Ski Knee, the Poem will tell the comical version of events of my skiing accident that left me with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a very stretched medial colateral ligament. Yes, I've now managed to add to my biology knowledge! I could draw you a picture of inside a knee.
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| The Walton residence for the week |
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| Deux Alpes church |
The day I fell
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| Was the new helmet to blame!? |
Usually a cautious skiier, I know my limits and often return from a skiing holiday without having fallen even once. Something on this holiday niggled in the back of my mind that it would be a good idea to buy a helmet and stop worrying about 'hat hair'. I'm now blaming the helmet for jinxing me - the first day I wore it, I fell!
I was gutted that I'd fallen, and even more annoyed that I would need rescuing. A short while later after Andrew skiied to the ski lift for help, a nice French medic arrived to assess the problem. I pointed at my knee and he then called for help. Two more French men arrived quickly after, complete with a stretcher on skis. I was bundled (carefully!) onto the stretcher and whisked a short distance to the side of the mountain where I'd wait for my free helicopter ride down. Now this was only free as I had purchased the invaluable 3 Euro 'Carte Niege' which pays for your evacuation from the mountain - never ski without this. It probably saved me 700 Euros, which is the average costs of a short helicopter ride down. Sorry you weren't allowed to come Andrew, but thank you for skiing down, fetching my boots and walking the mile to find me at the medical centre :)
The French medical centre was very efficient. After an x-ray (no broken bones, phew!) Dr. Bernard with his bush moustache told me it was "very bad, very, very bad". Not sure whether to take this as a joke, I tried not to worry, but then the nurse came with my leg brace and some anti-thrombosis injections that I'd need to continue myself :(
Offered crutches before I departed, I was determined that it wasn't that serious and the brace was more than enough. We paid the (fairly reasonable) 200 Euro bill and hobbled to the pharmacy for a bag full of drugs. Thankfully our fellow chalet guests included a nurse (thanks Maz for continuing to inject me when I couldn't do it myself) and 3 pharmacists who took my French prescription as a translation game!
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| Robo-leg |
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| But still enjoying the food, wine and the views |
All was not lost, and as I've told everyone who responds at my story with "oh, didn't that ruin your holiday", it really didn't. I still got to enjoy not being at work, lazy mornings, fine wine and food and good company. I even managed to get up the mountain and party with the rest of the skiiers.
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| And partying on the mountain with Robo-leg |
The plane ride home, complete with 3 seats to myself, well 2 as my short legs didn't need all 3!I do need to make 1 apology to James. Your first week as the new boss and I bring you bad news from France. I didn't do it on purpose I promise!
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