Medical
mishap in Brussels is cautionary tale for travellers
BRUSSELS -- Coming down from
our daughter Laura's elegant little apartment, it was the 66th
and final step that did it.
A twist of an ankle plunged us into the world of emergency
wards, language barriers, insurance fine-print, wheelchairs
and crutches.
It was a misstep by my wife Ena that the able-bodied rarely
anticipate, and it could have made our visit a holiday from
hell.
But despite the broken bone and wrenched ligaments, we
managed to carry on with the vacation, even though it was no
longer the trip we had expected.
At the emergency ward of Ixelles Hospital, where there
seemed to be more medical people than patients, Ena was quickly
X-rayed, diagnosed and sealed into a non-weight-bearing cast.
We were free to go. But where? Returning to Laura's fourth-floor
walk-up was out of the question.
And bustling Brussels, coping with the continuing influx
of workers from all over Europe employed in the ever-expanding
European Union bureaucracy, was also crammed with tourists.
As luck would have it, countless delegates in town for a Green
Week convention added to the accommodations crush.
Hospital staffers, seeing our plight, shyly volunteered
their halting English to offer suggestions and make phone calls
on our behalf.
Finally, the grand and expensive Bristol Hotel agreed
to take us, but only overnight. The bill: $380 Cdn.
Possibly it's the sight of a wheelchair that brings out
the best in people, but there always seemed to be eager helpers
at hand.
After the Bristol, French-speaking Laura found us a small
apartment which the manager agreed to rent for a week instead
of the mandatory month.
When we phoned a local restaurant to ask if there were
too many steps for a wheelchair, the proprietor said: "We have
a few steps, but don't worry, we have lots of muscles around
here to help." And they did.
Our modified travel plans included a double-decker bus
tour which accommodated our fold-up wheelchair, and we cruised
past palaces, cathedrals and historic showplaces, all to be
visited on a return trip.
We window-shopped at enticing antique stores and easily
manipulated around the magnificent, must-see Grand Place square.
Brussels seems to have a reputation for being rather dull
and bureaucratic. But we found it a grand old city of fabulous
architecture, interesting shops, an eclectic range of restaurants
and a lively mood, perhaps partly due to the influx of young
outsiders.
Brussels pioneered train services and there is a train
museum, along with museums on lace and chocolate, in which Belgium
is a world leader.
Vast, cosy pubs in this beer capital often serve more
than 250 brands, many in their own distinctive glasses -- tall
and elegantly slim, short and stout, some even shaped like thistles.
Certain glasses are so prized by light-fingered collectors
that customers in some pubs have to give up a shoe, which is
hoisted in a basket to the ceiling and only given back when
the glass is returned.
So, in the end, wheelchair and all, we did get to experience
many of the attractions the city has to offer. But we also learned
a lot about being prepared for the unexpected.
Here are some tips:
- The first and most essential thing to do in such cases
is report accident details to your insurance company. A
hospital staffer put through the call to our Toronto-based
company for the first of a series of who-pays-what conversations.
In the end, we paid cash for medical services and were reimbursed
after returning to Canada.
- Take with you the phone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses
of just about everyone you know. If you are delayed in your
return home you may need to call on friends, neighbours
and relatives to cancel medical, dental, social appointments.
Maybe the vet needs to know Fido won't be picked up on schedule.
You accepted for a wedding you will not now attend.
- Carry a larger-than-necessary supply of essential medications.
Have a list not only of names but also dose strengths. Otherwise,
you may have to find an English-speaking doctor or druggist
for a phone consultation with your home druggist.
- Arrange access to extra money or credit to cover unexpected
expenses such as hotel, medical or transportation charges
and wheelchair rentals.
