Well, that wasn’t supposed to happen!

This is not a blog I want to write and certainly not so early on in our trip.  So far, you have followed us on all the great roads and landscapes we have travelled through.  Since our blogs and videos are always being released later, we are aware that some people know what is happening now and felt it was time to let you all know - it’s not all roses…

This blog is out of timeline with other blogs and videos yet to be released.  However, it feels like the right time to bring you up to speed with the following.

As you may have picked up, I (Carl) had a stupid dismount from my bike, about 1.5 weeks ago. Sidestand down, sliding off the seat, but my boot caught on the pannier. I couldn't stop as my left leg was over-weighted and as my right leg came free, it catapulted me on to the hard packed gravel with a nasty bang.

Stupid!  Stupid!  Stupid!

Yes, it hurt.  Yes it was the end of the day.  Yes, I was tired.  Yes, we had to find the campsite.

I didn't think anything of it and carried on for the evening and the next day, complaining about a bruise that wasn't there.  

Then I started getting pains in my leg when sleeping - or trying to.  Then I found I couldn't walk very far and one sleepless night led to another.  

Maybe it was sleeping on the floor?  We decided "damn the budget" and booked ourselves in to a very nice log cabin in the middle of nowhere (thank you to a good friend for providing funds to make the decision easier).  One night became three as I came to the conclusion it was not the sleeping on the floor but just the very act of laying down.  Sleep would only come sat on the sofa, with my leg bent - not the best of sleeps but any would do.

Tuesday morning I had had enough and agreed with Isi that I needed to seek medical help.  A quick on-line chat with the health insurance provider and they said to “pay and claim”.

Isi texted the cabin owner to say what was happening and to extend the stay and she replied saying that someone was on their way to collect and take me the 12 miles to the nursing station.  Meanwhile, we had spoken with the resident of the other log cabin, and she was heading to Whitehorse later in the day, should we need a ride.  Already, people were coming forward with offers of help and being Brits, we struggled to accept it.

At the nurses station, we paid the $685CAD for the initial assessment and the nurse was great.  She poked, prodded, looked up stuff and then spoke to a Dr in Whitehorse - who decided he needed to see me at A&E in Whitehorse.

A quick text to our cabin neighbour, and she said she would be happy to take us to Whitehorse A&E - 60 miles away.  Felt very strange sat on the right side of the car, with no steering wheel or pedals.  So much stranger than riding a bike on the right (which feels right and natural).

Having spent an hour in the car, I had seized up and could hardly walk through the hospital entrance.  A member of reception must have noticed me on the CCTV, as they rushed out with the offer of a wheelchair.  Much easier for me but meant Isi had to push and her foot was quite painful by this time (another story).

Another $685CAD to pay at A&E reception with the possibility of more to pay if required.  The waiting room had just 3 other people waiting but none of us had to wait long.  Triage complete and not long after, called to a cubicle - personal space with curtains and sliding doors.  A&E was quiet (no noise) and calm.

A Dr came to see me and asked questions and did more prodding and poking.  He wanted to do a CT scan before saying much more, so off I went.  On the way, I asked the nurse if A&E was always this quiet?  She mildly scolded me and said I was not to let the A&E staff hear me utter such words, as it was actually rather busy.  Reflecting on the NHS experiences, the Canadians had nothing to complain about…

Once in the CT scanning room, I had to lie on the table with my legs in a particular position.  The pain was off the scale and, I confess, I screamed and cried but held the position long enough for the process to complete.  The nurses were full of sympathy and apologies as they helped me back off the table and wheeled me back to the cubicle.

After a short while the Dr returned, armed with images that showed L2 to L4 vertebrae were causing bulging that was pressing on the central nerves and causing the pain in my leg.  Trying to absorb this information, the Dr left us for a while as Isi and I were visibly upset and considered the end of the trip.

We were sent packing with a drugs prescription that was really rather scary - one of the pills was 4 times more potent than morphine and told to use them to hit the pain hard and allow the relaxants to work on reducing the pressure.  I must rest for the next 1 - 2 weeks and see how I am then.  Not good news and needs some planning.  I felt useless and totally responsible for potentially wrecking the dream before we had even started.

We took a cab to the pharmacy, where I spent my time sat on a disabled shopping trolley that was broken, staring at the wall with instruction to organise a cab back to our log cabin, some 70 odd miles South.  Don’t ask me how, but I ended up with 2 cabs waiting for me outside (one did leave after they spoke to each other).

Isi came out and she negotiated with the cabbie and knocked his cost down to $150CAD.  All agreed and off we went.  Very nice cabbie who was telling us of his dream to buy a specialist boat and take it back to Somalia.  After an hour plus ride in a Subaru Forester that had seen better days, we were back at the cabin and started thinking through some ideas - get a hire car and truck the bikes to Vancouver?  Fly to Vancouver and get a hire car to travel North to then collect the bikes?  And so on…

We put out some feelers to the Overland community and have been overwhelmed by strangers stepping forward to offer assistance - one such offer was for a person to fly from the UK and ride my bike to Vancouver and/or beyond.  We now also have contacts within Whitehorse that we have yet to meet.

We settled on a plan - rent a place in Whitehorse for a week and a bit, to see how I get on with the meds.  Whilst we would have loved to stay at the log cabin (did I mention the hot tub?), it was miles from anywhere where we could get food etc.,

The owners of the log cabin agreed to give me a lift to Whitehorse whilst Isi rode one bike up.  When our hosts returned to the log cabins (after a days work at this fantastic community centre), Isi would get a lift and then ride the other bike back to our new lodgings.

And this is where we are now.  A great apartment/bungalow, with all the mod-cons we need for a week AND within walking distance of a shop for groceries etc.

We have a week to see how I improve and consider our options then.  Time is running out as snow threatens to engulf us within a matter of weeks.

The following video is not hosted on the Life 2 YT channel (so don’t bother subscribing) and was shot at the nurses station, not knowing any results.  It shows how we felt at the time…