Socialized Medicine Again

About thirty years ago I was doing some tractor work on a slope, lost control, and wound up underneath the tractor. The tractor rolled a couple of times further down the slope. It left me semi conscious with my ankle up around my neck. The top of my femur had broken through my left acetabulum (hip socket). My hip was broken.

Jesus saved me.

His real name was Tommy, and he was a nice long haired bearded guy who lived down the street and drove an old yellow pickup that had lost its tailgate somewhere. Tommy had replaced it with a wooden plank in which he had carved Jesus's name. So we (Judy and I) called him Jesus.

At any rate, the wind was howling through the trees when I came to. So nobody could hear me yelling. And Judy and the boys were in Ohio for four more days. Tommy was working on his roof three houses away when he noticed an upside down tractor and came to investigate. Phone calls, an ambulance, and so forth...I'll skip details. That is how Jesus saved me.

Twenty two days later, they let me out of the hospital, and six months later I could walk normally. They said I would be arthritic forever in that hip and probably have it replaced by the time I was Fifty. In fact most of the time it goes unnoticed. It is annoying to get caught in the scanners at airports with the metal screws still in there. And I find it difficult to sit in meetings and on long flights. Oh, and every once in a while, something shifts and the pain is unbearable.

And it is happening right now. I have a pain,a severe pain, from my left hip stretching to my ankle. And walking is very taxing.

I don't normally go to the doctor in cases like this. But it is particularly bad this time, and I was worried it may be something worse. About ten years ago, I had what I thought was a sore knee. So I ignored it until I woke up three days later with my leg swollen to twice normal size. Some kind of cell poisoning. My doctor gave me a bunch of shots and scolded me severely for delaying treatment. He said I could have died.

So now it was my turn with socialized medicine. Turns out I was not eligible for socialized medicine in this country. Unlike in Obamacare, where aliens will get free services at taxpayer expense, I had to pay 604 crowns ($32). And then another 300 or so at the pharmacy.

My leg still hurts a lot. I hope I can walk when the big trip starts Monday.

So much for socialism.

I did not include a picture. Thought about taking one when the nurse was about to stick those two big needles in my butt. But, well, for now you can use your own imagination to paint the details.

UPDATE Monday July 8: This leg really hurts.   I am going to a therapist this morning and then a five hour train ride. Then I have a mile walk to my hotel. The longest I have been able to walk the last four days is a hundred meters. So wish me luck. 

By the way.  This may be more than the sore hip from my broken hip.   Whatever it is, if it does not get better I will have to give up on further travels for a while.