My 'Round the World' travels!: Thai hospital/Insurance Company 1 vs. Mary 0

Well, I made my way back to stunning Thailand and have been here now for the last 5 weeks or so. I am back in Phuket at the place I was previously at exactly one year ago. Yeah, fitness for me and the ultimate and final leg of my journey, before returning home at the start of May. It is hard to believe that when I return home, I will have been away 22 months. I do not regret any of it and have had the time of my life and have no idea how I will settle these itchy feet of mine back into normality again...so only time will tell!

Quite a few people who were here last year have returned again, and new friendships have been formed. The place is stunning as usual, with the beautiful beaches, sunsets and the amazing Thai people. My time here has been spent exercising in Bodyfit and Crossfit (which I never did before - intense exercise at a high paced speed but with great benefits). I have had the chance to cruise around the island on a boat, visiting places on the motorbike and eat yummy Thai food and spending days/weekends with friends at the beaches and other places. I also made it to Penang in Malaysia for a visa run - Penang didn't do it for me and I wasn't very impressed with the place, but glad to get an extension of 60 days in my passport (and another stamp..which I love from all the countries I've visited). Only problem is that my passport runs out in 2014 and all the pages will be blank again...boo - well, that just means I'll have to figure out a way of travelling a bit more in the next 10 years.

As with everything, it was about time that I visited a hospital here, similar to what I have done in most of the continents I have visited so far on my travels. This time, I decided to gash open my leg and acquire minor surgery with my very first set of 12 stitches to go with it. I went to a Crossfit class and was in a team of 4 - myself being the only female, with 3 other guys. It was a Friday, and every Friday is known as 'Chipper Friday' which includes a Farmers Walk round camp with heavy weights, 200 Box jumps, 200 burpees, 200 press-ups with weights, 200 ghekko jumps, 200 pull-ups, running around camp with weights or carrying a team-mate, 200 kettle bell swings along with 200 sit-ups with weights in a timed exercise. A nice way to end the week...easy...eh?!

So the Box jumps involve jumping onto a metal type stool in different heights, which can be up to 30 inches with your two feet, using your arms to jump up, standing tall at the top, then jumping down again onto your two feet - this is repeated in your team until you get to 200, then you must move onto the next exercise. My team were a bit slow at getting the equipment out, so as the time was counted down, some of the guys were late in starting, so I decided to begin the box jumps first. I managed 4 before the box/stool became a bit unsturdy and I hit my shin on the way down on the corner of the stool. At first, I just thought I'd grazed the skin and felt sweat running down my leg. A minute later I looked down to wipe the 'sweat' away and realised that it wasn't sweat but blood pouring out of a very deep would in my left leg. I wasn't in much pain, but think the adrenaline from the warm-up etc. had something to do with that.

One of the trainers had me lying on the floor whilst she bandaged my leg, but I could see from her face that she was nearly going to puke - as you could see my bone and whatever else lies under the skin. An ambulance was called and I was shipped off with sirens off to Bangkok Hospital in Phuket - it was embarrassing as really there was no need for all that.

So I made it into the A&E with one of my friends accompanying me - I'm sure I smelt gorgeous (not) as I was sweating from the exercise and kind of felt sorry for those poor doctors and nurses working on my leg. Several injections later and minor surgery with 12 stitches and I was patched up. The doctor told me I was lucky not to have broken my leg and was worried about the kind of tear to my shin and had to remove dead skin cells as there was some necrosis inside all the goo! He also said that he hoped that the sensation would return to my shin but if it didn't I would have to undergo surgery and have a skin graft. I'm hoping that doesn't happen and my nice cells will heal up properly...please nice cells, be good to me haha.

And with travel insurance, sure things are great - they cover everything and are so supportive ...NOT the bunch of money grabbin *bleeps*. Because I was taken to a private hospital, they wouldn't cover the costs of treatment - even though I was put in the ambulance by others and driven there by the paramedics. Next time, if my legs and arms are falling off, I'm gonna make a dog-tag, drape it round my neck, or maybe I should get a tattoo that says..'If I am dying, please drive me to a public hospital, as my insurance company are a bunch of arseholes and won't pay for a band-aid if they had to' - maybe that will do the trick.

But at the minute, I think my leg is healing well, even though I can't see it under the bandage. I just train with weights for some upper body stuff and have been chilling. I had a great St Patrick's Day with friends and a little bit of alcohol numbed the pain - that Patrick lad came in handy. Spent the afternoon at a secluded beach with DJ's, food and drink then made our way into Patong to the local Irish bar there for a couple of pints of the Black Stuff - which tasted like balls...but the craic was so much fun.

So that's some of my craic here - can't believe I have about 6 weeks left ..tryin not to think about it too much and enjoying every day here whilst the going is good. Below are a few pictures of my little graze to my left leg - ehmm, if you are queasy, look away now...could swear there are worms inside my leg, or maybe that's the ligaments and whatever else we are made up of. Gross really to think that we are blood and guts under all this skin. Beauty is only skin deep - too feckin right!!