told me that i needed to go immediately to Higuey and sign the police forms!
How i was supposed to do this was beyond me, as i was bedridden!
I asked them to please see if they could bring the papers to me in the hospital, or get the police to visit me here.
I was told they were working on it, and they told me to relax and disappeared again!
I would go days without any news, and i was battling to survive on the little bit of food i was getting fed! It was a very depressing time indeed.
My lawyers eventually returned after another 3 days of Houdini tricks.
But the story was the same...they were battling to come to an agreement with the insurance company. But now, after all this time, a new twist on the story...
I was apparently not a part of the case as yet because my name had still to be entered onto the police records in Higuey, a town about a half hour's drive away!
I couldn't believe it! How were my "lawyers" supposedly talking to the insurance company when i was not even a part of the case yet?? I asked them this and they told me that i needed to go immediately to Higuey and sign the police forms!
How i was supposed to do this was beyond me, as i was bedridden!
I asked them to please see if they could bring the papers to me in the hospital, or get the police to visit me here.
I was told they were working on it, and they told me to relax and disappeared again!
No news is...?
On about the end of the first week in room 8, the nurse came in to change the drip bag. The canula in my left arm was leaking as, over the course of being washed, it had come loose.
She forcibly shoved it back in my vein which caused me quite some discomfort, and then put the syringe in the little auxiliary plug near my arm and proceeded to suck and blow like she was cleaning a drain out!
It was quite painful, and she just looked at me with this blank expression, changed the drip bag, and walked out!
Breakfasts had been cut to sometimes just 2 pieces of dry french loaf, and not even the usual warm milk anymore! I was starting to slowly starve to death in this place.
The only solace in an otherwise extremely boring day was when they brought me food. I was stuck on 1 channel for most of the day, and soon became aware of how many food adverts they show daily! Not good when you are getting seriously underfed!
It didn't make any difference if i begged in spanish for a little more. They nearly always ignored me, or told me that the kitchen was closed!
The room service was becoming terrible now, and most of the time i would receive no answer when i called, or the answer, "un momentito", after which i would most often than not, not see anyone!
By now the drip had been removed and i had decided that i needed to be more in control of my own movements around my small little room.
I dismantled the drip bag holder steel pole from its stand, and was using that as a tv remote. If i stretched as far as i could, i could just reach the tv controls!
Unfortunately after a few days of this, the channel up button dislodged and fell inside the tv!
Now i was left with about 4 channels out of 100 that were in english and i needed to navigate nearly all of them everytime i wanted to change channels! Great!
I was pretty sure that the lack of service was directly related to the hospitals stance on me still being there and no solution having been reached yet...
Also, my left arm where the nurse had played drain cleaner was bruised like hell, and i couldn't straighten it because of the pain! This was more painful than my broken leg, and was giving me sleepless nights!
She forcibly shoved it back in my vein which caused me quite some discomfort, and then put the syringe in the little auxiliary plug near my arm and proceeded to suck and blow like she was cleaning a drain out!
It was quite painful, and she just looked at me with this blank expression, changed the drip bag, and walked out!
Breakfasts had been cut to sometimes just 2 pieces of dry french loaf, and not even the usual warm milk anymore! I was starting to slowly starve to death in this place.
The only solace in an otherwise extremely boring day was when they brought me food. I was stuck on 1 channel for most of the day, and soon became aware of how many food adverts they show daily! Not good when you are getting seriously underfed!
It didn't make any difference if i begged in spanish for a little more. They nearly always ignored me, or told me that the kitchen was closed!
The room service was becoming terrible now, and most of the time i would receive no answer when i called, or the answer, "un momentito", after which i would most often than not, not see anyone!
By now the drip had been removed and i had decided that i needed to be more in control of my own movements around my small little room.
I dismantled the drip bag holder steel pole from its stand, and was using that as a tv remote. If i stretched as far as i could, i could just reach the tv controls!
Unfortunately after a few days of this, the channel up button dislodged and fell inside the tv!
Now i was left with about 4 channels out of 100 that were in english and i needed to navigate nearly all of them everytime i wanted to change channels! Great!
I was pretty sure that the lack of service was directly related to the hospitals stance on me still being there and no solution having been reached yet...
Also, my left arm where the nurse had played drain cleaner was bruised like hell, and i couldn't straighten it because of the pain! This was more painful than my broken leg, and was giving me sleepless nights!
The beginning of the nightmare...
In my first 3 days in room 8 i had already read both books that i had at home that my mates had brought me, and looked through the National Geographic i had been given.
There wasn't much else to do except watch tv.
Every morning i would have the drip bag changed over, a blood sample taken, and every 3 days or so, the canula in my arm would be moved to a different vein.
I had been in the hospital almost a week now since the accident, and still no word from my lawyers?
