I got back from Thailand on Sat night but instead of heading home for a much desired sleep in my own bed I ended up in A&E for 4 nights. When I was in Thailand I hired a bike for the day, a Honda Silver Shadow - whilst out riding it I slipped on some gravel and cut my leg on a crash barrier, was no big deal really & I thought it was healing up nicely. Anyway, on the way home - just left Bangkok on the plane and my foot and leg was hurting & after the 14 hour flight I was in slight discomfort with a badly swollen leg & foot and the cut was oozing puss & blood so my mate who picked me up from Heathrow took me straight to A&E.
Got to A&E and found out I had DVT and a blood clot on my leg & could have died on the plane! Had an op on Sunday to get rid of all the infected tissue & was on a drip and had to have 4 big syringes of anti-biotics every 6 hours.
Now I have a big hole in my left shin and Im going in for a skin graft/plastic surgery next week sometime - not what I was expecting at all from what started as just a normal cut!
Attatched is a pic of my leg at the moment, its not nice! I’m off work for a month so probably wont be riding the bike for the same amount of time but nevermind these things happen I suppose!
Friend of mine said she would never go to a third world country again after seeing another tourist fall down and die in the street in front of them, middle aged guy just that had a heart attack, when they went on holiday in the Caribbean. When you go to these places how far are you from propper medical attention?
I’ve been to a few 3rd world destinations and in the touristy places there has always been medical care readily available - luckily, I’ve never had to use it so can’t comment on the quality. In all fairness that man could have had that heart attack anywhere! Even if he had it on Leicester Square, I doubt the outcome would be different.
hell thats a damn good story. I would write that into MCN and NHS news and the local press. It is proof our NHS isnt all bad…but good luck man…that is a real bad sore…are they growing new skin for you or are they taking it from your but or something…then you will have two scars…double ouch…
From what I’ve heard the hospitals in Thailand are actually pretty good - not very 3rd world at all, you’d be seen to and dealt with much quicker than you would here. Theres plenty of pharmacies, doctors and hospitals around.
I didnt go to a doctor or a hospital when this happened because it was literally just a cut, I’ve had worse from falling over pissed!
Basically once I got on the plane the pressure didnt help and that caused a clot etc etc leading to the DVT - I didnt know it was that at the time, I just thought it was the pressure and it’d go in a few hours when I land. The doctors said I should have told the cabin crew but I had no idea how serious it was or could have been so just sat there watching the films on the plane
