JayneS

Hello there
I leave for sydney a week on friday and have fallen down the stairs and broken my bloody arm in 2 places. Hospital will decide on Thursday if I need an operation to put a plate in which i can get done on Sunday.
Anybody know if i need to tell anybody or do I just transfer to an ozzy hospital, is it gonna cost a fortune. As I was just gonna get direct line online insurance a few days before I go ##i'm not gonna be covered anywhere insurance wise if i cancelled flights so don't really want to do that - airline don't seem to be able to tell me much other than ok to fly with broken arm - nobody sure if ok 5 days after general anaesthetic.
Took me about a week to type this so maybe it's healed now!
Cheers

walaj

ouch

not good timing - don't know re cover in Oz but take something to prove if you have the metal plate inserted, so when you set off the metal detectors they don't cause you too much discomfort assessing your cast for weapons.

wishing you a speedy recovery

rudo1ph

My hubby carries around a photo of his xray from when he had his arm pinned!!!! He's got 2 plates, a 6 inch bolt and 8 screws......but he's not set off any metal detectors at the airports!!!!

Pollyana

A friend of mine has a metal plate or something in her hip, and she never sets off the detectors - apparently its a different sort of steel thats used for medical stuff.
If you are otherwise healthy, and don't react at all to the anaesthetic, you should be OK to fly after 5 days.

walaj

ok - just when I was in the plaster room when Mr W was getting his leg replastered an Aussie guy had just been to another part of Europe and they wanted to take of his plaster/bandages to check his arm his story that he just had a metal plate inserted after setting of the alarm

JayneS

Pollyanna are you really a witch as you seem to know the answer to everything

worse case scenario if i need the op and need to change flight it will cost 200 so not great but not the end of the world!

Don

I bust my upper arm in several places - bad skiing accident - and had a loooong titanium pin and 3 screws in for about 8 months. Didn't set off the alarms at airport!

More to worry about: the operation leaves your arm very sore and swollen. I was treated at the most excellent Vienna central hospital where they do a lot of pin work. They were extremely reluctant to see me leave after 3 days - they wanted me there for about 10 days but I was fed up and glad to see the back of the place.

My point is: the operation will probably leave you feeling a lot worse than the break itself (though it's worth it for a perfect mend). You may still be feeling distinctly groggy and in some pain even on Friday, so will need support from partner for that journey.

Definitely worth telling your story at the check in desk, you could get an upgrade.

Hope the op goes well if you need it. And by the way: get the pin/ plate taken out. I didn't sleep properly for 8 months but as soon as it got taken out: back to normal beauty sleep!

Loopy

Wasn't there a post the other day saying that something always breaks a couple of weeks before you go?! Think it's normally a washing machine or vac though not an arm!! Are you sure you didn't do it on purpose to get out of the packing???

Good luck!

Loopy

bundy

Bad luck! Hate breaking things - and I've broken a lot of bones. Miserable.

I'd go for the upgrade, definitely. If you think it's best not to go to Oz yet, see if you can get a note from the hosp saying that you can't fly and see what happens. Checked your house insurance? Sometimes these things are covered....

Good luck - start scoffing the Vit C (helps healing)

glittababe

Ah Jayne!!!! If only it could have been the norm of your washing machine breaking?? We fly in 2 weeks and I'm being so careful, but something will happen! The kids are being a nightmare as theres no furniture, as, in their little eyes no furniture + laminate flooring = lots of slippery fun! I've even found them going full throttle down the stairs on pillows! I'm fed up with screaming "stop that we don't need any broken bones!" Not sure about the insurance bit but at a guess its expensive. My insurance company won't insure for present medical conditions? Anyway good luck and best wishes. We're in the same boat with our tickets, theres 5 of us so it'll cost £250 to change the flight! Scary stuff XXXX Annie

Don

Jayne: I learn from the other thread you were suffering the after-effects of too many cocktails at the time of the fall!

Leglessness not so armless?