Turkish Healthcare Adventure
Our return trip to the US took an unexpected detour, and I’m learning to use crutches!
On our way back from India two weeks ago, we stopped in Turkey to attend a conference, on ministry among nomadic people groups (a lifestyle we can relate to!). After we left the conference we had planned to meet up with some co-workers, and we took a bus to Izmir. As we were coming out of the bus station, I accidentally stepped off the side of a ramp and fell about 4 feet, landing hard on my left leg! So our visit with our friends took place mostly in the hospital emergency room!
Turkish ER Doc
The emergency room doctor was a young woman who didn’t speak much English, but managed to communicate care and competence to us. Assuming that the leg was broken, she put a temporary cast on it, and we found a hotel with a handicapped room, where we relaxed for a few days with a view of the Aegean Sea.
Hotel with a view
When it came time to travel, it took a huge effort to talk the airline into moving me up to a business class seat on our long trans-Atlantic flight. But we met friendly wheelchair attendants at every airport. In Istanbul we even got to ride in a special truck from the terminal to the plane—handicapped delivery!
Airport special delivery
After arriving in CA, I made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor, assuming that he would replace my temporary cast with a plaster one. The morning of the appointment, I woke up with a tingling feeling in my leg, in the spot that had been most painful. When the doctor looked at the x-rays, he couldn’t see any break, and when he checked my leg the pain was almost gone. He believes that there isn’t actually a break, only tendon damage, so he replaced the cast with a removable brace. When we arrived back at the house, my nephew was excited to hear this—it turns out he had been praying for me that morning, that the diagnosis would be better than what we expected!
God answers prayer, although we can’t always predict how or when. I’m thankful for that, and for very little pain overall. So in addition to catching up on sleep and unpacking, I’m learning to get around on crutches, adding sore shoulders and wrists to my list of complaints! I’m grateful for Mary and other family members who are eager to help out. It’s a season for me to rely on others, to slow down, and to keep my eyes open for answers to prayer and blessings, however unexpectedly they arrive.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged hospital, Turkey by Lisa