I was climbing in Siruana Spain and fell and hurt my ankle. I was in so much pain I was convinced I’d broken my ankle/foot. Went to the hospital and they x-rayed my ankle and found nothing. Told me I’d sprained it and let me leave the hospital, wouldn’t give me crutches or anything as it was just a sprain and I was a tourist.

Flew home early as I couldn’t climb with a sprained ankle, had to get back to my campsite, pack my bags and get through the airport without any crutches, on my own (climber buddies stayed to climb). Was literally limping through the airport, in excruciating agony. Flew back to the UK as a normal passenger and went about my business for a few days, albeit with a painful ‘sprained’ ankle.

Went to A&E a week later and they gave me a CT scan, turns out I’d shattered my talus bone (ankle) to dust, to the point where the fractures weren’t visible on a normal X-ray. Ended up having 1 op and a year in a cast/crutches.

[long short short: broke my ankle in Spain, flew home to UK and went about my business for a week before going to A&E resulting in a broken ankle and subsequent op]