Another Travel Blogger Bites The Dust

Lisa and Dave in Buffalo, New York - the week after her accident

Earlier this month, I wrote a blog about a gorgeous travel blogger named Oksana who broke her leg in Costa Rica last year. You can read about her experience HERE.

Now we have the story of Lisa. Lisa and her husband Dave were travel bloggers until the advent of the Corona Virus. They traveled the world visiting new and exciting places and blogging about their adventures.

Lisa and Dave in Ecuador literally minutes before Lisa's accident

Last year, Lisa had a little mishap in Ecuador. She standing on a deck overlooking the water when a board gave way. Lisa's leg went through the board twisting awkwardly. In her own words. " I was suddenly falling for what seemed like forever with no end in sight.

My left leg stayed on top and bent, twisting my foot in the meantime. I finally stopped and felt immediate pain in my shin. My left leg and backpack seemed to break my fall. My leg bent normal at the knee but my foot got caught under my leg and twisted. I started screaming in pain for Dave to get me out of the hole to stop the pain."

Moments after breaking her leg, Lisa leans again the deck rail. The broken board is visible. She was enormous pain at the time and close to throwing up

Dave and a couple of nearby tourists freed Lisa's leg from the chasm created by the broken board. After a minute or two, she began the long trek back to their car.

Park Rangers wrapping Lisa's shattered ankle

Once Lisa's shattered leg was free of the broken board she began to hobble toward their car which was over a mile away. They were in a National Park at the time and several park rangers came to Lisa's aid. They wrapped her ankle in an ace bandage and took turns carrying her to safety.

The Park Rangers and Dave took turns ferrying Lisa to the parking lot. One of the rangers called for an ambulance to meet them there

As they neared the parking lot, EMT's met Lisa and the park rangers and splinted her leg. She was carried to a waiting ambulance

Dave and Lisa on their way to the local hospital

Once at the hospital, language issue arose. No one on the hospital staff spoke English so all communication took place through Google Translate.

Lisa and her doctor discussing her injury and treatment options via Google Translate

X-Rays revealed a broken tibia. The break, while painful, was easily reduced and no surgery would be required

Lisa and Dave were flying home the following morning. The hospital staff insisted she spend the night in the hospital so they could monitor swelling. She describes the setting and casting process: "It was SO painful as they had to turn my foot to a 90-degree angle. I was not given any pain killers. When I arrived, they asked me if I was in pain and I said I was fine, so they gave me 2 Tylenol. 

After setting the leg in the cast I was definitely crying in pain and the nurse came in and set me up with an IV of some type, then eventually gave me some shot to help with the pain. I slept for maybe 2 or 3 hours and they kept checking on me to see if there was swelling in my foot/leg. They wanted me to make sure I would be okay to travel as we were flying out in a few hours."

Lisa emerged from the hospital with a primitive cast that provided little support for her leg and ankle. The cast looked like it was made by a three year old playing with plaster. The good news, however, was medical care in Equator is free. Proves the old adage 'You get what you pay for.'

Lisa's original cast

On the way to the airport, Lisa and Dave stopped at the iconic Latitude 0 sign. True to the travel blog spirit in spite of a leg broken 12 hours earlier

The trip from Equator to Dave and Lisa's home in Buffalo required 5 changes of plane. (Travel bloggers pride themselves on finding cheap air fares).

Lisa leaving the plane in Buffalo after a 15 hour trip from Equator. Notice that Lisa's foot is not turned inward due to swelling and the instability of the cast she was placed in

On the way from the Buffalo airport to their home, Lisa and Dave dropped by an orthopedic clinic where her parents had made an appointment. Lisa's leg was put in the proper position by an orthopedic surgeon who looked like Andre the Giant. She was held down during the setting process by a team of six nurses and doctors. She emerged from the clinic in a dark blue fiberglass cast she would wear for all of 48 hours.

Travel bloggers take pictures of themselves for a living. In spite of the pain, Lisa posed in her her full leg cast hours after getting home

Two days later, Lisa's leg felt extremely tight in the cast, her toes turned a bluish tinge, and any movement caused extreme pain. Dave rushed her back to the orthopedic clinic where the cast was replace with light blue one.

Lisa in cast number three - her second long leg cast

And a week later, Lisa's swelling had subsided. Her cast was lose so she was placed in cast number four.

Lisa in her 4th cast in 9 days. This one would stay on for five more weeks

Of course, Lisa graduated to a short leg cast and a walking boot eventually. Two months after her injury, Lisa and Dave were traveling again and four months after the injury, Lisa considered herself fully recovered.

Lisa enjoying the sun in her short leg cast in Buffalo.

Lisa in her walking boot. She is in Italy two months after the initial injury

Unfortunately, Lisa and Dave are probably among the millions of casualties of the Corona Virus. At the time of this writing, travel restrictions are in place worldwide. Fortunately, the years of memories that Lisa and Dave built when they were able to travel can be re-purposed and re-played for their followers. Maybe we will be lucky enough to hear more details of Lisa's broken leg adventure in Equator.