From Russia with love
Discussion
Currently on a work visit to Moscow and managed to put my back out on Wednesday evening. Had minor issues for years and had a disc issue on holiday about five years ago that required hospitalisation but a few injections sorted it out. Anyway, had a bad cold for the last two weeks that has had me coughing a lot along with a LOT of travel (about 60 hours of flights in 3 weeks). Coughed whilst at dinner on Wednesday whilst I was kind of sat funny on a bench, did not really feel anything but this is all I can can think of that set it off. Walked back to hotel then went for a few drinks, started hurting and steadily got worse to the point I was struggling to walk. Went to bed, woke up, body no worky worky. Extreme pain, can't stand and had to roll off the bed, managed to get to the bathroom and I'm as white as a sheet. Phone my work colleague and he comes to my room and helps me back to bed. Once we got the insurance details sorted out an ambulance arrived and whisked me off to hospital (just getting on the stretcher was a major kerfuffle but my colleague putting my underpants on will live with him forever 
.
Anyway, now been in hospital 2 days with plenty of injections but no signs of improvement. Neurosurgeon has just visited and told me she does not like my L5, I agreed as I don't like it either. She showed me the MRI and you can see the disc pressing on the nerves, I did not need the MRI to tell me that but it was good to have it confirmed
. She has now summoned a Neurosurgeon as they would like to operate..........Question to the PH Massive, should I stay or should I go? Surgery in Russia or insist they medivac me to the UK and have it done there? To be fair, the treatment here has been fantastic so far, maybe a little rough and ready (stretcher being trundled down the street to the hospital) but very professional.
.Anyway, now been in hospital 2 days with plenty of injections but no signs of improvement. Neurosurgeon has just visited and told me she does not like my L5, I agreed as I don't like it either. She showed me the MRI and you can see the disc pressing on the nerves, I did not need the MRI to tell me that but it was good to have it confirmed
. She has now summoned a Neurosurgeon as they would like to operate..........Question to the PH Massive, should I stay or should I go? Surgery in Russia or insist they medivac me to the UK and have it done there? To be fair, the treatment here has been fantastic so far, maybe a little rough and ready (stretcher being trundled down the street to the hospital) but very professional. I lived in Moscow for three years - their public medical facilities are absolutely world class and, I would imagine that their private ones are at least as good. I wouldn't want to undergo a 4 hour medivac with a spinal injury when I could be operated on in a Russian hospital by a Russian neuro-surgeon
The UK health system pretty much IS outstanding when you have a major problem. Many of our NHS hospitals are still amongst the best in the world despite what the Wail would have you believe. It depends a bit on where you would be taken and such. Have had friends in a few spinal injury units around the country and only one had problems - but even the problems seemed to be personality clash ones rather than any medical catastrophe.
I think I'm inclined to agree though that if you can get *good enough* treatment where you are, it's probably a better bet than the journey, regardless of any other factor.
I think I'm inclined to agree though that if you can get *good enough* treatment where you are, it's probably a better bet than the journey, regardless of any other factor.
I would stay mate, sounds like they know what they are doing, and are ready to get on with it. If you come back to the UK, the whole round of tests/opinions will just start again!
Good luck!
Hope your work mate has recovered, just think, your back will be fixed, he is traumatised for life!
Good luck!
Hope your work mate has recovered, just think, your back will be fixed, he is traumatised for life!
Geoffers said:
I would stay mate, sounds like they know what they are doing, and are ready to get on with it. If you come back to the UK, the whole round of tests/opinions will just start again!
Good luck!
Hope your work mate has recovered, just think, your back will be fixed, he is traumatised for life!
We need a"like" button. Like.Good luck!
Hope your work mate has recovered, just think, your back will be fixed, he is traumatised for life!
My dad had his L5 taken out last year and if your pain is as bad as his which it sounds like then I'd just stay in Russia and tell them to just get it out ASAP! Your gonna be out of action for a while mind, my dad a year on still has numbness in his foot caused by nerve damage even though he goes to the gym a number of times a week and has regular physio sessions.
If you do choose to come back to England depending on where your located I can recommend a consultant who works out of the spire Bristol!
If you do choose to come back to England depending on where your located I can recommend a consultant who works out of the spire Bristol!
Lynch91 said:
My dad had his L5 taken out last year and if your pain is as bad as his which it sounds like then I'd just stay in Russia and tell them to just get it out ASAP! Your gonna be out of action for a while mind, my dad a year on still has numbness in his foot caused by nerve damage even though he goes to the gym a number of times a week and has regular physio sessions.
If you do choose to come back to England depending on where your located I can recommend a consultant who works out of the spire Bristol!
Holy crap, I have a golf holiday booked in 6 weeks.If you do choose to come back to England depending on where your located I can recommend a consultant who works out of the spire Bristol!
tuffer said:
Holy crap, I have a golf holiday booked in 6 weeks.
How are you going to get home after the surgery? It's a while since I did post op rehab but IIRC you won't be sitting for more than 10 minutes at a time for a while. Assuming you don't have bladder or bowel issues, numbness around your groin or progressing weakness (google cauda equine syndrome for an explanation) then I would take the medivac option.
Never did meet up on the Plain. Doesn't sound as if we will for some time! Safe journey home and get well soon.
Maybe just a little anecdote about Russian medical care of old. In my youth backpacking around Europe with girlfriend in tow ended up busing from Finland to Leningrad (as was at the time) for a long weekend.
Cue the girlfriend start complaining of 'ladies' problems' mid-weekend. I tell her to live with it until we're back in Finland but she insists on medical attention. Intourist hotel organise a doctor and translator. They come to the hotel, go to the room and after ten minutes come out to tell me they were going to take her to hospital.
At this time, there had been a few stories of Westerners being held to ransom in Russian hospitals racking up hugely inflated medical bills until someone parted with their credit card.
This was the first thing that came to mind so as the doctor called the two ambulance orderlies to bring the stretcher I blocked the door to the room and made it quite clear in very loud English that there was no way they were taking her to hospital! The doctor looked really confused and once the translator had explained my 'concerns' he shrugged his shoulders, wrote something in Russian on a piece of paper and left.
The translator then explained that he'd written down the details of some drugs I could get at a pharmacy. I think, with hindsight, I probably over-reacted
Maybe just a little anecdote about Russian medical care of old. In my youth backpacking around Europe with girlfriend in tow ended up busing from Finland to Leningrad (as was at the time) for a long weekend.
Cue the girlfriend start complaining of 'ladies' problems' mid-weekend. I tell her to live with it until we're back in Finland but she insists on medical attention. Intourist hotel organise a doctor and translator. They come to the hotel, go to the room and after ten minutes come out to tell me they were going to take her to hospital.
At this time, there had been a few stories of Westerners being held to ransom in Russian hospitals racking up hugely inflated medical bills until someone parted with their credit card.
This was the first thing that came to mind so as the doctor called the two ambulance orderlies to bring the stretcher I blocked the door to the room and made it quite clear in very loud English that there was no way they were taking her to hospital! The doctor looked really confused and once the translator had explained my 'concerns' he shrugged his shoulders, wrote something in Russian on a piece of paper and left.
The translator then explained that he'd written down the details of some drugs I could get at a pharmacy. I think, with hindsight, I probably over-reacted
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