And Everything Goes to Hell...

Burncoat Head Park - view from lighthouse

Here I am in Nova Scotia finally having a great time in a beautiful location, with glorious weather, and friendly people. I've been looking forward to August this whole trip knowing I'd be in Nova Scotia maybe for the month to avoid the hot weather of the states. August 1st I left the Kingston Walmart parking lot and head east visiting Wolfville which is a cute little university town, then turned south and then north around a loop to get to Burntcoat Head Park. I was told at the Peggy's Cove visitors center this is the highest/lowest tide in the world! You can walk out for a long ways looking at all kinds of sea creatures on the exposed ocean floor! I love beach walking! Bonus: it's a beautiful day!

Burntcoat Head Park view of parking lot from lighthouse
A game: Where's Big Blue?

They had a little lighthouse. Unlike lighthouses in the states that look like cylindrical towers, these in Nova Scotia are like little houses. This one was the center for the park so I was able to go in and all the way to the top to take photos of the scenery.

Burntcoat Head Park - view of "island"

The woman was very nice and welcoming. I found out later her name is Anita. I asked her about the tide and she said it's not out all the way, but still out quite a ways. She said it's quite muddy, but if I stay along cliff it's drier. I thought she said go to the right of the island, don't go to the left of the island. She said the mud is not deep in most cases, just a thin layer. OK.

I hike down the hill on the very nice trail, then down some cement steps that are wet with high tide ocean water. When I get down to the beach, I watch others and followed suit, walking along the cliff and then onto the ocean floor. It was muddy, but not deep just like Anita explained. 

As I'm watching very carefully where I'm going, the little girl who was about ten feet away started screaming at the top of her lungs because she hated the mud on her shoes. It's caking the bottom of her shoes as it is with mine.The mother kept assuring her it'll wash off, but she's having none of it. I considered at that point turning back, but I also thought, Oh! It'll wash off! I want to see things! Be adventurous! I get to the right of the island. I feel thankful my shoes aren't that dirty. This is the route others are taking. There are about thirty people on the beach at this point. I take a photo of the island wall and then...

It happened in a split second. I slip, lose my balance, twisted my foot, fell onto my foot, and I heard my ankle SNAP. OMG! The pain. I straightened out my foot slightly since it's curled at a grotesque angle in hopes of alleviating pain or maybe hoping just to put it back into place. When I went down I screamed. A very nice couple nearby walking back from the beach asked if I was OK, I said, "No. Something snapped and I can't move my foot!"

I'm sitting in the mud. My camera is covered in mud because I was holding it in my hand. I keep saying, "No, no, no, this can't happen!" I'm trying not to cry. They say there must be someone around and I tell her there is a woman who seems like a park official or information person in the lighthouse. Her husband says he will go get her. She asks if I'm here with anyone and I say, "No." She stays with me. I'm in a panic mostly worried about emergency hospital costs. Are they going to have to airlift me? Oh god. I'm shaking, not because I'm cold but because of the unbearable pain.

Anita comes down to assess my condition. My foot is swelling. She calls for paramedics and anyone who is in the area to assist. I said I could try to scoot closer to the park and off the beach, but she said not to move. It was all I could do to hold my leg to try to alleviate the excruciating pain at my ankle. The hour long wait felt like forever. Many first responders, emergency workers and then paramedics showed up. They discussed the procedures of how best to get me off the beach. That took another hour. The tide was not coming in so there was no danger present, but OMG! THE PAIN! Too many of the rescue people said, "Sorry, I am new at this!" (I heard that a lot during the day which did not give me any confidence.) They assessed if I was injured anywhere else and thank god, I was not. I was able to help hoist myself into a better position and then onto the evacuation board. (OMG THE PAIN!) They tried to support my foot/ankle because it felt like it was separated and floating. (OMG THE PAIN!) They strapped me onto the board and then maybe eight people carried me through the mud, off the beach, then UP the hill, through the park, in the parking lot where the ambulance was waiting. I was so afraid they'd slip in the mud and drop me!

Look at that mud! What was I thinking? Look at me looking like I'm dead.

Anita took my camera, my glasses and then my shoes to hold them for me. One of the first responders, Minou said with Anita's help they would move my van to her house so it would be safe. OMG! Thank you! At least I had enough brain left to tell them I would need my purse and my phone as I'm sure someone will need my ID, etc. 

The paramedics again assessed my condition, removed my shoe, cut my sock off, wrapped a pillow around my foot, shifted me onto the gurney and then into the ambulance. In the ambulance I was hooked me up to the machines to monitor my blood pressure, respiratory, pusle, checked my heart, etc. Everything was fine, although my blood pressure was high from the pain. I then got multiple pills of Tylenol and Ibuprofen which reduced the pain level from a 10 to a 9. They said the good drugs will be here soon. Before I leave Minou comes to the ambulance and tells me to call when I am discharged and she will pick me up and bring me to her house. I had done a good job controlling my crying, but at that point I started sobbing. I was so relieved, so thankful and so scared!

