For quite a few days it has been cloudy and raining in Canberra. Nice to be home after testing the (crumy) health system.... for those that don't know -We finally got to go for a paddle in Noodle, in Lawn Hill Nat. Park. A beautiful spring creek lined with palm trees and pandanus running between towering red sandstone cliffs in a small mountain range in the middle of miles and miles of open savannah grasslands. The creek being a National park is full of fish, turtles and fresh water crocs in far northwest Queensland. We booked for 5 days as it is beautiful in the park -great settup. We paddled Noodle up to a small waterfall and I went for a swim....seemed very deep under the falls and there was a way to climb up the side so I did and then decided to jump in. Foolishly I managed to crash into a tufa deposit (the water is cloudy from all the calcium carbonate and it forms strange limestone outcrops)just under the surface with my right foot and broke my ankle.
So here we are up a creek except we did have a paddle.........
I was wearing plastic boat shoes which supported my foot and as long as I held my heel it didn't hurt too much. Christian was in Noodle so I held on to the side and he took me to a small dock near the falls. I could sit up on the dock and another couple came along and helped make a back country splint. We used Christian's neoprene knee brace (he has a stuffed knee from hanggliding) with two sticks and a length of rope cut from Noodle to support my ankle. It was very impressive and certainly gave me some comfort. Christian, Jim and Lorraine helped me into the bottom of Noodle-sitting on a lifejackets and a towel-very comfortable looking very elegant and spoilt. There were a group on a tour out paddling and the women would say, 'look at her, why can't I be paddled like that'! There are canoes to rent in the park.
Christian paddled me down to the launching area and by then a few more people arrived to help get me into the back of the L'cruiser (as we sleep in the back it was a good way to transport me). He drove 10 kilometres out to Adels Grove where there is a telephone and a small grass airstrip.
The Adels people were fantastic and called the Royal Flying Doctor and looked after me until the plane arrived and flew me to Mt Isa.
Mt. Isa hospital was good but is quite small and does not have an orthopedic surgeon. They x-rayed and set my ankle but it needed plates so instead of going to Townsville (they were ony taking urgent cases because half the hospital was closed as it had flooded during a storm a few days before) I decided to fly back to Canberra for treatment.
Christian drove out the next day after packing up, 4 hours drive down to Mt Isa, half over rough dirt road. Half way down he came to a road closed sign, the team were grading the road after the wet. He told the guys he had to get to Isa as I was in hospital so the they cleared a special track for him to drive along beside the road! Otherwise it would have been a very long drive to go the other way around.
I flew back a few days later and intended to go to Canberra Hospital, I had to go through Emergency as there was no way I could be transferred interstate but ended up going in earlier than planned as my foot was swelling and toes going numb. There is a blood clot in my calf muscle probably from flying.
6 hours I waited to see a doctor, 24 hours to see an orthopod, 2 days for a bed in a ward, 4 days nil by mouth before I was finally operated on.
So I decided I was in a health farm, fasting.... lost 5 kilos!
What a stuffed system, this is only a small part of the disaster that is my experience of our health system. Tried to switch to use my private health fund and that would not have helped at all! It only works for elective surgery!
During my secornd night in emergency, at around 11pm the builders started working behind the wall where I was. Can you imagine the noise of the drills and angle grinders... there were 6 of us waiting for beds in wards and it was like being inside a drum...took 3 hours before someone got them to stop.
Anyway finally home after nearly 2 weeks in hospitals. Finally was able to lie in the sun and pretend I was still in sunny Queensland. Can get around with crutches...no weight at all allowed... strange how long everything takes. Mikki, Indi and Sasha are great - helping heaps - Mikki is now my MOTHER.
Christian has gone to Mareeba, if you read French you can follow his version. His daughter and granddaughter will visit him in July and I will return to the Grande Promenade when I can.
Promenading is a really great thing to do... I have really enjoyed just meandering around. Because of the late wet we have missed a few places so when I return we will head to Cape York.
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