A Fractured LIVE - Fractured My Ankle on Carnival Spirit - In hospital in Cartagena

[TravelBluebird]

Thank you so much again for all your care and kind words. This cruising community is so positive and has uplifted me; it helps keep my good spirits immensely.

 

Morning report: The Spirit is heading to the old Panama locks this morning (the ones I wanted to travel, naturally). My sad hospital breakfast (see photo) made me miss the MDR chef on the Spirit SO BADLY; he was very, very good.

 

Funny story about our last, Spirit Formal night dinner. If you read my Mardi Gras LIVE in February, you know that I am VERY serious about my lobster/prime rib formal night meal—my two favorite foods!  It is the only evening I order an extra entree (or 2).  So my husband and I hotly debated ordering 1 or 2 lobster tails AND the Prime Rib. We settled on 1 lobster entree and 1 prime rib entree each.

 

They were delicious! The lobster was cold water and a good size, and OMG the perfectly cooked medium rare prime rib (large piece too!). As we finished, our waiter Benjamin magically appeared with two more lobster entrees, and with a gleam in his eye, he said “would you like some extra lobster?”

 

He had TOTALLY heard our conversation!  We had the lobster, it was piping hot and delicious. How sweet of him.

 

And good gosh I am SO glad we got that extra lobster since it was my last meal for over 36 hours until breakfast this morning!

 

Formal Night Lobster!

My last happy photo on the Spirit

Hospital breakfast this morning

Edited April 22, 2022 by TravelBluebird

[SeaHunt]

Oh I am so sorry for you! It was so strange to read this because I had recently posted a youtube link over on the RCI board from a lady who had quite a story about falling in a restroom on Coco Cay - and breaking her ankle! ( youtube "Broken Ankle on a Cruise")

I guess it's true "ship happens" 😊 Take care and heal up for your next adventure!

[mkcurran]

Sorry this happened. Call the airlines, if you can't get 1st class you should be able to get a whole row, which would allow you to keep that ankle up.

[RollingMeadows]

I have the t-shirt for broken ankles, too. At least mine was at work rather than vacation. I haven't read all of this but I had to stop once I saw the photos. I hope the healing goes OK for you. The break heals pretty quick IME, but the ligament tears are another story. Be friends with your gym during healing /PT and you'll come back perfect. I'll be thinking of you!!

[RollingMeadows]

1 hour ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

 

 

Hospital breakfast this morning

The fruit actually looks really good. Are those grape tomatoes I see? Kumquats?

 

[TravelBluebird]

1 hour ago, SeaHunt said:

Oh I am so sorry for you! It was so strange to read this because I had recently posted a youtube link over on the RCI board from a lady who had quite a story about falling in a restroom on Coco Cay - and breaking her ankle! ( youtube "Broken Ankle on a Cruise")

I guess it's true "ship happens" 😊 Take care and heal up for your next adventure!

 

OMG I will check this out at some point; misery loves company!  Bet it was worse happening on the island 

[Bostwick girl]

Wishing a speedy recovery and back to the US soon!

 

[TravelBluebird]

1 hour ago, RollingMeadows said:

The fruit actually looks really good. Are those grape tomatoes I see? Kumquats?

 

The fruit was really good...and tropical, so I enjoyed that extra, being in Columbia.  If those were grape tomatoes they were so sweet! I couldn’t identify them; didn’t taste like a kumquat.  There was papaya, and a delicious fresh-sqeezed fruit juice (very bitter, so it was served with a sugar to stir in like coffee!),

 

Lunch was quite good...rice, chicken with nice seasoning, I believe guava juice this time (with the sugar stir-in) and soup.  Hydrated and fed; rest time after this! 

Edited April 22, 2022 by TravelBluebird

[TravelBluebird]

One thing before I forget. We had AT&T’s International Day Pass plan on our 2 phones. This has been a life saver through the emergency. For $10 a day per phone we have talk, text and data according to our regular plans.

 

I didn’t know about this plan before; because I had my phone operational on the ship, when we got to Columbia I got a notification from ATT about the plan and they added it automatically, with an option to text NO back to decline. I decided to test it out so didn’t decline it (thank God). 

