The Conclusion..........well, so far!...........

Our day of departure promised to be another hot one, but without the wheelchair we could not go far & anyway, as we were due to be picked up at noon, we decided on a leisurely breakfast & to hang out in the hotel's lounge area.

We met with the TC resort Rep, who reiterated that she had organised a wheelchair to meet us at the airport & that our transfer Rep would give us any assistance we needed checking in. Then Rosemary deposited me on a comfy sofa with my book & set off to find help to bring our luggage to the reception area.

The coach arrived on time & the driver came in to collect us, he spoke no English but grasped my situation & was very helpful getting me onto the coach, where it was immediately apparent that we were making our journey without a transfer Rep!

I endured an uncomfortable trip, not being able to elevate my leg & the super cool air conditioning making it ache! When we arrived at Dalaman airport, there was no-one to meet us at all! No TC Rep, no wheelchair!! Rosemary left me balanced precariously between our two suitcases, as our fellow passengers disappeared into 'Check-In', in search of someone who might help locate a wheelchair for us. I did not have to wait too long & from there on the airport staff were great.

We were accompanied straight through security clearance & over to the check in desk. Now, here I must add that when packing we had taken into account my inability to carry hand luggage & so had packed all but my travel documents in my case, so our joint luggage (not including hand luggage) weighed in at 4kg over our allowance (all accounted for by my 5kg allowed hand luggage!!) - this cost us the equivalent of £32.00 in excess baggage charges!!!! To pour salt on the wound , once inside we learned that we had a 2 hour delay to our flight, so we set of upstairs for a cold drink & a snack.

What can I say?!!! We ordered 2 cold cans of soda & 2 plain chicken sandwiches & they cost..........wait for it.........39TL!!! - which is £17.00!!!!!! Unbelievable!!!!

Anyhow, after savouring every morsel of our 'Cordon Bleu' priced meal, we set off to take up our position & wait for our boarding gate to be announced. As we waited we saw two familiar faces, a couple from our hotel who had just arrived through check-in. Rosemary told them of our bad luck with baggage allowance & our costly snack. They replied that their TC transfer Rep had given them a stop-off at a supermarket en route to the airport so that they could buy drinks & snacks to avoid paying extortionate airport prices!!!!! & also that as you enter the airport they were advised to check the weight of their cases & make any necessary adjustments, as it is now strictly observed to charge £8 per kg excess, but they still don't weigh hand luggage!!!!!! How we would have liked that service on our trip to the airport!!! I feel a letter coming on!!!!

Our Boarding Gate was called & Rosemary & I were taken out first, where I was wheeled onto a truck platform which in turn lifted me up to the door of the plane - sound like fun, Rosemary enjoyed it but it terrified me!!!! No rails or belts, just trust in the wheelchairs brakes to stop me rolling off!!!!!

The flight crew were great & apart from a little turbulence the flight was uneventful. My leg however, still not elevated but tucked under the seat in front, began to pain & throb. On landing at Birmingham, a guy met us with a wheelchair & saw us right through passport control, baggage reclaim & customs, to meeting my Brother-in-Law & loading me into the car - what a nice man!!!

We drove back to Hereford, (Lee was to bring the boys the next day & join me to spend half term visiting with family there) I was now horizontal in the back of the car & my legs throbbing subsided. However when we got to their house & removed the bandage my leg was an odd colour, very swollen, & the skin looked tight & hot. My B-I-L took me off to A&E, where I was given an Ultrasound scan to check for blood clots, more X-Rays & told that the small puncture wound on my shin (remember that little overlooked detail?) had allowed infection in & I now had Cellulitis of the Lower Leg!! Oh Joy!! I was sent home with a lower leg twice it's normal size, antibiotics & instructions to keep my leg elevated.
So, here I am now, 2 weeks later, on my third course of industrial strength antibiotics, still with a leg that although not so swollen is still infected & my life in general, on hold!! But I'm hanging in there - the latest combination of drugs make me feel yuk, but are the means to an end & I am sincerely hoping that normal service will be resumed asap!!

Thanks for visiting & allowing me to get things off my chest!!!! Catch you all later, hopefully with happier tales!!