I had a little money that my friend had left me, so i asked one of the nurses to buy me a phone card, so that i could at least phone my mates or boss and find out what was happening.
The lawyers eventually came back after about 4 days, and told me that this was a very difficult case because i didn't have any travel insurance. The hospital was starting to get anxious about getting their money, and wanted me to come up with a solution.
I was in no financial position to pay the bill, which apparently was close on $20k, and neither was my family!
This was a case for the lawyers to sort out with the insurance company...
My lawyers told me to contact my family and come up with $10k so that i could leave the hospital! I told them i had no money and couldn't pay this ludicrous amount!
They said that they would talk with the hospital and sort things out, and in the meantime they would speak to the insurance company and see what deal they could make with them.
They would get back to me the following day with more news.
Back to a tv whose channels could not be changed, and an aircon that imitated the north pole...
Fun.
There wasn't much else to do except watch tv.
Every morning i would have the drip bag changed over, a blood sample taken, and every 3 days or so, the canula in my arm would be moved to a different vein.
I had been in the hospital almost a week now since the accident, and still no word from my lawyers?
I had a little money that my friend had left me, so i asked one of the nurses to buy me a phone card, so that i could at least phone my mates or boss and find out what was happening.
The lawyers eventually came back after about 4 days, and told me that this was a very difficult case because i didn't have any travel insurance. The hospital was starting to get anxious about getting their money, and wanted me to come up with a solution.
I was in no financial position to pay the bill, which apparently was close on $20k, and neither was my family!
This was a case for the lawyers to sort out with the insurance company...
My lawyers told me to contact my family and come up with $10k so that i could leave the hospital! I told them i had no money and couldn't pay this ludicrous amount!
They said that they would talk with the hospital and sort things out, and in the meantime they would speak to the insurance company and see what deal they could make with them.
They would get back to me the following day with more news.
Back to a tv whose channels could not be changed, and an aircon that imitated the north pole...
Fun.
Insurance problems.
My 1st or 2nd day in room 8 i was visited by 2 lawyers.
They were the lawyers of Isidro, my colleague who was killed. They were representing the family in the case, and after his wife had seen me lying in ICU, she had told her lawyers to do me a favour and help me aswell in representation.
My boss was present aswell, as i didnt speak much spanish, and not many people in the hospital, or the DR for that matter, speak english.
I was asked questions, and, as i didnt have any travel insurance (big mistake), they said that they would take my case on and request that the insurance company of the guilty driver (he'd been bailed the same evening by his wife, reportedly $25000) be held accountable for the hospital bill and my recuperation after i left the hospital.
I signed papers saying that they could represent me, and they said not to worry, and that they would be back soon.
It was a very good thing i had been here for 3 months already as i had made a fair few friends, and they were proving invaluable to me now, with phone calls to family, visiting, etc.
If this country was anything like any others, i should be looked after by the insurance companies payout, and apart from a years hiatus before carrying on with my life, shouldn't be affected.
How wrong that thought proved to be...
They were the lawyers of Isidro, my colleague who was killed. They were representing the family in the case, and after his wife had seen me lying in ICU, she had told her lawyers to do me a favour and help me aswell in representation.
My boss was present aswell, as i didnt speak much spanish, and not many people in the hospital, or the DR for that matter, speak english.
I was asked questions, and, as i didnt have any travel insurance (big mistake), they said that they would take my case on and request that the insurance company of the guilty driver (he'd been bailed the same evening by his wife, reportedly $25000) be held accountable for the hospital bill and my recuperation after i left the hospital.
I signed papers saying that they could represent me, and they said not to worry, and that they would be back soon.
It was a very good thing i had been here for 3 months already as i had made a fair few friends, and they were proving invaluable to me now, with phone calls to family, visiting, etc.
If this country was anything like any others, i should be looked after by the insurance companies payout, and apart from a years hiatus before carrying on with my life, shouldn't be affected.
How wrong that thought proved to be...
Room 8
Not too bad i thought as i was wheeled in on a stretcher and then transferred to my bed, one i would become too well acquainted with over the coming weeks...
There was a small colour tv on a wall bracket in the top left of the room, a small toilet/bathroom in the back right of the room, a couch on the right of the room, under the window, an aircon above the couch, and a small chest of drawers next to the bed, which was against the left hand wall.
A telephone was mounted on the wall above and behind me. I was given the internal number for help, 231, and told to call it if i needed any help at all.
Being in a cast and under strict instructions from the doctor to stay in bed, i wouldnt be using the toilet, couldnt reach the on/off switch for the aircon, which either blew freezing cold, or not at all, in which case the room was hot in a matter of half an hour.
"Oh well", i thought, "i have the nurses to help me if i need anything."
