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I'm forwarding this to her now. She has lost so much recently. I pray this gives her a spark of hope and different perspective.She can taxi to Castrojerez and catch a bus there to wherever, but she needs to listen to her body and stop walking until it's better.
Castrojerez seems big enough to have a clinic but there won't be an MRI ....
She can also just stay in Hontanas for a few days, rest, ice, elevation ... and stay off it for a few days.
If she is worried about losing her friends, perhaps she is destined to meet the love of her life who is a few days behind on the trail....
I agree completely! No Camino or friend is worth risking her long term health and ability to walk! I know that it's incredibly disappointing to have to stop walking, but the Camino will always be there waiting.She needs to stop walking!
Pain is the body’s way of getting one to stop doing an activity that is damaging it. While an MRI may provide further info on the injury, the result will be the same: STOP WALKING!
I recently read a Facebook post by someone who completed the Camino on a broken ankle! While others were congratulating him, I just thought what a bloody fool!Sorry not to be supportive here but I just do not understand why injured pilgrims keep walking until they really damage themselves, sorry.
Thank you all. She has stopped walking. She is resting, icing and elevating. She no longer has her hopes hinged on an MRI. She was supposed to return to the Camino with me last year but had to cancel last minute due to a cancer diagnosis. It has been her dream to return to walking. Her grief is strong and I hope the Camino provides healing for her while she rests. She appreciated knowing others were offering advice and support to her from this forum.
Thank you for your reply. It is so compassionately stated that I think your advice will be well received by her. I shall pass it on.Several points:
- Depending upon how much further your friend has walked, the closest major hospital with an emergency department is in Burgos. My wife was treated there a few years ago - they found a doctor with excellent English, we were treated sympathetically and given sound advice and treatment that allowed us to continue with some adjustments to our approach. Just make sure you have enough cash to pay on the day. The stories of bills arriving months later that are difficult to pay still pop up here from time to time.
- There is a local bus service provided by Soto y Alonso. They have morning services going to Burgos, and evening services returning to local towns and villages. The buses arrive in the bus station in the centre of Burgos. There are bus services to the hospital, or one can get a cab.
- In many countries it is the medical practitioner who determines the most appropriate diagnostic techniques to use, not the patient. Asking for a specific diagnostic test and moving on because it is not available seems unusual to someone who comes from one of those countries. Maybe your friend should let the doctors undertake their work with the tools they have available to them when next she gets to see someone about this.
- In any case, as someone with recent experience in having a knee injury treated, I suggest that the sort of treatments that are going to be indicated or eliminated by MRI or similar tests are not going to be offered in the first instance to someone temporarily in a country such as a pilgrim is, but will require your friend to return home. That advice .won't need such tests in the first instance. A good doctor should be able to provide that advice without too much additional high level testing.
- Of course, she may get advice about how she can manage this condition so that she can continue, which would also be a good outcome.
Go to the hotel -- not the albergue -- in Hontanas. The young woman there speaks a bit of English. I had medical issues when I was there and she helped me greatly. She called the ER in the next town and told them I was coming, then she called a taxi for me. That ER can't do much and certainly can't do an MRI, but they kept telling me that I could only get certain treatment in the hospital. I'm sure the young woman at the hotel can help your friend get to that hospital. Best of luck to her.Camino sister currently in Hontanas, would like an MRI on knee. Was told in Burgos hospital they could not provide MRI only an x-ray. She kept walking and is now concerned she has done more damage as pain is unbearable. She is separated from her Camino family. She lost two from her Camino family recently as husband died in his sleep and wife is returning home with his ashes. My heart is aching for her and I'd appreciate any advice. She speaks no Spanish.
The woman who runs the Hostal Restaurante Fuentestrella in Hontanas is from N Ireland, and knows Burgos well - I agree that's the nearest place with a big hospital. Hope your friend feels better after resting. As t2andreo says, Santiago isn't going anywhere.Go to the hotel -- not the albergue -- in Hontanas. The young woman there speaks a bit of English.
