Norwegian Encore - Transatlantic - Day 12

Norwegian Encore - Day 12 - December 14, 2024 - AT SEA

At around 12:45am, I woke up with a very swollen leg and in a lot of pain. The medical center didn’t open until 8am.

I picked up my phone and called Allianz, my travel insurance. I had an annual policy, but hadn’t used it for any reason yet. I explained my situation and they told me that I could get medical treatment anywhere I needed it as long as I was still on my trip and hadn’t returned to home to NYC. Meaning… If I wanted to go to see someone in Miami, I could pay out of pocket and then submit a claim with the insurance. The representative told me I would need a medical report from Norwegian and then could get a form saying whether or not I was cleared to fly.

Although I had regular medical insurance through my last gig, it had ended and paperwork for Cobra hadn’t arrived for me before I left on my trip. I knew that could be sorted out and that it would be retroactive to December 1, but I wasn’t sure how long that would take. I decided I would consider the option of seeing someone in Miami.

I called the medical center even though it was the middle of the night and was told to come in at 8am when they opened.

It was a long night. My toes were still freezing and I couldn’t get comfortable. Everything felt too tight on my leg and I took off some of the pink tape around it. I have a fear of circulation issues and of blood clots and I was getting a bit anxious. I was frustrated by Norwegian, but somewhat comforted by my travel insurance.

At 8am, I called for a wheelchair to get me to medical. I was there for three hours. I explained how I was feeling.

I asked for all the paperwork I’d filled out on my first visit and was told that I couldn’t get it from them - that I’d have to put in a request to Corporate through the website. I started to do that while in the waiting room, since I now had wifi. But I got to a point where they wanted me to e-sign some rights away, which made me uncomfortable. I abandoned it for the time being.

When the nurse saw me and took my vitals, I said that I hadn’t even been told the name of the bone that had broken. I had general info about injuries, but nothing in writing specific to my own injury. She asked the receptionist to get a medical report for me and the receptionist said “No.” The nurse gave her a look and told her to do it.

I said that I needed x-rays so that I could show them to whoever I went to next. She had me follow her into a room, where she said I’m not really allowed in, and let me take pictures with m phone of the x-rays up on the screen.

I told her that my toes were freezing and that I had been told there was nothing that could be provided to me.

This was the first time since the incident that I cried. I was so frustrated and said that no one had checked in on me since I’d left the first time and that the lack of communication with me was frustrating.

I told her that I’d been told by the security guy that I would need help with the airport, but that it was unclear what would happen the following day when we arrived at port.

She put me in one of the exam rooms and I waited for quite a while until one of the doctors came in. He listened while I repeated a lot of my frustrations to him.

I asked him about getting a letter confirming I was allowed to fly. I asked him about getting care in Miami. He said that I could go anywhere I want in Miami, but confirmed that I would be on my own - getting a cab from the cruise port. He didn’t have a recommendation on where to go. He said I could Google places. He also said that a Miami doctor could fill out a form about flying and gave me a blank one for that. He had previously said that I was free to fly, but he didn’t want to put that in writing himself.

He re-took x-rays (through the splint) to make sure nothing had shifted since the initial injury.I never saw those x-rays and they weren’t given to me, but he told me that everything was the same.

He said he could give me stronger medication. I told him I didn’t want it or need it. He said he could give me more Tylenol and ibuprofen, which I accepted. He then pushed the other medication again. I repeated that I didn’t want or need it. He said “Well, maybe you should just have a couple with you, just in case.” I pictured myself falling somewhere in-between Miami and home and gave in to the couple, just in case. He was satisfied and I questioned my decision.

He disappeared and I waited a long time. At some point a nurse came in and said “Oxy?” I responded “I didn’t want it!” After a while longer, the doctor re-appeared and said “It’s like I’m trying to rob a bank getting narcotics approved for you.” I repeated AGAIN that I hadn’t asked for it. When he brought the medication, there were a lot more than I expected. Not just a couple. Once again, I was reminded that I’d gotten through my hysterectomy without Oxy. I decided to not use them and also not throw them away as proof that I didn’t use them.