Turns out the tv remote was a universal one and no-one knew how to sync it with the tv.
When one of my mates came to visit me, i asked him to search on the internet on his phone for the syncing procedure of the remote. He gave me the instructions, but they didnt work. I suspected a faulty remote.
I asked numerous times about a replacement remote, and was repeatedly told that they would fix the problem for me, but never did.
After a while they were not as punctual on the service side of things either. Sometimes it was a 2h wait before a nurse would answer my call of some toilet aid. I was beginning to see where the ambulance drivers got it from!
Every day i would be woken up at 6.30am for one of the nurses to give me a bath in bed, and change the sheets.
Breakfast would arrive around 8am, and was normally just 4 slices of french loaf, lightly toasted, a piece of cheese, and a cup of warm milk.
One of the janitors would come in at some point in the morning and mop the floors.
Lunch started off being a decent amount of food, usually some meat, some bread, and a bowl of soup. It arrived around 12.30.
Supper was at 4pm, and also started off as a decent amount of food.
I say decent as in decent for what you expect to find in a hospital, but certainly a lot less than i was used to eating in a normal day.
For now, i was happy as anyone could be, looking at a years worth of recovery. Certainly happy to be alive though.
There was a small colour tv on a wall bracket in the top left of the room, a small toilet/bathroom in the back right of the room, a couch on the right of the room, under the window, an aircon above the couch, and a small chest of drawers next to the bed, which was against the left hand wall.
A telephone was mounted on the wall above and behind me. I was given the internal number for help, 231, and told to call it if i needed any help at all.
Being in a cast and under strict instructions from the doctor to stay in bed, i wouldnt be using the toilet, couldnt reach the on/off switch for the aircon, which either blew freezing cold, or not at all, in which case the room was hot in a matter of half an hour.
"Oh well", i thought, "i have the nurses to help me if i need anything."
Turns out the tv remote was a universal one and no-one knew how to sync it with the tv.
When one of my mates came to visit me, i asked him to search on the internet on his phone for the syncing procedure of the remote. He gave me the instructions, but they didnt work. I suspected a faulty remote.
I asked numerous times about a replacement remote, and was repeatedly told that they would fix the problem for me, but never did.
After a while they were not as punctual on the service side of things either. Sometimes it was a 2h wait before a nurse would answer my call of some toilet aid. I was beginning to see where the ambulance drivers got it from!
Every day i would be woken up at 6.30am for one of the nurses to give me a bath in bed, and change the sheets.
Breakfast would arrive around 8am, and was normally just 4 slices of french loaf, lightly toasted, a piece of cheese, and a cup of warm milk.
One of the janitors would come in at some point in the morning and mop the floors.
Lunch started off being a decent amount of food, usually some meat, some bread, and a bowl of soup. It arrived around 12.30.
Supper was at 4pm, and also started off as a decent amount of food.
I say decent as in decent for what you expect to find in a hospital, but certainly a lot less than i was used to eating in a normal day.
For now, i was happy as anyone could be, looking at a years worth of recovery. Certainly happy to be alive though.
Clinica Canela...
When i came to, i was lying in a bed in ICU, machines beeping.
I looked down and saw my left upper leg extremely swollen, and a cast on my lower leg.
I was under pretty heavy sedation and was in and out of consciousness for a while.
My friends came to visit me on, i think it was the 2nd night i was there. I dont recall much of the hospital before that.
I asked them questions and found out that my colleague had been killed in the crash.
I was extremely fortunate to still be here!
My colleagues wife came to see me on the 3rd evening and stood quietly by my bed crying. I felt guilty for being in the hospital bed and her husband was not here anymore. She had 4 kids to look after by herself now... 8(
On my 3rd day i was taken back into the operating room. The swelling around my hip and femur was because they had not yet operated on the fractures because they were waiting for the steel pins to arrive from Santo Domingo, the capital, 1.5h away!
The operation went well and i was returned to ICU.
On the 4th day i was taken out of ICU and moved into my own room just down the hall...
I looked down and saw my left upper leg extremely swollen, and a cast on my lower leg.
I was under pretty heavy sedation and was in and out of consciousness for a while.
My friends came to visit me on, i think it was the 2nd night i was there. I dont recall much of the hospital before that.
I asked them questions and found out that my colleague had been killed in the crash.
I was extremely fortunate to still be here!
My colleagues wife came to see me on the 3rd evening and stood quietly by my bed crying. I felt guilty for being in the hospital bed and her husband was not here anymore. She had 4 kids to look after by herself now... 8(
On my 3rd day i was taken back into the operating room. The swelling around my hip and femur was because they had not yet operated on the fractures because they were waiting for the steel pins to arrive from Santo Domingo, the capital, 1.5h away!
