After The Accident

Over the next few weeks, I rested my knee as much as possible. I also spoke to both friends and strangers about the injury and I must have heard stories from ten people who had had a knee arthroscopy operation. Even my ex-brother-in-law had had one due to a hockey injury and I did not know! Clearly this was quite a common operation.

This is the rough chronology of what happened after the accident:

Day 1-7 After visiting the doctor, I followed his instructions and rested as much as possible. Everywhere I went, my friends would support me on my left side so that I did not need to put weight on my left leg. They all helped whenever possible, even undressing me. Thanks people and sorry!

When I slept at night, I could lie only on my back and not move to the side because of the pain.

On day 4, I met a family of committed skiers in an internet cafe. I say 'committed' because every one of them had had at least one knee arthroscopy operation and they still skied whenever possible!

They strongly recommended a knee arthroscopy operation and said that now was the time to have it because the French doctors in this area were excellent at performing the operation. I was due to leave France on March 20th (day 8) and fly to Malaysia, so time was short. I decided against an operation then because I still expected the injury to repair in a few days.

Day 8 Over a week later, there was some improvement. I was in less pain and I could bend my knee through about 30 degrees. However, I could still not do simple things like putting my socks on.

My insurance company, Cega, had booked me 2 extra seats on my BMI flight back to London Heathrow so that I could have a row of three seats and put my leg up. This was not necessary but it did make the flight more comfortable.

I was in the UK for 5 hours – enough to exchange my bulky skiing equipment for t-shirts and shorts.

I also attended an emergency appointment with a GP at my local doctors surgery (thanks to my mum for arranging that). The doctor said she would refer me to a knee specialist and then the specialist would make a decision on whether I should have a knee arthroscopy.

Time to wait to see the specialist: 12-13 weeks

Time to wait for an operation: 13 weeks (minimum)

Total time until operation: 6 months (minimum)

This operation would have been free because I am a UK citizen and we have an institution called the National Health Service (NHS). But what use it is to me if I have to wait 6 months for a straightforward operation?

If my knee did not heal naturally I would have been unable to walk properly for 6 months.

I am a UK taxpayer and on one of the few major occasions when I need the support of the welfare state which I help fund, it is of no use to me for 6 months. How disappointing.

But I was insured, right? The answer is yes and no. Read the page on travel insurance advice to find out why I was not insured (when i thought I was).

That evening, I flew to Malaysia and had three seats to rest on.

The best thing about flying when you are injured is that you can request a wheelchair! Passengers in wheelchairs go to the front of all queues, so no more waiting in line and you are first onto the airplane.

Day 9 I landed in Kuantan, Malaysia and my friend Babak had arranged to purchase a pair of crutches from the local hospital. They quickly became part of me – wherever I went, they took me there.

The temperature in Malaysia (usually between 28-35 Celsius) was warm and my knee immediately felt more flexible. The relief was so great that I would recommend people with long-term arthritis and other joint problems look into emigrating to the tropics.

That evening, I was reunited with my girlfriend Sophia and suddenly the remaining pain vanished.

Day 10-21 I rested in Cherating, Malaysia for the next few weeks.

By now I was able to move around on crutches with ease. I kept my weight off my left leg and did not exercise it. Sophia is a Pilates instructor and gave me some exercises to work on my powerhouse while I could not go running or swimming.

Day 22 Over three weeks had now passed and I could not walk properly or bend my knee past 90 degrees.

I started researching my options for surgery and I was not prepared to wait 6 months for the NHS to help me.

Two years before, I had read an article in a UK Sunday newspaper that some people were traveling to Malaysia specifically for private medical treatment. The article said that skills were strong, facilities were modern, patients could be treated immediately and the cost was half that of private treatment in the UK.

My insurance company told me I might be covered for the operation but would need to see a doctors report before they made a decision. Whether they would pay or I would pay, I had decided that I would have the operation.

Day 23-34 My research into hospitals continued. I mainly used Google to search for hospitals that specialised in knee arthroscopy and I also asked friends if they would recommend a hospital.

I considered hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok. These are those I researched.

I weighed up the options and decided on Bumrungrad. The website was comprehensive and easy to use, the hospital had received a lot of international press and I had received a personal recommendation.

On day 28 (9th April 2006), I booked a return flight from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok for 6 days.

Day 35 I packed my bags and said goodbye to my friends in Cherating. Sophia drove me to the bus station and I headed back to Kuala Lumpur where I stayed with my friend Suling.

I would be alone for the next 7 days during my operation and convalescence. I have no friends in Bangkok and Sophia's employer (Club Med) would not permit her to take a week off work to accompany and look after me. (She no longer works for Club Med). I am an independent person and although I would like to have had her company, I was not concerned about being alone.

Day 36 My morning flight to Bangkok arrived at 9.30am and I took a taxi to Bumrungrad Hospital for my 11.30 consultation with Dr Panya.

He reviewed my x-ray from France and he performed an examination of my knee – stretching, pushing, twisting, squeezing.

He was shocked that I had waited so long for an operation and pointed out to me that I had lost a lot of muscle in my left leg. The circumference of my left thigh was one inch less than that of my right. He strongly recommended knee arthroscopy.

My operation was scheduled for 4pm the next day.

Day 37 My operation did not go ahead today. My new credit card had not arrived in the UK before I left for Malaysia. When it did arrive, it was sent on to me in but had again not arrived by the time I had to leave.

I had all the necessary card details but Bumrungrad Hospital would not accept these without seeing the actual card. This was very frustrating. I had the card details, I had the money in the account but they would not process it. They could not accept either of my two debit cards. They would accept an electronic bank transfer but my bank later advised me this would take 6 days to complete.

The hospital would not help me arrange the payment – I had to use the concierge to make phone calls and faxes and pay high fees for the service.

Day 38 Operation day.

No food after 9am was my instruction from Doctor Panya, so I ventured out early to a food stall for the plate of chicken ginger rice that would sustain me for the next 14 hours.

My taxi dropped me at the hospital at 2pm and after more last-minute confusion over the payment of my operation, I was admitted.

Next, the knee arthroscopy operation.