[Dodger]

Day of the walking dead!!
Well we decided to go back and try wake boarding again this is only my second time although Nicke slipped a little practise session in a few weeks ago and it showed cos he was easily the best this week. I set myself two goals, 1. To be able to stand up on the wake board and 2. Manage more than two corners on the water skis, I know this is not a huge target but I am one that likes to set myself goals but ones that are attainable so I can feel a sense of achievement if I manage to do them.

We had a good group come down there, Nicke Ead and Nats, Jiri and his gf, Duncs, Gee and myself and Dojo, Lightemup popped in for few minutes in between his shooting practise for moral support. Nicke spent the first little while videoing and taking pictures of our pathetic attempts, so I hope he posts some pics etc here as we were fairly useless as always. Dunc once again decided not to participate, didn’t understand why but heck each to their own. Dojo had more determination than most and was that keen that when he fell over he would run back to start again ignoring the guy with the motorbike that goes out to pick you up. He also had a few problems with some French birds that kept getting in his way and I think that if she had blown that whistle one more he may well have fed it to her for breakfast. I am sure both Nicke and DD will be feeling the effects of the day as it tends to finds muscles to ache on you the next day that you never really knew you had however two of us received a little more than we anticipated.

Jiri had water skied a lot as a lad and was able to get straight up on his first attempt at the wake board, however as a lad he had dislocated his should on several occasions and his shoulder had been weakened as a result, he forgot this until he made his first corner when the cable shoots off extra fast at which point so did his arm and he had to retire with a dislocated shoulder, however after about 30 minutes he decided that he was better and tried again only to dislocate it twice before he even got to the first corner, bet that was sore the following day.

I started as I had previously finished making about 20 feet before falling off the board however on attempt 3 I got up and made half a length of the first side before plunging into the water, this was evidently because I had my wake board sideways on. A couple of more goes and I got up again, brilliant made nearly the full length of the first side, board at the right angle, 1st target achieved, decided to have a go with the water skis next and see if I could manage more than 2 corners.1st corner whoosh, straight round, total control, position nicely for the second one. Whoosh, straight round, this is getting easy, this is where being Dodger is not a good thing as once I have managed the first two corners I start to get cocky and add a few extra bits in, just to make it more exciting – stupid!!!. Entering the third corner for some reason I decided to take it with the skis at a sharp angle and on their side to get so me extra spray up against the side of the lake, yep I know what you are thinking, why? I am also thinking exactly the same but can only put it down to being me, this is also the reason I gave up sky diving because I always have to add stuff of my own invention and with sky diving that’s not so clever. Anyway hit the corner got the spurge of extra pull as the cable shoots off and one leg decides to go in a different direction than the other, wow let go of the cable, oh no hang in there with my leg now a good 45 degree angle to the direction intended and pop, out went my knee, over I go and hit the water really hard, it felt like someone had just walked up and kicked me between the legs and guys you all know what that feels like. So winded, family jewels giving me incredible pain and my knee throbbing I limped to the edge of the lake, the thai guy picked me up on his bike and just said ‘you hurt mutt’ then laughed his head off all the way back to the start place as I was trying to explain the pain you feel when smacked between the legs by 10 ton of water. Injury sustained, torn ligaments in knee, been given (whoops not given had to buy ) a leg brace from the hospital which I have to wear for the next 4 weeks, so no golf, no sex and a hobbling gait that makes me look about 75, okay 75 years older than I am.

Well after war and peace here are the points of this thread, firstly beware of Bangkok Phuket hospital as they love to lob in any extra at cost they can and secondly need opinions from others who have torn ligaments. I have previously torn ligaments in my ankle and therefore diagnosed my own injury and sort of knew you cannot cure them, you just have to rest and they will fix themselves, I believe you should not strap them up as they will not then heal strongly. But even if I thought I knew this I popped into Bangkok Phuket hospital to get a docs opinion, he did an x-ray, why? It was ligaments and they do not show on the x ray, I had obviously not broken any bones, x ray 330 bahts – cheap, he prescribed a load of drugs, 3 out of the 4 are for reducing swelling – did I really need 3 anti swellers? – 1,650 bahts and put a leg brace on my knee, it was new and now I’ve got my own one for the next time but it cost – 3,300 bahts, I reckon a bandage for a couple of days would have done the trick fine – cost 20 bahts, so 5,880 bahts for consultation and pills and leg brace, my opinion is that it is a great hospital but run on a very commercial basis, bit like a timeshare sales operation but dealing with health I do not think is particularly very moral. Secondly with a ligament damage am I right when thinking the quicker you get the support off the quicker and stronger you ligaments grow back or whatever they do? Also no sex, no golf for 4 weeks – right as if I’m going to take notice of that advice, Doc must have been queer……………no golf whatever next!!!!!!!!!