Snow, snow and French medical system

Well the snow that had been promised for the 29th came on the 1st. The bitter chill that proceeded it brought sleet and cancellation of football training for our eldest and the boys' school x-country skiing trip. It was decided that it wouldn't be much fun for the kids in such bitter conditions. A good decision it turned out because by the time the Friday came around, there was about 5cm of snow with us and lots of small roads were impassible. We braved (well in all honesty 'coz I can't drive - my husband braved!) the ice and snow to get the kids to school Thursday and Friday only to find that most of the kids and 50% of the teachers had not!

The boys loved the snowy conditions and spent hours creating their own version of Mont Blanc and tunnel as well as sliding down any slope they could find. The snow got heavier and the sledges came out! As the road was deep in snow and knowing so many never made it in the previous week we decided to have another snow day on Monday - much to the boys' enjoyment!

The one benefit of my knackered ACL is that my husband and I had longer to discuss an offer on a house that we have found. We decided that we should go for it and see if we could make our French dream a reality. So offer went in and after a nervous couple of days it was accepted! So now the daunting task of getting all the required pieces of paper together and all the i's dotted and t's crossed and monies in the correct place at the correct time! To add to the stress of course is the need to get the gites that come with the house up and running and advertised in time for summer bookings. Oh and find a school for the boys from September.

This week not only brought the snow but my appointment with the knee surgeon. He did a very quick yank and twist of the knee and nodded sagely agreeing with my diagnosis that I had torn my ligament. He needed it confirmed though with and MRI so we hobbled down to the Radio department and made an appointment then back up to orthopedics to make an appointment to see the surgeon again after the MRI. So no definite date for the op but have an MRI to look forward to on 29th Feb and then back to the surgeon on 7th Mar.  It is a lot quicker than the NHS system which is good, however, we had not yet fully registered with the french system as paperwork takes it time and therefore we will have to hope that the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) does what it says it does - offer reciprocal cover to UK NHS whilst abroad. This should mean that I give them the details of how much we've spent and they then pay us back. We shall see how smooth and effective this system is!

In the meantime it is the February holidays. All schools in France have 2 weeks for skiing with the large school areas divided into zones to help avoid chaos at airports and ski resorts. We fall into the Toulouse area and Zone A so we're on holiday until 27th Feb. I had thought we could investigate the area and go for lovely walks but am having to re-think that!

Where do I start?......

I knew moving to France would, like everywhere, bring its own challenges. From having done a lot of research and talking with others who have already trodden this path I knew about the long administrative processes and the French love of paperwork. I knew about the settling in process, how it is a bit of a roller coaster experience until you begin to feel more "at home". What I wasn't expecting was the accidents of life.

Snow was forecast for our area for Sunday 29th. It was our youngest's birthday and we had promised him months ago that he could go skiing on his birthday to make up for the fact that he wouldn't really know anyone well enough to have a party. We woke up in anticipation of a white-out. But alas, nothing. So we headed off to Ax-Les Thermes and the resort of Bonascre. It lies south of Foix about an hour and a quarter from our house. We had winter tyres on and so felt confident that we would be ok on the roads. The snow didn't appear until we got to Ax. We saw many people putting snow chains on and wondered if we needed them. The sports shops were selling them so we decided not to be macho and buy a set putting them on as we saw the hill we needed to climb to get to Bonascre.

Blizzard conditions up the mountain!

We got to the top and set about organising ski hire and ski passes. We then headed up the mountain in the gondola. The weather got worse with every metre climbed. We got out half way up and immediately found ourselves in a snowstorm. Visibility no further than a few metres. Not the weather the children are used to and certainly not what they were expecting. But they slowly got their "ski-legs" back and we wound our way slowly back down the mountain. After about 3 hours we decided that we would call it a day and head for some chocolat chaud. 


200m from the bottom I turned to stop waiting for our youngest to start off again so that I would be behind him ready to help if needed. I was going slowly, too slowly and in turning right the back end of my left ski didn't. However the leg and the knee did. I heard a "crack" and fell over. Having previously ripped my right ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) many years ago I knew what it felt like. So believe thatI have managed to do the same to my left!!!


The fun didn't stop there though. After being transported down the hill in the sledge head first, I was put in the front if the ambulance as there was a bloke on a stretcher on the back. As we're heading off down the very steep slope the ambulance starts sliding out of control towards the edge and the crash barrier! The other helper in the car got out and put herself between the barrier and the vehicle to try to push the car around so that it was back facing down the hill. After this I discovered that there was only one chain on one tyre as the second chain had broken. 


We crawled down the hill in first gear. Then about 2 turns from the bottom and the clearer roads we came upon a bus coming up the hill. It had stopped to put chains on. He hadn't thought about stopping before the hill! So we sat for ages watching the driver get in and out the bus inching it forward and back to get it aligned with the chains and every time  he got out he slipped on the ice. By then there was a huge queue behind us and one guy decided to overtake - then he realised why we'd all stopped as we couldn't get passed the bus! So he put his brakes on and slid right into the back if the ambulance! To top it all I had been needing the loo since about 11 am and had not yet been. I was now fit to burst and couldn't hold it in any longer so I told the ambulance lady and she got a sheet out and held it, with the help of my hubby, to maintain my modesty whilst I did the biggest wee ever at the side if the road!! Took us 2 and a half hours to go a journey that should normally take about 40!!! 


When we got to the hospital I was seen quite quickly and had my knee x-rayed to check there was no fracture. I was then given a full length leg brace to stabilise it and keep it straight. I have to keep it like that for 10 days waiting for the swelling to reduce. I had to then phone on Monday to make an appointment to see the specialist surgeon on Wed 8th. Which, perhaps unlike the UK, I got with no problem. The surgeon will then tell me how bad, or not, my knee is. Hadn't planned on experiencing the French medical system so soon. Haven't yet joined their social security system or taken out insurance - so lets hope the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) works! On a positive note my husband is till here to drive the kids to school and ensure we have some food - so something good has come of it. Who knows what will happen next week!