Ok, time to write the story of the rib deal and let everyone know the gory details. I was not going to elaborate on the event, but changed my mind. Not sure why, but maybe I'll get a kick out of reading it one day. Just not THIS day
I left my regular boarding steps in Channel Islands Harbor becuase I didn't have room aboard to carry them around. So, I either used the swim step at the stern, or found something to step on over the port gunnel if the boat was tied up bow first. At the time I had been using a half-full 5 gallon bucket of used oil as a step crawled aboard, put things away and lay down. For some reason the pain was bad, but at that time I had no idea of the damage. I actually slept most of the night but woke up the next morning not able to breathe very well. Word gets around the dock pretty fast and several people came by to enquire about me. I knew I had broken some ribs by that time and friends Joe and Joanne took me to a clinic for Xrays.
Xrays confirmed I had broken 4 ribs and the Doctor there prescribed some pain meds and told me to just refrain from any activity for 3-4 weeks and they would heal. At that time there appeared to be no bleeding or punctured organs. Back to the boat I went to do nothing, but the meds she had prescribed did not a bit of good to ease the pain. I started looking on line for information on rib injuries and found that the only treatment was pain managment so that one could breathe normally.
I put out a call to my fellow cruisers for something a bit stronger to ease my suffering and was given some Oxycodone. WOW, it was the 60's all over again, LOL. I took a small amount and began to feel some serious relief. By Friday late afternoon I was feeling much better, but sudenly started to get dizzy. I tried sitting in different positions but kept getting worse. I started to sweat a lot and my vision began to blur. By this time I sensed I was in some serious trouble and got on the raido and called for help. Within what seemed like a minute I had 10 people outside my boat ready to help. One of my dockmates (Rob) was a fireman/paramedic who came aboard and took a look. After about 3 seconds he said it was time to get to the hospital. BY then I could hardly stand and they used a dock cart to wheel me up the ramp to a waiting taxi. Another dockmate Karen took the taxi ride with me to the hospital along with my passport becaue by then I was a little out of it.
At the hospital the Doctors rushed me into the emergency O.R. and stuck a tube into my chest to drain the blood that had started to pool. ( 1.5 liters by that time) My blood pressure was 40/60 and I think I was circling the drain by then.
6 days later they let me out with a bag and the tube still attached. A week after that they removed the tube. 2 weeks after that Im here writting about all of it. I'm almost back to normal now although I still sleep semi sitting up.
I think the most amazing part of this whole event was the speed and willingness of my fellow cruisers to spring into action. I had so many visitors at the hospital every single day. Even from people I hardly knew. WHen I got back to the boat I was brought food every day. People monitored the radio night and day in case I needed anything. People went shopping for me anytime I needed something. I have no doubt that had nobody asnwered my call for help that Friday nite I wouldn't be writting about this now.
I will never forget that, ever. It;s like a debt I can never repay.
By the way, I ordered a set of compact docksteps...DUH!!!
