How wonderful it always is for me to escape to our favourite place in South Africa - the majestic Drakensberg and, even though our holiday brought some unexpected adversity and trouble, there is much I have to be thankful for. I have, from past experience, learnt the value of thankfulness: it helped me get out of some depression I suffered from in the late 90's.
Who cannot enjoy scenery such as below?
Gratitude is such a powerful emotion and one we need to cultivate and practise it daily as it provides such wonderful help when we are faced with troubles or adversity.
I have been very aware of this the last week after my fall playing mini-golf with my great-nephew. There are so very many things I have to be grateful for. My faith has been strengthened and I have just been so aware of how God goes before us to prepare the way. He does not promise that trouble will not befall us, but He does promise to walk with us through our suffering and to help us along the way so that we can look at things differently and with a greater perspective that allows us the ability not to get bogged down by whys which can be so destructive.
So, here are some things I was very grateful for:
Firstly an aunt from a nursing background who had thought to bring a bandage along on our week's trip away to the beautiful Drakensberg. She had also brought a gel freezer pack to keep stuff cold on our 2 hour trip there. So, when I fell and we realised there was something wrong, immediately the hand was bandaged and the freezer pack applied by tying it down with a dishcloth. This was to help prevent excessive swelling, which it certainly did. Being a Saturday afternoon in Champagne Valley, there is no easy access to such things as bandages and freezer packs.
Secondly, although you are given 1GB of free WiFi per day at the resort at which we were staying, Saturday was the only day that the WiFi actually worked! Hubby did not have to stress about data running out whilst trying to find out where I could be attended to. We do not have huge data packages on our phones as we mostly use our phones for internet usage at home where we have fibre.
Next, when we realised the nearest place (39mins away) we could go to was a rural government hospital called Emmaus, we were apprehensive, knowing the conditions one faces at our state hospitals. Having experienced the infamous Northdale Hospital a few years prior when my uncle was incorrectly sent there, I was worried about what we might encounter. Furthermore, we were worried about the state of the rural roads. Although mostly a gravel road, it had obviously been relatively recently graded and did not give us too many hassles. There had also not been recent rain, so the roads were not muddy.
When we arrived, we were looked at rather suspiciously by the gate guard even though we said that we had phoned the hospital and they had said we should come. The guard could see, however, I was injured and I think my grey hair also helped.For once I was grateful for it.
It also helped me be attended to sooner once in the hospital. The elderly (ha, ha) are given preference where possible.
Once in the hospital, our hearts sank when we saw the queue. First we were told to open a file. R40 later, file in hand we returned to the nurse's station. Not too long after a very helpful and friendly guy took me to be X-rayed, saying that it was just easier to do that even before the doctor saw me. X-rays done, we returned to where we would have to wait to see the doctor. No more than about 10 mins later, we were called into the "ward" and a young gentleman looked at my X-rays, immediately indicating I would need surgery on my left wrist which was badly broken. He indicated that the fracture of my left ankle was not too serious. Up till then I had just had 2 Gen-Payne tablets, but was not in much pain - I guess shock played a role. I later realised that it was the pain and shock that had made me pass out after I had fallen, something hubby let slip out when he indicated how worried he had been.
Realising we were not local and that I wanted to be treated privately, the houseman indicated we needed to get back to Pietermaritzburg ASAP. I would, otherwise have had to go to Estcourt Hospital. He said that we still needed to see the doctor. He then consulted with a young lady doctor who took one look at the X-rays and said we needed to go. They would not let us take my X-rays with me, who knows why? The staff at Mediclinic were also baffled by that. It meant having to have X-rays all over again in PMB, unfortunately. Apart from this hiccup, I have to say, our stint at Emmaus was pleasantly surprising. It was clean, we were quite quickly and efficiently attended to and easily communicated with.
So, we travelled back to the chalet to get some essentials leaving our 84 year old aunty Val there with my niece and her son who would be returning to Joburg the next morning. How grateful we didn't still have to pack up everything before returning to PMB. My aunt said she was used to living on her own and that , if necessary, we could just come and fetch her again on the Friday. We were a bit anxious leaving her to cope on her own till we hoped we could return, but, as she said, she is used to looking after herself and she was well-stocked for food too.
We left at about 5pm, grateful it was still light enough for us to be able to see the many potholes on the road from the chalet to Winterton and arrived without mishap at about 19h15 at Mediclinic.
Edit: Before going to the Drakensberg I had been saying how I wished it would snow while we were there. This could easily have happened(we have had early snow this year), and indeed it did 2 weeks later. Not only did it snow, there was also rain. All this would have made our travelling we had to do that much more dangerous. Thank you, Jesus.
At the hospital, I was asked whether I had bumped my head - NO
Were there any bones sticking out? - NO. Can you imagine the extra trauma that would have caused if I had also been bleeding, especially seeing that I bleed easily due to meds I take to help with my blood-clotting disorder.
Could I sill move my fingers? - YES, which essentially meant no nerve damage.
How grateful am I? No injury to my neck or back, injuries were to my left arm and leg, so no problem as I am right-handed which has helped hugely in just being able to do things for myself and not having to constantly ask hubby for help. How grateful too that I have someone to help me, even while I was in hospital as the nurses aren't always available.