After about twenty minutes of driving over potholes (OMG THE PAIN!) we pulled over and another paramedic joined us. I said, "You must be the drug dealer." YEP! I got a dose of MORPHINE! First, my whole body tense up. It was not comfortable. Then I felt loopy and very relaxed. Most of the pain went away, down to a 1, but the tightness of the swelling was still there. I asked about cost. One of them said the ambulance is not covered by anything so it will probably be around $2000. OUCH. The drug dealer offered another hit of morphine. I said I can't afford it. He said the drugs probably won't cost anything. The "probably" gave me pause. I doubt if they know and this is going to be expensive. Very nice paramedics, conversational and funny. 

It was forty-five minutes to the hospital in Truro. I was sent in for x-rays. I fractured my ankle in two places, breaking three bones. The doctor said it was a clean break which was a little encouraging. I think sitting in the mud and not moving probably prevented more damage. He then sent my information to a surgeon. While we waited for the prognosis, they cast my foot up to my knee. The surgeon said I would need surgery or the foot would not reattach and it would constantly break. They told me to call Medicare to find out what is covered.

Of course, Medicare is useless. They can only read from the manual what the rules are. Foreign travel is covered under three different scenarios only and none of them fit my situation. I'm in a panic. Holy mackerel. I start sobbing again.

They sent me for another x-ray to make sure the foot was aligned correctly after the cast. I called both Anita and Minou to inform them I'm still waiting in the hospital. Then I had to wait some more. My first doctor left and it was hours before another doctor arrived. I'm worried Minou won't want to drive an HOUR to pick me up and drive me back an HOUR to her house in the dark. But I didn't have a choice. I need to get to my van and where else would I stay? How would I even get anywhere? People have lectured me that I should have requested social services. I repeatedly asked for anyone at the hospital who could give me advice or assistance of any kind and they said there was no one like that in the facility.

While I waited, I called Visa to see if there were any international travel insurance benefits on my card. NO. I posted requests for information and help on the Facebook women van groups. Some told me to call the U.S. Embassy. Others said somehow to get back to the states to do the surgery. Others said Canada is cheaper, just stay there. Most people just lectured me on not having travel insurance. Not helpful.

Dr. Marshall shows up and he is another who tells me he's new. Hearing this all day does NOT give me confidence. I'm not sure why I had to wait for him. I tell him insurance isn't covering anything and I might need to go to the states for surgery. He gives me the copy of the blood labs and diagnostic reports they did planning I would have surgery there. I did not get another EKG since if I go to the states I'd have to go through all that again which is just more cost.

He offers me pain drugs and I tell him in the states they charge a patient $25 just to write a prescription so no. He assured me the prescription writing would not cost. I still don't believe it, but I took it. I worried I don't have an address and the one I have on my drivers' license is just for show. I won't get mail until I get back to Tucson. I offered my email for billing. He said, "I doubt very much if they will be sending a bill to Tucson and how will they find you if you live in a van?" I said, "I don't want collections destroying my credit or coming after me because I didn't pay a bill."

I tell him I don't know if this stranger who might pick me up will want to drive in the dark. He said they could discharge me and then I can just wait until morning for the ride. I didn't trust it and worried they'd charge me for being admitted to the hospital or if they charge me for the hours I am there.

How do I get crutches? I have to go somewhere and buy them...it's almost midnight. The hospital doesn't provide any assistance.

Anyway, Minou arrived and took me back to the van. She's a retired teacher, artist, first responder volunteer, and hosts international students in her house! She's my angel! She brought me out some chicken she had for dinner. Oh god, it was so good especially since I hadn't eaten all day. Maneuvering around without crutches was difficult especially since the cast takes 48 hours to dry. Trying to hoist myself up into my very high bed in my van was such a challenge! I was worried all night about blood clots. I took two ibuprofen for pain, but I was really uncomfortable all night. Going to the bathroom was really difficult.

We'll see what happens. The ambulance may cost $2,000 and the form I signed had the amount of around $5,000 for ER. Who knows about the two different sets of x-rays or the blood lab. Medicare did tell me to submit a "foreign health care claim" anyway, but I'm certain that will be a waste of time. But surgery scares me...$$$$$

On top of all of this, I was told the Canadian surgeon will call me Tuesday (he didn't). It seems there is a long Canadian holiday weekend! The Embassy is also closed until Tuesday, but they had no valuable suggestions. My best bet is to find a surgeon in Bangor, Maine. It is 6 hours to Bangor. We'll see if I can drive with my left foot...

So now I'm on hold, worried sick about the logistics of everything and in pain.

Chilling, crying, elevated, and view from van at my angel's house.