Moreea

Moreea

1st October

Well the day got off to a nasty start! Got a 6am phone call from a not happy Sarah. She was meeting us in Papettee for the rest of the voyage. As she got off the top bunk at her hostel she was chopped in the head by a large think metal blade. Not a ninja, or a pirate but a ceiling fan placed above a bed! WTF!!!!!!!!

She arrived at the hostel (abut 50 ks from Papette) at 11pm, they took her to her room   
When she woke up early for her SCUBA trip she climbed out of the top bunk and was hit in the head by a very old fashion heavy metal ceiling fan. It struck her on the top of the head and sliced her open. She had no idea how bad it was but blood was flowing freely down her face. And she was very dazed. No one in the room bothered to offer assistance and she described herself as looking like someone from "The Walking Dead" with blood dripping from her face as she walked along the corridor with her arms out and crying /groaning.

The cleaning lady gave her towels to blot it up!!!

After numerous calls and photos we decided that it would be best if she came across to Moreea and boarded the ship - We know the quality of the Dr on the ship! We would not get to shore in time for me to get the ferry across so she would come over. I wouldn't get there at 5pm. She arrived before 9am! She hadn't lost consciousness and it was a clean cut that had stopped bleeding. No concussion signs!

Sarah's ferry trip.

I hired a car and drove around the island to get her. 











We got on board the ship and went to the Dr. Of course it did need stitching. The Dr did a fantastic job. 

She had to fill in an incident report. The form asked what happened, how it happened and WHAT CAUSED IT......Sarah answered Physics. Cause "you cannot change the laws of physics". If your head gets in the way of a spinning fane - shit will happen!

Great stitching. BUT...when cleaning it out (by examining with his finger tip, about 5cm under the scalp in all directions) he found 'something'. He could feel crepitus. After x-rays he found a 'dent'. Not a full fracture but a definite crack and dent. And with 5 sea days coming up in THE most remote part of the world - he wanted other opinions. So off to Papette for a CT scan. A fun trip over - NOT.

But at least she got a chair ride down I95 (the staff corridor on Deck 1 that runs the whole length of the ship.

The port Authority guy decide that we would travel across on the ferry. It was a zoo! Last day of school holidays. 

We met some incredible rude people totally lacking in compassion. I sat Sarah on a lounge chair so she could lean on me when needed. The lady sitting at the table opposite when crazy - yelling (in French) that she wanted those seats for her 2yo to play on. I did my best in charades, to explain that we were going to the emergency department, broken head etc. She abused, screamed and yelled and then went and got staff to move us. More charades and they took us to a 'sick room' - a tiny cupboard with no air or windows but at least Sarah could lie down. As we were leaving the lady told me to go and had a few words at me - in perfect English. I very politely, thanked for for her kindness and language help.

We then spent 6 hours in the hospital with no one speaking any English, nor looking at the x-rays. I did make the fatal error at one time of asking a question of a nurse, without saying bonjour and trying in French (if you have travelled in France you will know what I mean). I paid for that error.

We eventually got a Dr who was willing to play the charades game, had the CT Scan and all was good. But we would have to come back it the morning for the Neuro Surgeon to review them.

So down the road to a lovely hotel with THE best beds ever. It was like sleeping on a giant Marshmallow. 

We did manage to see some pretty stuff in Moreea.