Leaps and Bounds

Dave finally got to experience the simple pleasure of taking a shower! Trying to keep his incisions dry was a challenge and he looked pretty funny with his hip, leg and arm wrapped in plastic wrap.

He's also learning how to use crutches and his mobility has increased so much that tomorrow he wants to try driving! As long as he can get his left leg in the car, the right leg does the work and his right arm is quite limber in his brace. You can't keep him idle for long!

The Simple Things

WooHoo! 56 staples were painlessly removed from Dave's thigh and hip today at the doctor's office. He didn't even put a bandage around his arm this time and just the brace supports it. Still no mention of PT because he has to heal first and cannot bear weight during the next two weeks until his next doctor's appointment. He is doing well at transferring to the wheelchair and tomorrow we try a shower and a haircut. Tonight I took him to Publix and he almost cried being out in the real world. Ah yes, it's the simple things now, one step at a time.

Risk Analysis

This email came from one of the original Hope Town Harbour Rats who is my mentor and HTSC website technical guru (who fell from a ladder recently):


"Your accident brings to mind a technique from my working days, risk analysis. We all understand probability, but that's not risk. A measure of true risk is probability of something happening multiplied by the consequence of that happening. A low probability of the block or rope breaking is more than offset by the severe consequence if it happens. That's how we used to evaluate risk before designing nuclear facilities. Still applies to everyday life. I'll try to remember that the next time I go up a ladder."

RE: By The Numbers

Our friends Janet and Philip sent this great reply to Dave's By the Numbers:

• While there are some 450 people on Elbow Cay, 100 percent of us are thinking of you daily.
• 50 percent of us (the women) are wondering if your quick weight loss diet was worth the pain.
• Eight of us around the breakfast table at Cozy Villa were talking about you over waffles, bacon, fruit, coffee, & mimosas.  100 percent of us drank multiple toasts to your well-being.
• One of us (our kitty) was thankful that you, too, have 9 lives.
• Two of us (Philip and I) are skeptical whether your leg is long enough to have a 17 inch rod inside it.
• One of us (me) is thinking that perhaps you actually lost more than 10 pounds, if you subtract the weight of all the hardware on and inside you.
• All 300 members of the sailing club are thinking of all the things that need to get done around here that only Dave and Carol can handle.

We miss you, Krypto!

Love,

J and P and all the gang

By The Numbers

Dave is doing better and it's hard to keep him resting. We have already been to the doctor here in Daytona and they removed his huge cast on his arm. They replaced it with a bandage and a brace which is so much less cumbersome. His staples will most likely be removed when we return to the orthopedist on Tuesday. Dave can actually do a bit of his own typing on the computer now and came up with these numbers:

HERE IS AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE ON MY ACCIDENT. I LOVE NUMBERS AND TRY TO APPLY THEM TO EVERYTHING. PLEASE PASS THIS AROUND TO STIMULATE SOME LESSONS TO BE LEARNED.

    TOTAL DURATION TIME OF ACCIDENT, APPROX. 5 seconds, also known as a ‘New York Minute’.

    TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED, 25 feet, mostly vertical.

    PAIN LEVEL EXPERIENCED, scale of 1-10,  30.

    NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER EXPERIENCED, none (unless you ask Carol)

    DIFFERENCE IN LENGTH, RIGHT LEG TO LEFT LEG,  4 inches.

    TOTAL BLOOD LOSS, ALL INTERNAL, IN LEFT LEG,  2 litres.

    BLOOD TRANSFUSION TOTAL, none

    TOTAL BROKEN RIBS, none

    TOTAL BROKEN BONES,  3

    TIMES SPENT AIRBORNE IN THE BASRA BOAT,  37

    POTHOLES BETWEEN THE CROSSING AND DR. HULL’S OFFICE, 833

    POTHOLES BETWEEN DR. HULL’S OFFICE AND MHH, 1,256

    MED-EVAC PLANES AVAILABLE NEAR MARSH HARBOR, none

    AMBULANCES AVAILABLE IN NASSAU FOR HOSPITAL TRANSPORT,  none

    ELAPSED TIME FROM ARRIVAL IN NASSAU UNTIL SURGERY,  28 hours.