 

My hubby got the same offer when we turned his phone on at the hospital.

 

I don’t know what we would have done with out this..able to call plane, hotel, Carnival Liason, friends and family back home; plus data for Russ to find the hotel via GPS, and data before we got the hospital Wi Fi working.

 

I highly recommend it in an emergency in a foreign country, or just if needed for a day in port for a cruise!

[TravelBluebird]

1 hour ago, RollingMeadows said:

I have the t-shirt for broken ankles, too. At least mine was at work rather than vacation. I haven't read all of this but I had to stop once I saw the photos. I hope the healing goes OK for you. The break heals pretty quick IME, but the ligament tears are another story. Be friends with your gym during healing /PT and you'll come back perfect. I'll be thinking of you!!

 

Sorry about the photo; I wasn’t going to post it but I thought people should see the extent of the medical emergency.

 

Yes, I am worried about that (the ligaments and everything thrown out of place and stressed)  I have been through a knee replacement and I did the PT religiously and will do the same here.

[TravelBluebird]

2 hours ago, mkcurran said:

Sorry this happened. Call the airlines, if you can't get 1st class you should be able to get a whole row, which would allow you to keep that ankle up.

 

We have now done this.  We are working with American Airlines who is trying to get a First Class seat or other solution for me, and have arranged the wheelchair and other care needed. Fingers crossed. 

[TravelBluebird]

Another thing I want to say to everyone here on Cruise Critic.

 

Don’t let my accident (or others you read about) discourage you from cruising, or any travel.

 

My last serious accident while traveling was NOT on a cruise ship, but was in London, England 34 years ago. Traveling in a taxi to the airport to go to Paris, we were in a car accident. I was thrown through the windshield, had a concussion, and ended up in a hospital with stitches in my head, plus the MOST uncomfortable plane ride back you could imagine (also in a neck brace). I was financially OK in this accident because England’s socialized medicine and my regular insurance at the time covered the whole thing (and yet I STILL didn’t think of travel insurance till this year! 😱

 

The point of that story is that since then, I’ve had 34 years of marvelous travel and nothing else serious until this cruise. If I had let that accident stop me, think of all I would have missed out on!   

 

Oh yeah, and just in case, as mentioned many times by me and others in this thread, get travel insurance. 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by TravelBluebird

[SeaHunt]

1 hour ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

OMG I will check this out at some point; misery loves company!  Bet it was worse happening on the island 

 

Of all people you will know exactly where she's coming from! Both of your accidents sound like something that could happen to me - usually when I get hurt it's at the most inopportune time LOL. 🙃

Hope you rest up and recover quickly!

[MizMoon]

50 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

Another thing I want to say to everyone here on Cruise Critic.

 

Don’t let my accident (or others you read about) discourage you from cruising, or any travel.

 

 

Your positive attitude is so encouraging - I'm boarding Spirit in Seattle on May 3rd and will be super vigilant with the gangway, etc.  I've been very lucky in my travels and have OMG stories, too.  Thank you again for reminding all of us to be as prepared as possible - Life is Good.  Let us (Cruise Critic) know when you are Good To Go, again - you've gained a lot of new friends who might join you.  

[MizMoon]

Just now, MizMoon said:

Your positive attitude is so encouraging - I'm boarding Spirit in Seattle on May 3rd and will be super vigilant with the gangway, etc.  I've been very lucky in my travels and have OMG stories, too.  Thank you again for reminding all of us to be as prepared as possible - Life is Good.  Let us (Cruise Critic) know when you are Good To Go, again - you've gained a lot of new friends who might join you.  

I've booked on Sprit Panama Canal for April 2023...... just a suggestion......

[JAKcruiser]

Bluebird - I keep checking your thread since I initially saw it last night to check in on your progress. You have a great attitude throughout this episode though I’m sure you have some down moments. You offer an inspiring outlook which will help you get through this. Please keep updating so we can follow your status on getting home and the healing. Sending healing hugs your way!

[groundloop]

3 hours ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

 

Oh yeah, and just in case, as mentioned many times by me and others in this thread, get travel insurance. 