Between this and the whole thing with the breathalyzer on the first day, I felt like I was being set up.

One good thing the doctor did, though, was find something to cover my splint with, which would help my cold toes.

When I finally got back to my cabin, I was fretting and indecisive about whether I should go to a hospital in Miami or head back home. I called Rod who told me that ultimately I just needed to pick one and live with it because either way I was apt to second guess myself. That made sense to me. I decided not to make a final decision until the next day and see how I was feeling. I had options. That was a good thing.

One thing that no one from Medical and no one from reception would confirm waw disembarkation would go for me. BUT I’d been wheeled around in a chair by several people. They were the ones who prepared me. They said no matter what anyone else said to me, they weren’t allowed to go beyond customs/immigration. They said that people get upset because they’re left alone unexpectedly. Knowing this helped me to be ready and to take responsibility for myself.

The biggest difficulty in my mind was figuring out how to deal with my luggage while on crutches between customs and the airport, whether or not I went to a hospital in-between. It was hard to wrap my head around it.

In my cabin, I decided to order room service again. I’d missed breakfast and had spent three hours at Medical. I was hungry.

I started packing and was way more careful about it than usual. I’m used to having everything with me while traveling. Everything heavy that I didn’t need had to go in my checked bag. Anything I might need would go in my backpack, including some toiletries and some extra clothes. I’d have to carry it on crutches, so it had to be manageable.

My Hokas have been one of my favorite purchases in recent years, but they are huge and I rely on traveling with them both on my feet. I now had to pack the left shoe. Through the whole trip, I’d only crocheted one and a half squares and as I re-packed, I regretted having all that yarn.

As I took things out of the closet, the empty hangers started clacking against each other and the walls with the movement of the ship. They’re the type that can’t be fully removed from the rod, but the bottom part can be removed from the top. One by one, I took them down and piled them on the closet floor to stop the noise. I noted that I would need to put them back before leaving the ship because that would be a very annoying and time consuming task for my steward when trying to turn everything around for the next guests.

Paul and I touched base through Instagram messaging. The night before we had discovered that we’d each made reservations for Cagney’s on this night, half an hour apart. We decided we’d eat together there. We’d use my reservation and he’d cancel his.

When the time came around, we met up at the restaurant. After we sat down, he presented a gift for me. After I’d told him about my cold toes, he had knit a sock that would go over them. WHAT?! So thoughtful! He had been knitting a scarf for himself and managed to spare a little yarn to do it. It had stripes and a little pom pom. He had met up with a knitting/crafting group on the ship and had met lots of ladies who kept him entertained as he made it. We ran into some of them later and were able to show them the finished product in use!

Dinner was excellent. I had ribeye steak again - definitely one of my favorite things to eat on Norwegian cruises. And I tried the apple pie instead of the raspberry creme brulee, since I’d been disappointed previously. I didn’t need the chocolate cake, since I’d included it in my room service! (I think the cake is my favorite dessert there, though.)

After dinner, my favorite helper, Sharon, showed up to wheel me to the next stop. I hadn’t seen her the day before and she said she had considered calling me to see how I was doing, but didn’t want to disturb me if I was resting. She told me I was her favorite passenger and I chose to believe it! When she got me seated in the District Brewhouse (where Paul and I decided to go to listen to a musician named Tito), she gave me a hug goodbye, as she would be done for the night by the time I would request service again.

From the Brewhouse, we went to the final Beatles show in the Encore Theater. Always fun!

The night was completed with a trip to The Local for another hot fudge sundae.

I still hadn’t decided where I was going to go from the ship, so didn’t know for sure if I’d see Paul again when I headed back to my cabin. We said goodnight and I headed back to my cabin to finish preparations for morning and get some sleep.

I’d been told a wheelchair would come for me at 7am, but also told to call at 6:30am just in case. I didn’t have a lot of confidence, but also knew my flight wasn’t until 5pm, so there was plenty of time to adjust if things didn’t go as planned.

I was looking forward to heading home.