    TOTAL TIME SPENT IN DOCTOR’S HOSPITAL, NASSAU.  6 days

    TOTAL HOURS WITH CATHETER  INSTALLED, trying to forget

    TIME SPENT BETWEEN HAIR WASHES, 6 days

    TIME SPENT IN SURGERY, 3 hours

    STAPLES HOLDING MY LEFT LEG TOGETHER IN TWO INCISIONS,  56.

    APPROX. TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS DURING ORDEAL, 10 lbs.

    LENGTH OF LONGEST REPAIR ROD, APPROX. 17 INCHES.   Google:  Zimmer Nail Technology for details.

    QUANTITY OF HIGH ALLOY SCREWS HOLDING ME TOGETHER, about 10, plus a nice plate in my right arm to align everything.

    TOTAL MAXIMUM BLOG HITS ON BUSIEST VISIT DAY, 173.  www.intoanewhorizon.blogspot.com

    TOTAL NUMBER OF SUPPORTERS AND WELL-WISHERS, still being compiled.

    LUCK FACTOR MULTIPLIER OF INCIDENT SEVERITY, don’t know how to compute.

    NUMBER OF DAYS SINCE LAST WEARING SUNGLASSES,  9, since last swim, 10. 

   

    ESTIMATED COST OF THIS ADVENTURE, APPROX. $1,250 PER RUNNING-VERTICAL-FOOT. and rising............

    MY GRATITUDE TOWARDS EVERYONE INVOLVED, Priceless...........           

    LOVE TO ALL,  KRYPTO DAVE

WE ARE HERE

We have arrived in Daytona and settling in. It was a long tiring day, but we are safe and comfortable. The Jet Blue Staff was extraordinary and helped him transfer from his wheelchair into the plane. Dave even took a few small steps to his seat, but it exhausted him, so when we arrived in Orlando they had a special small chair to transport him back to the ramp and another wheelchair. Now that's service.

We can't thank Rick enough for picking us up in Orlando and driving us to my mother's house. You and your friendship are priceless!!!!!!

More soon as the progress goes on....

Tomorrow's The Day

Dave had a good day today and stood on his own two feet for the first time since the accident. I suppose it's really one good foot and just toes on his bad leg, but he stood up using a cane (no walking yet though). He handled it much better. He wanted to make sure to wear his Abaco Rage shirt to help give him strength and it worked...for both him and the crew of the Rage. They came in first once again and won the HTSC's Burton Russell Trophy race!

 (that's Atlantis in the background)

After the race, the crew of 24 all wrote Dave on their arms and hands to say hi and miss you to their missing crew member who is on the injured list. That sure brought tears to our eyes!

Tomorrow we head to Daytona via Orlando. What a day it will be. Just thinking about being back there will get us through the day. Once again we appreciate everything everyone has been doing to help us during this challenging time! More when we are settled in.

Challenges to Come

It was another day of trying to transfer to the wheelchair and do a hot lap around the halls. He even got to shave, and the sweet occupational therapist washed his hair for him. Her name is Amy and she is from the Philippines. She keeps calling Dave Popeye the Sailor Man and walks into the room calling Toot Toot!

The doctor claims that Dave can be discharged tomorrow but he just doesn't have the stamina to do as many transfers as it will take to get him to Orlando and to Daytona. I am hoping for one more day. Plus we need to make the flight arrangements.

A friend from Hope Town who had a dentist appointment in Nassau this morning, stopped to bring us a few things, and it was great to see Rick's smiling face. He regaled us with funny stories about being a stowaway and it sure helped Dave to get a bit of energy back by having some different conversation besides just talking to me. By the time Rick left, the guys had their heads in the newspaper looking at ads for skiffs. I should have taken a picture. Rick even got to meet a lot of the staff including the doctor and he was so impressed. He kept thanking everyone for putting Dave back together again  for all of Hope Town and Elbow Cay.