The operation went well and i was returned to ICU.
On the 4th day i was taken out of ICU and moved into my own room just down the hall...
A turn for the worse...
On monday the 10th of October i had just finished another days worth of website building at the dive centre. It was time to head home, around 5pm.
The dive centre was having a staff meeting of the 2 dive centre's, one in the town where i stayed, 10 miles away, and the one where i worked.
One of my work colleagues was at the meeting. He worked at the other dive centre.
He offered me a lift home on his 125cc motorbike and i accepted.
About 5min down the road, on an S-bend, a car came flying towards us on the wrong side of the road, leaving us nowhere to go, and no time to go there anyway!
We swerved to the right (drive on the right side here) to try get off the road, but it was too late, the car had hit us head on!
My work colleague was killed instantly in the crash, and i felt the impact of the vehicle on my left side, fracturing my hip, badly breaking my femur in 2 places, and fracturing my tibia and fibula, before being thrown over the bonnet of the car and ending up in the trees!
My work colleagues were contacted by the first people on the scene, as they saw from my t-shirt where i was working.
They arrived within minutes, and pulled me down out of the trees.
I was screaming in pain with an open fracture of my tibia, and multiple internal fractures of the femur.
An ambulance was called and almost 2h later, arrived to take me to hospital!
...
The dive centre was having a staff meeting of the 2 dive centre's, one in the town where i stayed, 10 miles away, and the one where i worked.
One of my work colleagues was at the meeting. He worked at the other dive centre.
He offered me a lift home on his 125cc motorbike and i accepted.
About 5min down the road, on an S-bend, a car came flying towards us on the wrong side of the road, leaving us nowhere to go, and no time to go there anyway!
We swerved to the right (drive on the right side here) to try get off the road, but it was too late, the car had hit us head on!
My work colleague was killed instantly in the crash, and i felt the impact of the vehicle on my left side, fracturing my hip, badly breaking my femur in 2 places, and fracturing my tibia and fibula, before being thrown over the bonnet of the car and ending up in the trees!
My work colleagues were contacted by the first people on the scene, as they saw from my t-shirt where i was working.
They arrived within minutes, and pulled me down out of the trees.
I was screaming in pain with an open fracture of my tibia, and multiple internal fractures of the femur.
An ambulance was called and almost 2h later, arrived to take me to hospital!
...
The story so far...
This is my first blog, and i am writing this firstly, to document my story for others to take heed, and secondly so i have a complete history of everything as it happens here.
So, a quick introduction then...
My name is Simon, and i am a 33yr old South African. I have lived in London for the last 11 years, working as an electrician, but got bored of the lifestyle and wanted something different.
I travelled back home to SA, then onto South America for what was supposed to be a job in Paraguay, which didnt come through, and finally a bit of travelling Bolivia for 6 weeks before my travel funds ran out.
I found an opportunity to train as a Scuba Divemaster at a dive resort in the Dominican Republic, which i grabbed with both hands, and arrived here around the end of June this year.
I straight away knew that i was doing what i was meant to be doing in life. I loved the ocean, and loved learning all the new things that went with the dive environment. The fact that my life was spent on the beach or in the sea, and in a pair of board shorts was incredible. I almost felt guilty as this was meant to be work!
After 2 months here i qualified as a Divemaster, and then started training up for my Instructors exams in August.
All went well and i qualified as a Scuba Instructor the end of August.
I started teaching beginner courses and also some first aid courses, but with there being 4 Instructors at the dive centre already, my continued work as Instructor was not guaranteed.
I started building a website for the dive centre, and was travelling in every day with my laptop by public transport.
Life was good...
So, a quick introduction then...
My name is Simon, and i am a 33yr old South African. I have lived in London for the last 11 years, working as an electrician, but got bored of the lifestyle and wanted something different.
I travelled back home to SA, then onto South America for what was supposed to be a job in Paraguay, which didnt come through, and finally a bit of travelling Bolivia for 6 weeks before my travel funds ran out.
I found an opportunity to train as a Scuba Divemaster at a dive resort in the Dominican Republic, which i grabbed with both hands, and arrived here around the end of June this year.
I straight away knew that i was doing what i was meant to be doing in life. I loved the ocean, and loved learning all the new things that went with the dive environment. The fact that my life was spent on the beach or in the sea, and in a pair of board shorts was incredible. I almost felt guilty as this was meant to be work!
After 2 months here i qualified as a Divemaster, and then started training up for my Instructors exams in August.
All went well and i qualified as a Scuba Instructor the end of August.
I started teaching beginner courses and also some first aid courses, but with there being 4 Instructors at the dive centre already, my continued work as Instructor was not guaranteed.
I started building a website for the dive centre, and was travelling in every day with my laptop by public transport.
Life was good...
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