 

 

 

It's good to hear that you're being well cared for, and will hopefully be on your way home before too much longer.

 

As far as the travel insurance, I've always wondered how it plays out when you actually have to use it.  Do you have to pay up front and get reimbursed, or does the travel insurance take the lead and work with the various health care providers, airlines, etc.?

 

 

[TravelBluebird]

2 hours ago, MizMoon said:

I've booked on Sprit Panama Canal for April 2023...... just a suggestion......

I am seriously going to look at that!!  

 

When I was in the Carnival Med Center and they told me my trip was over, I was pretty emotional and in pain, hubby held my hand and whispered “don’t worry; we’ll get you to the Panama Canal  after you heal up” 

[TravelBluebird]

6 minutes ago, groundloop said:

 

It's good to hear that you're being well cared for, and will hopefully be on your way home before too much longer.

 

As far as the travel insurance, I've always wondered how it plays out when you actually have to use it.  Do you have to pay up front and get reimbursed, or does the travel insurance take the lead and work with the various health care providers, airlines, etc.?

 

 

For our policy we pay up front (although Carnival took our Allianz policy number directly and we did not pay them for Med Services on the ship...will let you all know if we get that bill directly).

 

We put in a claim to get our claim number started and so far told Allianz about the roughly $11,000 in receipts we already have for re-imbursement. We couldn’t upload the receipts at the hospital and we know there will be more including the air fare to get home..but we couldn’t find anywhere on the Allianz site to add to the claim. Hope we didn’t make a mistake jumping the gun; we’ll call them tomorrow.

 

I was sad we didn’t have the Carnival policy to get Carnival credit for the rest of our missed trip, but we’ve got $2,000 per trip coverage from Allianz so we’ll get some of that back. We went with the $50,000 in medical coverage so should be good on that. I’ll definitely report back on the entire insurance process for everyone.

[TravelBluebird]

2 hours ago, MizMoon said:

Your positive attitude is so encouraging - I'm boarding Spirit in Seattle on May 3rd and will be super vigilant with the gangway, etc.  I've been very lucky in my travels and have OMG stories, too.  Thank you again for reminding all of us to be as prepared as possible - Life is Good.  Let us (Cruise Critic) know when you are Good To Go, again - you've gained a lot of new friends who might join you.  

 Also, I’m booked on the Jubilee Inaugural sailing from Southampton England to Galveston TX end of October 2023. Would be so lovely if some of you are on that trip as well!!  And I have indeed gained lots of new friends here; just another (very)  bright lining to this whole difficult situation.

[MizMoon]

I like your husband's style!  Good Answer!  

[Moviela]

I hope your flight home is uneventful and comfortable.

 

I took your advice about travel insurance. I bought an Allianz AllTrips Premier policy for my wife and I today. We sail on Panorama tomorrow. 

 

Good coverage, including rental cars, and high limits for health emergencies. $485 for a year. I have ten cruises in the hopper and several flights. This will eliminate the fear I have of being sent to the ships medical office and have them jack up my trousers and rotate my wallet.

[knagl]

2 hours ago, TravelBluebird said:

Hope we didn’t make a mistake jumping the gun

 

Doubtful -- insurance companies like to be kept in the loop, and it's better to notify them ASAP and then clean up the details and additional parts of the claim later.

As far as your flight, just be aware that most travel insurance specifies something about using economy travel options (ie. not first class) in order to get reimbursed.  If you're going to go the first class route, be sure to get something in writing from the doctor specifying that it's medically necessary so you'll at least have a chance at getting your airfare reimbursed, but still plan on it being a potential reimbursement issue. You might want to reach out to the insurer prior to purchasing airfare to try and get some kind of pre-approval.

 

I was really enjoying your trip report and my heart breaks for you for this unfortunate situation. You seem to have an incredibly positive attitude about it all, though. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[HarborHermit]

Get well soon. You are in my prayers.

[groundloop]

4 hours ago, TravelBluebird said:

I’ll definitely report back on the entire insurance process for everyone.

 

Thank you.  It's a real eye opener to hear directly from someone who's had to make use of their cruise insurance.