Termie termite

[Bob U]

Bloody hell, I go away for a few days and come back to 2 pieces of bad news. Get well soon Deb, I hope you are up and about again soon. Like Fax says I hope to see you at Sebring next March. I have never seen anyone so exited at a race as you after the finish of the GT2 race at Sebring last year. Keep your chin up.

Best wishes
  Bob

[Barry]

Just got back from holiday and missed this thread, due to signing off in shock after reading the news about Lisa.

Ian,

Will you send Debs both Jo and my best wishes for a speedy recovery, I'm sure she will soon be whizzing around the hospital, looking for somewhere to have a fag.

[Doris]

Good lord!  However will Deb cope without nicotine whilst in hospital?  Why it would be like me going without Normandy Cidre!  Ian, please wish her all the best for a full recovery. 

Dx

[Mr Termite]

Termie Termite update! I saw Deb tonight - but she was "asleep" at the time! She had just returned from 8 hours (yes) in theatre fixing her right knee. The reason she was still asleep is that they'll leave her that way until tomorrow, when they will mend the comparatively simple break on the left leg. The right wrist has been done, and apparently the left is ok - no break. Then she will be woken up - and given the little present I left, which is a picture of her favourite cat, Cooper! The ribs - three are broken on the right side - will not be fixed, which is the norm.

She is in the Reanimation Chirurgical Unit, which is the Intensive Therapy Unit -French Style. She has so much stuff by her bed, with all sorts of drugs being administered and monitors going left right and probably centre. I was "shown round" by a delightful young doc and her even prettier student. I had to wear a gown and wash my mits before entering. Once again, I am entirely impressed with the level of care and professionalism. If Deb doesn't make a full recovery, it will not be for lack of effort by the hospital, that is quite certain.

A car crash is a violent event. I am pleased to say that apart from a bit of bruising and a couple of small marks on her chin, Deb's face has not suffered - not that that would worry her very much, anyway!

I expect to visit again late Saturday, when conversation may be possible. More then.

[Jason]

Ian,
Just seen the thread. Oh Gawd! Am shocked. Am so glad to hear Debs is recovering well, sounds like she is getting the best care she can get. Hopefully the operations will set as much right as they can. Please pass on my wishes for a speedy recovery when you finally get to talk on Saturday

How are you coping? Just remember you both have all your CA friends for support.

[Snoring Rhino]

Like a lot of others, I also missed this, glad to hear Debs is on road to recovery........ maybe not the best choice of words........all the best, Ian

[nickliv]

I spent a week on an exchange working in a French hospital, and I can confirm that French hospitals are very good indeed. (Well, they were 10 years ago, but that's not to take anything away from our ones) Even the food is edible in most cases.

Hope it all comes good for you both, particularly that the knee is sorted (It should be after 8 hours of work / advanced carpentry. I wouldn't worry about the wrist, the left leg, or the ribs, they'll just be uncomfortable for a while (as I'm sure Mark will attest re. the ribs.)

Buy some nicotinell patches, and bung them on her when the docs aren't looking.

[Werner]

Just noticed this thread for the first time - I must admit that I rarely look into the help-section of this forum. And I'm shocked. I hope Deb will recover soon. Ian, your reports from the hospital sound optimistic. All my best wishes. If you find out that she needs to stay there for a longer time, please put the postal adress of the Clinic here so I can send something - books, flowers or so, is there anything she would like?

Cheers

Werner

[died_laughing]

Get well soon Deb.
Best wishes
Leontien

[Mr Termite]

Circumstances of the accident have now been revealed, following my conversation with the gendarme responsible today. It was in no way Deb's fault. A lorry, which may have swerved to avoid a car or cars in front of it, came across the white line and hit Deb head on. No-one else was injured.

I have spent an hour retrieving things from the wreck of the car, and am very impressed with how little damage there is. The engine has stayed pretty much in place - quite different from the old days when it tended to try and join you in the cabin on such impacts. The rear passenger door still opened and closed. The roof is missing, having been removed by the Sapeurs/Pompiers in releasing Deb.Deb had always fancied a convertible Micra, and now she'd got one when too ill to enjoy it! Seriously, if you want a small car that will protect you, Nissan Micra is a good bet. I'm sure Deb would have another.

The gendarme, who acted brilliantly on the day, calling me twice to let me know where Deb had been taken, had taken her handbag, camera and laptop, as well as a couple of holdalls, into police care - they were handed over today, with her passport. But in the car there was a complete mess of horse-feed, Diet Coke and Heinz Baked beans (4-packs, of course). Surprisingly two jars of Sainsbury's Hollandaise Sauce survived, as did several bottles of Saumur which had clearly not been drunk in England. The camera - a Nikon D70 with new-ish 70-300 Vibration Reduction (ooh!) lens - is not going to take further pictures, I think. But if someone else was responsible for the accident, then a claim looks likely, so redress in some form may emerge in due course.

I expect to see Deb in Rouen tomorrow.

[Steve Pyro]

Thanks for the update Ian.

Please pass on all our regards and well wishes.

[Fran]

Good to hear things are still progressing well. 

Wishing you and Deb the best of luck at the re-awakening tomorrow. 

I am off to southern France for a couple of weeks, so wont be able to keep up with progress, but will be thinking of you and wishing you both well.

Love
F
X

[Kpy]

I'm another who doesn't check the Help section of this forum.
All best wishes to Deb for a full amd swift recovery. She is in an excellent hospital - I know from personal experience.

Ian - don't go worrying about liability and claims. The car's contents are covered by your insurance.

[Mr Termite]

Thanks for that thought Kpy. Actually I've managed to remove the lens, which turns out to be ok - it was the lensmount on the D70 that was hanging off. Having screwed the metal faceplate back into the polycarbonate - we're up and running! Frankly my biggest concern is driving my 7-yr old Skoda, which is a fine car, but has 56k miles on it, back and forth to Rouen every other day. It's a 240 mile round trip. I hope to make a case for the insurers to provide a car and fuel - knowing some other insurer will be paying out. Getting that message across in French may take some doing! I also feel insurers close ranks to avoid anyone paying out.

Bit vulnerable here, but Termie's other website France Forum, may have some suggestions.

One other fear has gone away. In France, we pay separately for health care to the state, which pays in effect 70% of our costs. We take out private cover to cover the rest. It so happens that the man who runs our private cover scheme (no, not the broker, the insurer himself) is a good friend of Deb's re some other health insurance issues in the last year, and has rung here twice in three days seeking news of her progress. That's one cost that isn't going to come back our way, I think!

[nickliv]

Frankly my biggest concern is driving my 7-yr old Skoda, which is a fine car, but has 56k miles on it, back and forth to Rouen every other day. It's a 240 mile round trip.

Take the FIAT or the mog.