NHS Insights, Part 1: The Road to Recovery

On November 1st, 2018 I fell off a treadmill and injured my knee. Not the most glamorous story I know. I mean, I was travelling Australia at the time, I could have sustained any number of cool injuries through activities such as skydiving, mountain climbing, or petting local wildlife (kangaroos pack a serious punch)! But alas, after being in the country for little over a month, I found myself unable to walk and with potential surgery on the cards.

Now here is the kicker. It is now June 2020 and I am still unable to walk as a result of that very same injury. It has been a saga getting here and clearly it is not over yet. There is a tale to tell here, a tale of unfortunate events, and unfortunately it is also a tale that highlights the faults and failings of the NHS. And as a platform for talking about healthcare, and promoting medical transparency, what better place to deliver this story than right here? 

This is the first instalment in a new series, NHS Insights, where we will be taking a deep look at the NHS and the state of care provided in the UK. I like to think this will help some people or invoke some change. But if nothing else it is cathartic for me and sometimes that is all that is needed. Either way, get comfy and grab a snack because our tale is about to begin.

Perth, Western Australia our home while I recovered

Australia. The backpackers dream. Upon graduating in 2018 my boyfriend and I partook in the ultimate post-university rite of passage, a one-way ticket to the other side of the world. We jetted off in mid-August, spending a few weeks meandering South-East Asia, before touching down in OZ. We had a year on our visas and plans of buying a campervan, plans of traveling the country. Camping out on mountain tops, parking up along world-famous beaches, sharing our lunches with koalas and crocs alike. We felt lucky too, we had landed a job in a hostel, allowing us a place to stay and a source of income. We were loving life.

How you know you're in Australia

About a month into our trip I decided to squeeze in a quick gym session before a day’s work. The day was already hotting up, the aircon was rattling and threatening to pack up any second, the air thick with sweat and asphalt. Whilst I was appreciative of the gym, it was small; one treadmill, one bike and a few weights. Ignoring the claustrophobia I set my sights on a short 3k run on the treadmill. Unfortunately, that goal was never to be as around 5 minutes into the run I tripped.

I fell hard, catching myself on the treadmill, scraping along as I untangled my limbs. I found myself on solid ground and took a moment for the shock to wear off, and to take stock of my injuries. I seemed okay, so I tried to stand. I could not straighten my knee.

Fast forward 24 hours and my knee is swollen, unable to move at all, and I am booked in for an MRI. The short account of my injuries was a suspected meniscus tear in my right knee. I was prescribed lots of physiotherapy and strong anti-inflammatories. But the injury itself was not the greatest source of disappointment. I was unable to work and so our joint income halved and the travelling we did alongside work ground to a halt. The trip of a lifetime turned into staring at the inside of the hostel for weeks on end.

Eventually making it to the East Coast

And even getting back to hiking!

But eventually I healed, my knee got stronger, and 2 months after the fall, on New Year’s Eve, I wrestled through a wobbly 1km run. And while we couldn’t afford the Australian dream, we had still saved enough for the slightly cheaper South American flavour. After 6 months in Perth we set of for a month of travelling in Australia, and then further travels in South America. During this time I landed a job back in London and so in May 2019 we flew home concluding what was, in the end, a pretty great year.

                                                                                          

And wouldn’t it be lovely if the story ended there.

But then it wouldn’t be much of a story would it?

I'll be back with Part 2 of the saga next week where I explain how things managed to go from bad to worse and specifically highlighting my experiences with the NHS. Stay tuned!