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Friday, March 10, 2006

One of the reasons we went to Prague - to visit the world famous Barrandov Studios.

Filton & ITVW Workshop members even got to see one of the sets for 'Casino Royale'- the new Bond film currently in production.




Went to see orthopaeidic specialist today - the good news is that having the op in Prague probably saved the joint- If I'd waited for a medivac i'd have to have had an artificial hip (this MIGHT still happen- the loss of blood supply when the fracture happens can mean that the joint dies).

However - though the czech repair looks good - one of the 3 screws comes very close to the surface of the femur- and might possibly poke out and wreck the whole joint
at some point. (and yes - they are just like ordinary wood screws!)

So- In 4 weeks time they are going to take the offending screw out and replace it with a shorter one - the recovery time should be shorter this time because the bone will be set - but it does mean more time on crutches and some time in hospital - potentially a 10 week period starting from now.
I'm back!

Got home at 5pm on Monday and am presently orientating my way round the house on crutches & sleeping on the sofa (stairs are a no no)

I'm open to being e-mailed by media/photo staff and by A level students who want course work drafts checked.

Im afraid my office is even messier than usual - but most important docs & student work should be near the surface -

I'll see what my GP says about mobility etc tomorrow - I'll also need to see a Hospital specialist who can try and work out what has been done to me in Prague - Doctors there had little English and all the medical notes are in Czech- I'll contact you as soon as I have a prognosis.

I THINK I broke the neck of my femur (just below the joint) and that this has been repaired by inserting three metal pins - This should mean I'll be 'good as new' in 4-6 weeks - though in future I might need a hip replacement a few years earlier than the norm.

The good thing is that apart from restricted mobility I'm OK and pretty much pain free.

The accident was a pretty freakish mishap - I merely misjudged the distance between (high)pavement and (roughly) cobbled street as I started to cross the road- landing hard on the heel of a braced leg, whilst pivoting wildly in the classic mistake of trying to 'save myself' - If I'd fallen on the way back from the Pub/Resturaunt after a couple of drinks- instead of on the way to it, I would have probably instinctively bounced and rolled without injury! If there was an external factor apart from pure bad luck- it might have been fatigue and hunger- I'd not slept much/at all the previous night and not eaten for 8 hours (cautionary note to all tutors!)

As soon as I fell I knew what had happened - i clamped my injured leg to my good one and rolled into the recovery position - luckily everyone was together in one party and the ambulance was quick to come (the most painful bit was the ambulance ride over cpbbled streets!)

It was a fairly surreal week in the hospital - i had a lovely view out the window of St Vitus and the West side of the Castle - but wierdly the angle showed no human life- cars and people were totally absent. I shared a room with a cast of changing characters from East European literature including a Lorry Driver who listened to C&W music, A Tramp, a couple of young students (who did speak a little english and quizzed me on important matters such as the order in which milk is added whilst making a cup of tea - this eccentric pre-lactarian preference seems to be the only thing that the Czechs learn about British life!)

Fortunantely I had a 1000 page fantasy novel with me (Johnathon Strange and Mr Norrell- recommended)- which I read three times!

The nurses were great (as everywhere) and whilst very efficient were full of humour and chat - (or in my case mime)

I've decided to learn a good slab of German by the next time I go anywhere in MittleEuropa - The young educated & Germans mostly speak English- but most of the rest speak basic German as a second/third language. If we go to Berlin again in the next few years - we should have some lessons for staff/students.

Anyway - must go and lie down on the sofa after this extended narrative

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