DerelictTexture
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2012
- Messages
- 256
- Location
- Vancouver BC
- Occupation
- Trying tto figure out what to do when I grow up
So there I was minding my own business, working away in camp. One fine mid-morning a bit of abdominal distress takes me out of the game. Symptoms that feel like flu or perhaps "beaver fever" take me down for 3 1/2 days.
Somewhat ill, but not concerned, we made plans for me to leave early. For a variety of reasons the connections needed for me to make an orderly retreat did not come together in a timely fashion.
So, on Dec 19 at approx. 11am...full on and excruciating pain came on, and never let go.
I was in the wash trailer and could barely move or get a breath. The cook was the only guy in camp ( everyone else was up the hill )
My timing was bad as I realized that the cook was down for his post morning rush nap. I made my way to the cook-house that has the radio base station in it.
I called the boss to tell him to push the panic button....I needed to get out...now!
A bit of a bad break in that our own boat was in the shop for repairs. ( we are 1 hour by fast boat to Bella Bella.)
The other setback was that we could not reach our usual water taxi guy.
( It comes in threes )
Yes, thirdly...the weather was closing in. Low cloud and snow rolled in to prevent floatplanes and helicopters from getting to me.
During the hunt for transport, I went into shock. Guys from the crew that had come down to help me, wrapped me in all the blankets they could find and parked me in front of the cook stove.
I was still frozen to the core, shaking and panting in short shallow bursts.
Finally after a bunch of sat phone wrangling someone got in touch with the Coast Guard and sent a cutter my way.
The only reasonable body position I had was sitting and doubled over. During the long wait for the rescue boat, I was down to mono syllables, a heartbeat of 120, and no color left.
The boat arrived later in the afternoon, although they had brought two paramedics, they could only try to make comfortable for transport. They could give me nothing for the pain given the circumstances.
The guys carried me onto the boat, and all I could do was sit and try to think away the pain. The boat was way too slow for my taste, but at least I was moving in the right direction.
Almost 2 hours later I arrived a the tiny hospital at Bella Bella. My guys phoned ahead to make sure that the one doctor on staff would meet me there.
Dr Iglasias was a great guy....kind and sympathetic. An X-ray showed that something very bad had occurred in my abdomen...but exactly what...was not clear.
The doc loaded me up with epic amounts of morphine and called for a medevac flight to come and get me.
Due to the weather conditions, the King Air 350 that came to get me, barely got into the airport..and then had to wait for an opening to get back out.
I can recall the cold snowflakes feeling good on my face when I got transferred from the ambulance to the plane. Normally I wouldn't get on a twin engine plane and fly into a snowstorm, but nobody was asking for my opinion on this one.
The pilot made it his business to get above the clouds as quick as possible and apologized in advance for a rough ride. The doc gave the flight medics extra doses of morphine to pump into an IV along the way.
We landed in Vancouver ( I remember touching down and not much else ) and I was transferred to another ground ambulance for the trip to Lion's Gate hospital.
I recall nothing about that trip.
The last thing I remember is arguing with the emergency doctor about the possible reasons for my distress. He wrongly assumed that I was from Bella Bella and therefore a drug abuser, alcoholic or HIV positive.
I woke up full of IV drips, hoses in my nose and a catheter installed.
Turns out that at 11 am that morning my appendix had burst. It was nearly seven hours until I arrived on the operating table. By this time the toxins had spread throughout the abdominal cavity.
Luckily the surgeons did a brilliant clean up job, and then backed it up with high test antibiotics.
The incision for the emergency operation goes from my lower ribcage down to the the pubic hair region.
I was in the hospital for 9 days to receive the antibiotic treatment and get enough morphine to keep the edge off....plus managing the incision site.
I stayed at a friends for a week, as I was unsteady on my feet and had no physical endurance whatsoever ( couldn't talk for more than about 3 minutes without getting exhausted )
I made it home two days ago. I walk one block...twice a day. I toyed with a 7 lb dumbbell for a bit.
All the fuss about core strength is interesting now that my ore has been dissected.
Anyway...I'm on the long term mend. I'm on the right side of the dirt. The company I work for is taking good care of me.
I would encourage you all to check out the signs of appendicitis and the rules for caring for such a patient before they are rushed to professional help.
