ON SICK LEAVE

Friday was a day of 1st`s.
1st ride in an ambulance
1st day off the boat through bad health

It all started on Thursday when i lifted my generator back on board after the Boat Safety test, not a problem no pain so carried on with life as normal. Couple of hours later set off to go through a few locks and the pain in my back started and the last lock paddle was wound on my hands and knees.

Fast forward to Friday AM and i couldn`t stand up without holding onto something and dragging my feet along. Moving through the boat i missed a hand hold namely the back of a chair and crashed to the floor. My head hit the top step at the front door, shoulder landed on the second step and the rest of me just stopped dead. The pain in my back was un - believable and i couldn`t move at all and i don`t mind admitting i was real scared. All i could do was push the front doors open and attract the attention of a passer by who got help from 2 BW men working on a lock just behind the boat.

The BW men were stars and in no time at all they had an ambulance and paramedic car very near to the towpath after opening up some gates and meeting the vehicles at the road.
25 mins later after a lot of painkilling gas and checking my spine they all collectively had me sitting up and 15 mins later half carried and dragged me up a grassy slope into the ambulance.

The hospital doc determined i had badly ripped a muscle at the base of the spine made worse by the fall and said i wouldn`t be allowed to leave until the painkillers they gave me and a bit of massaging enabled me to stand on my own 2 feet so the next 6 hours were spent in A&E.

So folks a big thank you to BW ( i`ll be searching them out when back on the boat) and the medical help both canal side & at the Hospital.

At the moment i am taking it easy land side at one of the boy`s houses hobbling around slowly.