.... You say they are your family right? If your mother, father or sister saw your injury or illness would they say, suck it up or we will have to leave you behind? The "family" all have their own Caminos and schedules and, and they can't or won't wait. Your MOTHER or FATHER would wait. In fact your real family would tie you to the bed before they would let you walk. I always tell pilgrims in this situation one other thing. You know what, there is probably a pilgrim you have never met that is coming up behind you that you will meet that will be just as nice, funny, sympathetic or wise as anyone in your family. You will not be losing your family just adding to it. This whole concept is pretty destructive to me sometimes. This story is very familiar. The struggles of this woman are sad and deserve compassion and love, but the walking is just flat out dumb and needs to be called out. That is what a real family would do.
i think OP said Burgos could ONLY do an xray not that an MRI wasn't indicatedStop walking immediately.
Trust the advice of the Burgos hospital that no MRI is needed but since she kept walking go to the next available hospital or Centro de Salud for further care.
All the best!
You know I thought about your story today and said to myself Faye would be a good person to walk with. No matter how many caminos I walk I will never get that spiritual to walk The Bronx out of me. If that guy said to me what he said to you, I would have said so, so naturally like water flowing after you flush the toilet, can't be stopped, Your a Moron, get away from me!!! But Faye you may have almost stopped me from saying it. You can see the good and the glass half full lots better than I ever will. Buen Camino!!! Maybe see you out there in 3 weeks.Exactly! On my first camino, there was a man in a group that I had already allowed myself to lag behind (my short legs to their long ones...), and my knees were suffering with tendonitis even after I'd taken 2 rest days. Their own needs to rest someplace meant that we ran into each other again and he urged me to just suck it up "surgery could fix any real damage later." As a mother, I was stunned. I would *never* give that kind fo advice to my own child. And so why would I take that advice myself? I thanked him for helping me to find a place to stay (I had rolled in as the last person of the day to Carrion) and bid him Buen Camino. I did not see him again until SdC.
He was not a "bad guy" but perhaps a foolish one. And definitely not family. It56ny has it nailed down.
You know I thought about your story today and said to myself Faye would be a good person to walk with. No matter how many caminos I walk I will never get that spiritual to walk The Bronx out of me. If that guy said to me what he said to you, I would have said so, so naturally like water flowing after you flush the toilet, can't be stopped, Your a Moron, get away from me!!! But Faye you may have almost stopped me from saying it. You can see the good and the glass half full lots better than I ever will. Buen Camino!!! Maybe see you out there in 3 weeks.
Did the Portuguese 2 years ago from Lisbon. Don't walk out of Coimbra too quickly. It is a great city. I am sure you know the oldest university in Portugal is there. I had a chance to check out the campus in the evening. You will see students all over the city walking in groups. The upperclassmen/women have long black robes and kind of look like judges. I had a great conversation with a group of them. Check out the Monastery de Santa Cruz in the Centro Historico. Right next door there is a magnificent old cafe that you need to get a coffee or tea at. One final note. No matter how crazy the world is getting and no matter how nice and helpful you found the Spainish people, or people just about anywhere you have met in the world. You are in for a treat because in my mind, without a doubt, the Portuguese people are the kindest, friendliest, most generous people I have ever met in my life. There was not a day that went by that I didn't receive an act of generosity or kindness that was so naturally given to me as when I walked in Portugal. Buen Camino.HAHA! Thank you!
First time in my life I've been described as a "glass half full" person! I tend to the cranky because I'd rather be an incorrect pessimist than an incorrect optimist!
I'm working on seeing the collective population of humans as flawed, but at being more patient with individuals...
I'll be walking out of Coimbra on the 6th! I can hardly wait...
Did the Portuguese 2 years ago from Lisbon. Don't walk out of Coimbra too quickly. It is a great city. I am sure you know the oldest university in Portugal is there. I had a chance to check out the campus in the evening. You will see students all over the city walking in groups. The upperclassmen/women have long black robes and kind of look like judges. I had a great conversation with a group of them. Check out the Monastery de Santa Cruz in the Centro Historico. Right next door there is a magnificent old cafe that you need to get a coffee or tea at. One final note. No matter how crazy the world is getting and no matter how nice and helpful you found the Spainish people, or people just about anywhere you have met in the world. You are in for a treat because in my mind, without a doubt, the Portuguese people are the kindest, friendliest, most generous people I have ever met in my life. There was not a day that went by that I didn't receive an act of generosity or kindness that was so naturally given to me as when I walked in Portugal. Buen Camino.
