A cautionary tale

[South lake]

In September 2014 we made a brief trip to the Erie Canal with our friends Mike and Judy of the Ranger Tug Just Dreamin'. We launched the boats near Amherst New York. It was a typically beautiful fall in Western New York and we prepared for a week of cruising the canal from the entrance at Lake Erie to Spencerport and back. Then, Deb and I planned to take the Get~Aweigh to the Thousand Islands for a week while Mike and Judy would haul Just Dreamin' for the winter and head back home to Ohio.

But the trip turned out very differently than we planned. On Wednesday, September 17th, we arrived in Middleport after cruising up from the Amherst Marine Center. That night Deb became sick to her stomach. The next morning she was still ill and we all decided to return to Amherst. Mike and Judy left for home the following Saturday and Deb and I stayed on our boat assuming she had a stomach virus that would pass in a few days.

We were wrong. On Tuesday morning around 4:00am I called 911 and the life squad transported her to a local hospital. There we found out she had a ruptured appendix and that started several months of restoring her to health. As I write this, she is well and at home having endured emergency surgery, severe peritonitis, a month of inpatient rehab and weeks of outpatient rehab followed by more surgery to reverse an ileostomy that was constructed during the emergency appendectomy.

Our big news for this trip: Do not take stomach pain lightly. Deb has a high threshold of pain but I'm not sure we would have recognized the seriousness of this any earlier. This could have ended much worse and we will be much more in tune with illness in our future travels.

 

[Gin]

A cautionary tale indeed. So glad that Deb has is recovering well from such serious trauma!

Gini

 

[NorthernFocus]

Sorry to hear of her troubles. She must be one tough lady. When I had appendicitis I had no doubts about being badly ill. Probably the single most painful thing I've been through.

Thanks for the reminder regarding caution. Particularly for anyone traveling by boat to someplace remote for multiple days. It's much easier to get into trouble than to get out of it.

 

[South lake]

She is a very tough gal. Deb's lived with MS for 30 years and put up with me for almost 50 and she always takes on challenges with a positive spirit. About a day after she started feeling ill she said I wonder if this could be my gall bladder or appendix. I felt her abdomen and asked if it felt sore or tender and she said no, she just felt really sick. I told her well if you think it is your appendix we should go to a hospital but she was sure it would pass. That was our mistake. The surgeon thought her appendix had probably ruptured the first night she felt ill. So, for a few days she had chicken soup and jello and stayed in bed most of the time, occasionally coming out in the cockpit. This photo is her about a day before the 911 call. As I look at it now, I can see her not feeling well and I've regretted not pushing her to the hospital. But it's a lesson learned.

 

[wefings]

Jeff , sounds like scary stuff . I am glad Deb's on the mend .
I got t text this A.M that Alan ,one of our techs had a heart attack last night . He will be ok , but he was life flighted to Tallahassee .He didn't like doctors . We all need to count our blessings and enjoy every day !
Marc

 

[South lake]

Thanks Marc. Tell Alan there are warm wishes for his recovery coming from Ohio. It's always pretty sobering when these kind of things happen. As you say, it makes you count your blessings!

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Jeff, we're glad to read that Deb is doing better and recovering. Thanks for your personal family story, I think it helps remind all of us (me anyway) how seriously we need to take our lifestyle as it relates to boating, being on the water and our health.

Jim n Lisa