I would otherwise have had to employ a carer to look after me at home until I can do things for myself again. How easily we take for grated our ability to care for ourselves! It was quite funny seeing how hubby struggled to put my hair into a ponytail, one of the reasons I had my hair chopped off when we returned from the Berg - just easier to wash and style by myself.
I eventually got into a ward and available bed at about 22h15, having only gotten into casualty by about 20h40. I was seen by the orthopod, Greg van Osch who said they could not operate that night as the anaesthesiologist had gone home, Because there was no nerve or vasculature damage, the op could be left to the next morning at 10. He said I could have something to eat and drink before midnight and at 23h30 I finally had a lovely hot cup of tea. How grateful even for such a small thing. Tea, in my book, is one of the best things ever invented!
All this time I was very aware of and grateful for all the prayer support I had. How wonderful to belong to a Christian community. I had very quickly let many friends on WhatsApp groups I belong to,know what had happened as well as leadership at our church and asked for prayer. I knew that that prayer was working just in the peace that I had. Amazingly, at Connect group the night before we left on our holiday, we had been talking about this very thing- the wondeful peace of God that transcends all understanding. It is wonderful to be able to relax and know that God is taking care of you. He even went before us, preparing the way in so many ways that many others might just ascribe to chance. For me, I know that God was looking after me as He always does and has often shown He does.
The next morning when I was wheeled into the operating theatre, my only "concerns" were waking up shivering from the cold like I did with my previous surgical procedure about 14 years back - no problem: a heated blanket was put over me. They were also going to give me something so that I would not puke coming round from anaesthetic, which I have a tendency to do. My greatest concern was DVT's as I have a diagnosed, but untreated (except for aspirin every day) protein S-deficiency which makes me susceptible to clotting. Due to the fact that my ankle did not need surgery as well, the surgeon did not feel it necessary to give me Heparin.
The last thing I remember is the heated blanket being laid over me and then, nothing. I came round with no side effects - how wonderful! My arm was in a cast and had been repaired using a plate and screws for the fractures in my radius and ulna. Below is the radiographer's report of the X-ray taken after surgery.
X-rays showing repair done
When Ian looked at the X-ray, he commented on the screw far right that, to him, looked as if it was not screwed into the bone.
Edit: Today, at my 2 week follow-up after the op, the surgeon said that he first wanted to get a second opinion with regard to whether the radial styloid would need to be percutaneously repositioned. He did say, after sending me for new X-rays, that it seemed to have improved, so I am praying I do not need another procedure.
Pic of my hand taken in casualty. See the weird angle of my wrist.
Pic of the op site just before I was discharged and nurse was preparing to put on a new dressing as the old one was very bloodied. Notice how little bruising. I was also very glad on Monday to feel sensation returning to my very numb fingers that had not been numb before the op. I still have a certain numbness in my thumb and index figure, but with time, that should disappear, hopefully.
See the bruising now, 5 days after the op! As the days went by, the bruising just spread and got worse, the same with the ankle.
Notice the bruising in the palm.
This is my ankle in casualty (doesn't look bad at all, swelling and bruising came later). How grateful I am that I was still able to hobble along on my fractured ankle and that poor hubby had not had to have tried to lift me from where I fell and carry me back to the chalet where I was seated while he tried to find out where we could be helped. Thankfully the hospital answered when he rang, no mean feat in our country! I had 2 episodes of nausea from the shock/pain, but managed not to puke, thankfully.
My ankle now. Bruising got even worse and even 2 weeks later, there is still quite a lot of bruising, thanks to the fact I bleed/bruise easily.
How grateful I am too to have Medical Aid and gap cover to help cover the shortfall not covered by my medical aid. Already the accounts are rolling in: almost R11 000 for the aneathetist, a bit over R26 000 for the op, no account yet for the hospital stay of almost 2 days (usually covered fully by the medical aid), all the accoutrements to help like the crutches, moon boot, wrist brace. How great too that I could have a wrist brace so that when my arm itches, I can remove it and gently scratch!
The greatest blessing was to be able to be discharged on Monday 9th and travel back to the Drakensberg for the last 3 days of our week's holiday away. Even though it was a terrible 59th birthday for hubby the day the accident happened (7 MAY) and we had to cancel our dinner out at the fairly new boutique Dragonview Lodge on the Saturday, we were still able to enjoy the clean mountain air and the wonderful views. Where we stayed the views were not as spectacular as they can be, but I always enjoy the Drakensberg - it's my happy place where I just somehow feel God's presence in a magnified way.
So, now to fully recover and regain mobility in my arm and wrist so that I can crochet again! I am guessing that crochet will help too to work those joints and muscles, but I will obviously have to do a whole lot of physio. next appointment with the surgeon is 23 May
Edit: Saw him today (as previously mentioned) and see him again 20 June for the next follow-up where I hope to be allowed not to have to use the moon boot anymore, although the wrist brace has to stay on till early July.
25 May I see my physio to find out what exercises I need to do to help rehabilitate both wrist and ankle.
Since being back home, I have also been very grateful to friends who have offered to ferry me around to my regular crochet groups which allows extrovert me to get my people fix, and, although I cannot crochet yet, it is lovely to have friends to talk to and it saves hubby from having to continually cart me around. The poor man already has to do so much for me.
So, all in all, a veritable lesson in gratitude and a deepening of my understanding of how blessed I am to call Jesus Christ, my Saviour.