snipped remainder of good thoughts. I wanted to mention that, in Bilbao, also a good-sized city, when DH was injured and we went to the Centro de Salud, we offered to pay and explained that our insurance was a reimbursement deal. The answer was that the Centro de Salud was not set up to collect payments, expect a bill later. It came in email 2 months or so later and was extremely reasonable--2 doctor visits, X-ray at the Urgencia in the hospital (after a taxi ride) and casting--the factura was 56 euro. And your bank can help you wire the payment, in ours the wire info was included in the email factura. (Bank fees and exchange fees were at or slightly more than the amount of the factura.) We finished that Camino the following year.Several points:
- Depending upon how much further your friend has walked, the closest major hospital with an emergency department is in Burgos. My wife was treated there a few years ago - they found a doctor with excellent English, we were treated sympathetically and given sound advice and treatment that allowed us to continue with some adjustments to our approach. Just make sure you have enough cash to pay on the day. The stories of bills arriving months later that are difficult to pay still pop up here from time to time.
Coimbra is very uppy downy, but yes, a lovely place to be in. I was lucky to have some days there last year and we toured around, taking in some Roman remains. Most enjoyable. Sounds like you know what is awaiting, so enjoy, buen camino.Thank you! Yes... not an accident that I am starting from Coimbra! Thank you for the tip about the cafe and the Monastery.... and I shall look for the students in their robes. Perhaps I should take my regalia with me?? It only weighs about 12 pounds!
I'm figuring on 3 weeks to have a gentle walk to SdC... fly back to North America on the 29th of Nov. early morning so need to be back to Lisbon on the 28th.
I think that the Centros de Salud are much less expensive than the hospitals.snipped remainder of good thoughts. I wanted to mention that, in Bilbao, also a good-sized city, when DH was injured and we went to the Centro de Salud, we offered to pay and explained that our insurance was a reimbursement deal. The answer was that the Centro de Salud was not set up to collect payments, expect a bill later. It came in email 2 months or so later and was extremely reasonable--2 doctor visits, X-ray at the Urgencia in the hospital (after a taxi ride) and casting--the factura was 56 euro. And your bank can help you wire the payment, in ours the wire info was included in the email factura. (Bank fees and exchange fees were at or slightly more than the amount of the factura.) We finished that Camino the following year.
This was, you all will note, an outpatient visit. Overnight in the hospital might be another kettle of fish monetarily. (Cue the long discussions about travel insurance.)
I will also whisper the thought that perhaps a garment is worsening the lady's knee? I wore bike style capris that I thought fit me when we did CP and the hem constricted just below one knee. It made the knee very uncomfortable, and I forwent climbing the bell tower at the cathedral in ...Pontevedra?... anyway. It's not only feet that can be affected by clothing fit!
I agree that providing information without a response can be disheartening, but to be fair, she did provide both feedback and an update two days ago, the day the thread started and when there had been over a dozen replies.This thread started days ago and I find it strange that the OP has not chime in. I, for one, am not a happy camper about those people who only want information and then never provide any feedback
This thread started days ago and I find it strange that the OP has not chime in. I, for one, am not a happy camper about those people who only want information and then never provide any feedback
Wrong, wrong, wrongBefore an MRI is the next logical step, I would think that the person would have first stopped the voluntary punishing activities!
It was only an MRI that finally gave a definite diagnosis of the navicular stress fracture in my foot.
Perhaps theCamino sister currently in Hontanas, would like an MRI on knee. Was told in Burgos hospital they could not provide MRI only an x-ray. She kept walking and is now concerned she has done more damage as pain is unbearable. She is separated from her Camino family. She lost two from her Camino family recently as husband died in his sleep and wife is returning home with his ashes. My heart is aching for her and I'd appreciate any advice. She speaks no Spanish.
there is a restaurant, the green tree, in Hornillos, not far from Hontonas, and the owner speaks English! She is lovely!Camino sister currently in Hontanas, would like an MRI on knee. Was told in Burgos hospital they could not provide MRI only an x-ray. She kept walking and is now concerned she has done more damage as pain is unbearable. She is separated from her Camino family. She lost two from her Camino family recently as husband died in his sleep and wife is returning home with his ashes. My heart is aching for her and I'd appreciate any advice. She speaks no Spanish.
Perhaps the
there is a restaurant, the green tree, in Hornillos, not far from Hontonas, and the owner speaks English! She is lovely!
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