I woke up in more pain today. It was tough trying to find a comfortable position in bed so I relocated to the lounge where I had the luxury of TV and not just any old Kenyan TV, the one and only Mr Bean!
They say laughter is the best medicine but unfortunately not even Rowan Atkinson could take away the throbbing pain in my left shoulder. I had to get an X-Ray there was no two ways about it and conveniently for me (not for him) but Torbjoern had to see a physiotherapist about his bad back so the three of us had a plan to go to the best hospital in town.
This was a plan but breakfast had to be made first and after round two of eggs, bacon and sausages (traditional Kenyan food I know) we ended up after a brief detour through the city at Mediheal hospital. Torbjoern was instantly taken away to see the physio and myself an Malin waited in reception.
I was impressed, it didn't have the typical hospital smell and compared to everywhere else I've been in Africa, it looked clean. You would hope this was the case obviously but I could quite easily of had this circumstance in a town with a typically grotty hospital so I was counting myself very lucky.
In the first 15 minutes of entering the hospital I had visited 3 different rooms. Room 1 and person number 1 took my blood pressure. Room 2 and person number 2 took 2 minutes to make me scream with pain, and Room 3 and person number 3 took my money for an X-Ray.
There were only a few people in town that could process an X-Ray so I had to wait around 45 minutes for the "expert" to arrive. By this time Torbjoern was back and waiting for me with Malin. I had the X-Ray and after about 5 minutes the results were printed. This was the moment of truth, if it was fractured I would be looking at a major setback, if it wasn't a fracture I was looking at hopefully a smaller setback but the challenge of making it seem at lot worse than it was.
"How is it?" I asked nervously. "There is no fracture but we just have to wait for the doctor to arrive" the "expert" said. Don't get me wrong, I was happy but doubted my pain threshold and "manliness" at the same time. I was sure it was the same pain as when i broke my arm but now i had to tell my family it was just major bruising. Major bruising? thats hardly going to get any sympathy from my friends and family, maybe if i throw in the word dislocation i may get a "get well soon" message but it hardly has the same ring as "fracture."
The doctor arrived and it took him 2 minutes to say it was a fracture. Now I was gutted for the setback but at least happy that I know the pain of a broken bone. When the doctor showed me where my collarbone was supposed to be it became clear that if i had broken it any more, it wouldn't still be in my body. The hard lump sticking out of my shoulder that I knew didn't feel right was in fact my bone and so with this I proposed that they should reassess the abilities of their X-Ray expert. I had broken and displaced it, I knew the setback would be hefty but at least nobody can doubt me for going halves on a job.
After a conversation with the doctor on my options and timescales determining when I can realistically get back on Nigel, I returned to team Norway who were kindly waiting still. The X-Ray man was there so I questioned him on what he was actually looking at, his exact words were "I knew it was a fracture I just didn't want to scare you!" Ah well that's ok then! If thats the way it works here then I'm sure I would stay perfectly relaxed as doctors and nurses are happily preparing me for surgery, injecting me with morphine and cutting me open for an injury that "isn't a fracture"
I told the guys that I was getting admitted straight away and with a bit of luck they could operate on me tonight. Team Norway walked with me as I continued through the hospital stopping at every checkpoint possible to complete various tasks. As I've said many times before, there are always good things that come from bad things. I had two exceptionally good things following me to my room for starters and as well as the Norwegians I was given a goody bag with flip flops, towels, toothpaste, toothbrush and various other things that I was running out of or didn't have.
I don't care what anybody says, you can always see good in bad situations if you look hard enough and today good was easy to find, it came in the shape of a miniature tube of Colgate and some vibrant red/pink flip flops that are probably a size too small for me but I can make them work. (Seeing good in things helps if you're easily pleased)
The guys left web I got my room and then I was visited by what seemed to be the whole workforce. Every 5 minutes a different member if staff would come into my room to either give me something, take something away or just to say hello. I have to say that the service was excellent and the whole experience was actually quite enjoyable. I felt in good form and I could tell the nurses were enjoying themselves. One of them enjoyed stabbing me in the thigh a bit too much but ill forgive her.
Just before I entered the theatre to begin my operation the guys had returned with a bag full goodies for me. A selection of sweets, crisps, books, a bottle of fanta and a Kenyan SIM card were all waiting for me after my operation. Words can't describe that kindness. These actions are actions that you would expect family and friends to show, not guys you have just met in the street two days ago. I think my good mood and the reason I felt so comfortable in a hospital in a foreign country just before an operation that I have never experienced before is solely down to the support I received from Torbjoern and Malin. There's no doubt that undergoing any procedure alone can be scary, but I knew I had team Norway.
I woke up after the operation a bit doolally. No idea of time or that the operation had actually been completed. Returning back to my room alone it didn't take me long to munch through the M&M's. I fell asleep and woke up with light beaming through the curtains so I turned the T.V on started on the packet of haribo before the breakfast lady came in. A nurse came in and asked me what I was doing, "eating kids mix, do want some?" I said. "Not at this time thankyou" she said this and closed the door behind her. I checked the time, it was 3:15am and the light through the curtains was from a street lamp! I guess I was still under the influence of whatever drugs they filled me with!
I woke up again when the breakfast lady came in with a sausage and a slice of bread. The two perfectly complemented the rest of my haribo.
This leads me to Thursday so i'll stop there. An eventful day but at least there was no waiting list and I hoped no problems with the operation. Tomorrow/today I would find out if everything was ok and I was able to leave the hospital.
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