So our big challenge is close upon us, and I may not be able to write again until after we are settled in Daytona. Wish us luck!

A Step In The Right Direction

Today the occupational therapists got Dave into a wheelchair, assisted him around the 4th floor where he is staying, and back into the room. This was the first he had been vertical since Friday morning. He handled it well, but of course you know Dave, he tried to do too much and it exhausted him. Then his fever spiked and he was not well for a little while until the pain meds kicked in again.  They did however stop his IV and stopped the oxygen (his oxygen level had been low).

His ortho doctor is fantastic and says that he should be able to leave in a couple of days. He's got a lot of work to do though to be able to transfer better and get up and about. The doctor also said that he will have total use of his left leg and right hand again (I told the dr. he was a mechanic and he said no wonder Dave was asking all these technical questions) I don't think he will be changing any tires on motorcycles anymore though and will not be able to work for quite sometime. He has a 13 X 38 cm Zimmer Nail in his thigh (closed with 26 staples) and the arm not only has a plate and screws, but also the tendon was torn and needed to be repaired.

I am extremely tired tonight so will end this post now. Please don't be upset if I don't answer your emails right away. Just know how much we appreciate all your thoughts, prayers, good wishes, and offers of help!!!! What an amazing bunch of friends and family we have. It still brings tears to our eyes.

Here is a photo of the flowers that Commodore Stafford and the crew of the Rage sent him. The back half is a huge fruit basket! Thank you so much!

Dave says goodnight....

Ups and Downs

Today was a day of ups and downs, but I'm sure that's how the whole recovery will go. They moved Dave to yet another room and he is settling in. At least his snoring neighbor is gone and he can sleep (& I won't scream). All the staff is amazing and the food is awesome...believe it or not. Since neither one of us is very hungry and I have to cut up the food, I get to say, "one bite for you and one for me!" Actually I ate all his fresh turkey at lunch and half the mashed potatoes...& I don't like mashed potatoes, that's how good they were.

Dave's temp spiked but with blood loss, pain, and you can imagine what his body has gone through, that isn't unusual. They gave him something for it and a few hours later it was down and he was sweating and felt better.

So many get well wishes have been emailed to us and we are so grateful for all your support. More tomorrow and hopefully more good news so we will able to make plans. Stay Tuned!

 This photo came in from some of our Junior Sailors:

Relief

Dave finally returned to his room at about 7 PM last night. He said he woke up in the recovery room and felt immediate relief from the horrifying pain. His first words were "I can move again!" That of course, after he wiggled his toes and looked to make sure his leg was still there.

His arm looked worse than his leg (which at a glance looked to have a couple of incisions, but not immobilized yet), with huge amount of gauze wrapped all around it. They have to hang his from the IV pole to keep the swelling down, but that drives his carpel tunnel crazy and his arm goes numb. When I left last night, he was having a discussion with the nurse about what to do with it. It was amazing that he was that awake.

No news about recovery time yet. I'm sure I will have more news later today when the doctor comes in.

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone once again!!!!!!

Footnote: After experiencing it for the first time, Dave now believes that during Rage races, the crew should be catheterized to alleviate embarrassing moments. Now THAT's relief!!

Get Well Soon Dave

For all my followers that have not heard, Dave had a bad accident yesterday. He was helping a friend by going up his sailboat mast and a block broke and he fell 25 ft. to the deck. He was immediately taken care of by our famous Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue and rushed to Marsh Harbour on a backboard(Pictures will follow). Luckily he is alive and not paralyzed.  Dr. Hull was amazing and he had the ability to take X rays. His one leg that took the brunt of the fall, is about 4" shorter than his right one. He has a broken femur with the two pieces of bone next to each other. His right wrist/arm is also broken. He was then medivac'd to Nassau where we both are now. I am waiting for him to get out of surgery that will put a pin in his arm and rod in his thigh.

The outpouring of love an help from everyone both in Hope Town and the U.S.  has brought tears to my eyes and we can't thank you all enough. I don't know what our plans will be for recuperation until he is back in his room or tomorrow when the doctor comes in, but I will try and keep you posted.

