We weren't tired of seeing sheep yet and I saw a bunch of cute one on this drive. We were still close enough to lambing season to have all the cute little white lambs with their much dirtier moms.I beat the guys to the ferry, took care of figuring out where we had to go and curled up in a nearby pub for some tea and wireless till the guys biked by.
We loaded on the ferry. They were great about taking care of the bikes.
When we got to Inishmore, the guys headed to the place we were staying while I got a bike and a helmet. We all met at the Aran Sweater Mill.
Our first stop was for some lunch at a tourist pub right where the upper road separated from lower road. When we finished lunch, we got the bikes and headed for the lower road.
That is the last I remember before being in the ambulance. Here is the email Mike sent to my other brothers.
Subject: Your sister made me take a helicopter ride.
Jack and Tim,
Go ahead and open the picture.
Yes, it is an Irish Coast Guard Helicopter since she had
to be Medi-Vac out of the Aran Island of Inishmore.
She's okay, looks like hell, but other than very sore and
a couple of stitches, she is doing fine.
As you know I am biking through Ireland. On late Thursday morning we arrived at the
ferry. The ferry only takes people and
bikes, no vehicles.
Terri rides less than a kilometer and crashes. She hit some gravel at the base of a small
hill as she was turning and when down hard...on her face.
Luckily, (tell your kids) she had on a helmet otherwise
there would have been some real damage.
The medical personnel were concerned about the head and
her neck so they spine boarded her and sent her to the Galway hospital, via the
Coast Guard.
They only have a small infirmary without x-ray, or
anything advanced.
As I said, other than stitches, black eyes, and a lot of
scrapes on her face, she is fine.
So Tim, are you really sure you want her to go on
vacation with you.
Mike
From what he has said, I went over the handlebars. And ended up unconscious. I woke up in the ambulance. Then it was to the clinic. They were not equipped on the island to take care of it, so I was strapped on a board with the neck brace and air lifted to Galway hospital center.
Mike came with me and was wonderful! Scott stayed on the island to deal with bikes, luggage, etc.
They were great a the hospital. Took x-ray which cleared them to take me off the board. They cleaned me up. Gave me 5 stitches. Sent me back to x-ray to check to make sure I hadn't broken anything on my face or my right had which was very swollen. They were ok but I need a big patch on my knee which was beyond scrapped even though my jeans showed no damage.
Mike had found a pub for dinner so when they released me about 9 (roughly 6 hours after I fell) and a place to stay. He was great through it all!
My private soap box...
The Irish health care system isn't perfect. They do have waiting lists that can be very long and to get around the waits, private health insurance is needed. That said...
My care was excellent. Neither Mike nor I were ever asked about insurance or ability to pay. Mike had to give them my address, that was it. I just received a bill at the non-EU rate of $200 Euros (the EU rate is $100). I had 2 separate doctors, one on the island for 40 euros, 1 in Dublin for 60. With health insurance in the states, my copay's would have been the same, a little less than the Dublin visit. The doctors would have been covered if I had I had Irish health insurance. As a single person in Ireland, it would cost me 50 to 60 euros ($65 to $70) a month where I am currently paying $347 a month on a REALLY cheap policy with Freelancer's Union. Even Healthy New York is 5 times the Irish rate. In Ireland, the daily rate for being in the hospital is 150 euros. The 150 is for a ward with 6 beds. If I end up in the hospital on my plan, it is a $3000 deductible PLUS 20% of the bill.
People say that the US has the best health care, they forget to add "that money can buy". For all those who are not part of the 1% or work for the government or a large corporation, that can mean not getting the care you need or ending up financially destroyed for the rest of their lives.
As I said, this is my private soap box and I am sure there are many who may read this who do not agree with me. As someone who has been self employed for almost my entire live, health insurance is one of those expenses that you often can't afford. Before I qualified for Freelancer's, the quotes I got were $550 to $800 per month, and that is for 1 person, not a family. I have friends who pay $1250 a month for their family. So this is an issue that I have become more vocal about as I become older. My encounter with the Irish system confirms my belief that there has to be a better way for the bulk of the US citizens.
From what he has said, I went over the handlebars. And ended up unconscious. I woke up in the ambulance. Then it was to the clinic. They were not equipped on the island to take care of it, so I was strapped on a board with the neck brace and air lifted to Galway hospital center.
Mike came with me and was wonderful! Scott stayed on the island to deal with bikes, luggage, etc.
They were great a the hospital. Took x-ray which cleared them to take me off the board. They cleaned me up. Gave me 5 stitches. Sent me back to x-ray to check to make sure I hadn't broken anything on my face or my right had which was very swollen. They were ok but I need a big patch on my knee which was beyond scrapped even though my jeans showed no damage.
Mike had found a pub for dinner so when they released me about 9 (roughly 6 hours after I fell) and a place to stay. He was great through it all!
My private soap box...
The Irish health care system isn't perfect. They do have waiting lists that can be very long and to get around the waits, private health insurance is needed. That said...
My care was excellent. Neither Mike nor I were ever asked about insurance or ability to pay. Mike had to give them my address, that was it. I just received a bill at the non-EU rate of $200 Euros (the EU rate is $100). I had 2 separate doctors, one on the island for 40 euros, 1 in Dublin for 60. With health insurance in the states, my copay's would have been the same, a little less than the Dublin visit. The doctors would have been covered if I had I had Irish health insurance. As a single person in Ireland, it would cost me 50 to 60 euros ($65 to $70) a month where I am currently paying $347 a month on a REALLY cheap policy with Freelancer's Union. Even Healthy New York is 5 times the Irish rate. In Ireland, the daily rate for being in the hospital is 150 euros. The 150 is for a ward with 6 beds. If I end up in the hospital on my plan, it is a $3000 deductible PLUS 20% of the bill.
People say that the US has the best health care, they forget to add "that money can buy". For all those who are not part of the 1% or work for the government or a large corporation, that can mean not getting the care you need or ending up financially destroyed for the rest of their lives.
As I said, this is my private soap box and I am sure there are many who may read this who do not agree with me. As someone who has been self employed for almost my entire live, health insurance is one of those expenses that you often can't afford. Before I qualified for Freelancer's, the quotes I got were $550 to $800 per month, and that is for 1 person, not a family. I have friends who pay $1250 a month for their family. So this is an issue that I have become more vocal about as I become older. My encounter with the Irish system confirms my belief that there has to be a better way for the bulk of the US citizens.
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