Thanks to the wonderful NHS my R arm is now plated and almost working. After arriving at Heathrow we were taken to St Georges,Tooting Casualty department. Two trips to fracture clinic and then it was decided that the fracture needed plating and I was booked on the next available trauma list. Unfortunately this was not until Sunday but at least I was not admitted until the Saturday. Thankfully Kare and Steve live only 10 minutes away from the hosptital and we were very grateful to stay there and be looked after.I admit I am not the most patient patient and it was annoying not to be able to do anything. It is remakable how a broken bone can affect all of you,I certainly felt I was paying for my moment of madness.
Surgery went fine and I was out the next day the arm is painful and stiff but it is improving every day. We have returned to Berwick for rest and recuperation. I have an out patients appointment on 14th Feb and hope to fly back to Uganda soon after.
It is sobering to think what would have happened without VSO and insurance.For most Ugandans the treatment would have been painkillers and wait and see. The best result would have been a stiff useless right arm. This would mean no chance of earning a living with no safety net of sick pay.We heard the other day of a bad bus crash in Masindi and 15 people were admitted to hospital. One needed transfer to Kampala in a coma, others had fractures.Hopefully they will recover. It makes you think about the differences between the two countries so we made a list of good things in Berwick and Masindi.
BERWICK
NHS
Family & friends
Transport
Haddock, chips & mushy peas
Comfort food
Sea
Changing weather
Broadband
Radio 4
No leaking gutters!
MASINDI
Sunshine
Friends & colleagues
Work
Birdlife
Slower pace of life
Swahili lessons
Shopping on the market
Smiley kids
Blog changes
13 years ago
2 comments:
Dear Dr Jary,
Not sure if you will remember me but you worked with my mum (Carolyn Boyce) at New Hall. I am currently in my third year of studying Medicine at Newcastle.
I am currently in the process of trying to organise my elective for Summer 2009 and wondered if you had any suggests or contacts for doing this in Uganda. I am very interested in medicine in the developing world and think that my elective period would be an ideal opportunity to get experience of this.
I hope you are enjoying being in Berwick and the beautiful Northumberland countryside, a world away from Uganda!
My email address is h.c.boyce@gmail.com.
Hayley Boyce
Post a Comment