I would also encourage you to review any emergency evacuation plans you might have if you venture into a remote area for work or play...make sure that they will really work when the **** hits the proverbial fan.
It's nice to still be here.
Mike P
Somewhat ill, but not concerned, we made plans for me to leave early. For a variety of reasons the connections needed for me to make an orderly retreat did not come together in a timely fashion.
So, on Dec 19 at approx. 11am...full on and excruciating pain came on, and never let go.
I was in the wash trailer and could barely move or get a breath. The cook was the only guy in camp ( everyone else was up the hill )
My timing was bad as I realized that the cook was down for his post morning rush nap. I made my way to the cook-house that has the radio base station in it.
I called the boss to tell him to push the panic button....I needed to get out...now!
A bit of a bad break in that our own boat was in the shop for repairs. ( we are 1 hour by fast boat to Bella Bella.)
The other setback was that we could not reach our usual water taxi guy.
( It comes in threes )
Yes, thirdly...the weather was closing in. Low cloud and snow rolled in to prevent floatplanes and helicopters from getting to me.
During the hunt for transport, I went into shock. Guys from the crew that had come down to help me, wrapped me in all the blankets they could find and parked me in front of the cook stove.
I was still frozen to the core, shaking and panting in short shallow bursts.
Finally after a bunch of sat phone wrangling someone got in touch with the Coast Guard and sent a cutter my way.
The only reasonable body position I had was sitting and doubled over. During the long wait for the rescue boat, I was down to mono syllables, a heartbeat of 120, and no color left.
The boat arrived later in the afternoon, although they had brought two paramedics, they could only try to make comfortable for transport. They could give me nothing for the pain given the circumstances.
The guys carried me onto the boat, and all I could do was sit and try to think away the pain. The boat was way too slow for my taste, but at least I was moving in the right direction.
Almost 2 hours later I arrived a the tiny hospital at Bella Bella. My guys phoned ahead to make sure that the one doctor on staff would meet me there.
Dr Iglasias was a great guy....kind and sympathetic. An X-ray showed that something very bad had occurred in my abdomen...but exactly what...was not clear.
The doc loaded me up with epic amounts of morphine and called for a medevac flight to come and get me.
Due to the weather conditions, the King Air 350 that came to get me, barely got into the airport..and then had to wait for an opening to get back out.
I can recall the cold snowflakes feeling good on my face when I got transferred from the ambulance to the plane. Normally I wouldn't get on a twin engine plane and fly into a snowstorm, but nobody was asking for my opinion on this one.
The pilot made it his business to get above the clouds as quick as possible and apologized in advance for a rough ride. The doc gave the flight medics extra doses of morphine to pump into an IV along the way.
We landed in Vancouver ( I remember touching down and not much else ) and I was transferred to another ground ambulance for the trip to Lion's Gate hospital.
I recall nothing about that trip.
The last thing I remember is arguing with the emergency doctor about the possible reasons for my distress. He wrongly assumed that I was from Bella Bella and therefore a drug abuser, alcoholic or HIV positive.
I woke up full of IV drips, hoses in my nose and a catheter installed.
Turns out that at 11 am that morning my appendix had burst. It was nearly seven hours until I arrived on the operating table. By this time the toxins had spread throughout the abdominal cavity.
Luckily the surgeons did a brilliant clean up job, and then backed it up with high test antibiotics.
The incision for the emergency operation goes from my lower ribcage down to the the pubic hair region.
I was in the hospital for 9 days to receive the antibiotic treatment and get enough morphine to keep the edge off....plus managing the incision site.
I stayed at a friends for a week, as I was unsteady on my feet and had no physical endurance whatsoever ( couldn't talk for more than about 3 minutes without getting exhausted )
I made it home two days ago. I walk one block...twice a day. I toyed with a 7 lb dumbbell for a bit.
All the fuss about core strength is interesting now that my ore has been dissected.
Anyway...I'm on the long term mend. I'm on the right side of the dirt. The company I work for is taking good care of me.
I would encourage you all to check out the signs of appendicitis and the rules for caring for such a patient before they are rushed to professional help.
I would also encourage you to review any emergency evacuation plans you might have if you venture into a remote area for work or play...make sure that they will really work when the **** hits the proverbial fan.
It's nice to still be here.
Mike P
Wow, that sounds painful! Glad you're still here to write this, Mike.