Another Travel Blogger Bites The Dust

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.

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."

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.

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.



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 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.'


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).

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.

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.

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

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.


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.