Get Well Soon Dave!!

I know you will live up to the Press On regardless Award you just received at the Commodore's Dinner!

Midget of Abaco Lives On

Midget Of Abaco, Heinz's 14ft. Abaco Dinghy has completed its extensive restoration (click HERE for the post on its progress). Dave and Bill were asked to give it a test sail to see how it performs and to give recommendations. Dave sailed this same boat several years ago, when it was extremely tippy, unstable, and almost too much to handle, and he was not impressed with it. Needless to say, he was a bit apprehensive to get back in the boat, let alone sail it. What a fantastic surprise he had, because some modifications have been made and it has made a huge difference. Bill started off at the helm and Dave ran the mainsheet, hiking out when needed.

 

 

Then the guys switched positions and Dave was the helmsman. They had a blast sailing around the harbor as Dave hollered YIPPEE & YEEHAW! Many people came out to take pictures of this gorgeous boat...and of course the guys doing such a good job sailing it!

Thank you Heinz and Jacqueline for the opportunity to have such an exhilarating experience (that's them watching from the bow of their boat)!

A REAL Rage

The Bahamas are experiencing rage conditions the past few days due to very large swells in the ocean. As they pass over the reefs they break and become very turbulent, making the water turbid. The same thing happens in the passes between the islands where the ocean meets the Sea of Abaco. When the waves 'feel' the bottom as they approach the shallower water, they start to break. Right now it is quite dynamic with breakers across all the passes and no one can get though safely. The ocean waves are also quite impressive on the beach (especially yesterday), and at low tide the coral was sticking up out of the water at low tide and was getting pounded with waves breaking on the reef. If you look way in the background of the photo below, taken yesterday at the Sunfish races (no, sorry that's not Dave...it's Andrew, one of the hot shot sailors), that's not land or clouds you see, it's the waves breaking in the ocean. The surfers are loving it!

 Thanks Will for the great photo!

We've heard that it could be up to a week before the ocean calms down. Hopefully it won't take longer than that.The dreaded Whale Cay Passage looms in our near future as we wait to get to Green Turtle Cay for New Horizon's haul out date.

Skipper Dave

It was another historic moment when Dave became the first ever American skipper of the Abaco Rage. He did such a good job that one of the other racers told me that she thought that it was Stafford (the usual skipper) at the helm. The Rage was first over the start line which is very commendable in a fleet of 11 boats trying to get to the same spot at the same time. Conditions were marginal for this wooden boat with the huge sail area, but they completed the race and were 5th over the finish line, but came in 7th overall after handicaps were calculated. Still, what an experience and everyone worked together well and had a great time. What an honor for Dave and I couldn't be more proud of him!

It's That Time

It's that time of year when the harbor fills up with charter boats and cruisers heading north from the Exumas. Hope Town is a flurry of activity and our internet connections are even worse than usual. I apologize in advance for not doing many posts, but sometimes I'm lucky to even get emails to go out.

With this many people around it's also a perfect time for Fundraising! Every island has their own fair, and flea markets are high on the list for fundraising events. Man-O-War's fair to benefit the school is one of the highlights of our season, and it's so strange to see this quiet island crowded with shoppers looking for a good deal. Hope Town recently had a rummage and Bake sale to benefit the Friends of Abaco Animals. It was a huge success.

 Dave and I volunteered to work at the Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue Fundraiser. Bill, Dave, and Jim were Grillmeisters while I assisted these ladies serving the side orders.

Today is Hope Town Heritage Day and the Wyannie Malone Museum is the focus of everyone's attention. Dave is helping to set up tents for vendors as I am writing this. We'll be bringing over the Abaco dinghies for the annual sculling competition too.

Then it's the time that we start preparing for the boat to be hauled out, which is fast approaching. Cleaning, stowing, and of course time to traverse the famous Whale Cay Passage. Once the sailing club's Commodore's dinner is held, we'll be looking for calm weather to head to Green Turtle Cay where the boats are stored for the summer. In three weeks we'll be back in Daytona! It's hard to believe that it's that time already!