Flying Lamb's Tongue's. Yum! There was only one thing other than a late Cyclone I did not want for this expedition...a Kidney stone moving as it is excruciatingly painful..well today it happened and the parting words of my Specialist in Hobart were ringing in my ears this morning.."it will not kill you but it will be very very bad"..Having had two bad experiences in the past few years I was not feeling good when at 7am this morning I felt one on the move...more in a minute.....
Chris could not get his blog out last night because of satellite problems and we were not impressed as he decided to write a book..I was waiting outside the cover for over an hour waiting to get some sleep as we were off watch..we blog under cover to keep the water out..anyway we joked that he wanted to send a small one but he did not have time?? and said anyway it was just for his friends not ours?
Saturday night was challenging as we had another cloud front come through and got dumped with rain big time...but I did manage to get a bath to catch up with the Dave's!!..all at 10pm and it was cold..Chris tried to stay dry under the space blankets ..I just got very wet..we also sat becalmed in all that for three hours .0 miles!!.Sunday was then the most amazingly relaxing day with gentle breezes , flat blue sea..we all enjoyed it and dreamed of other things..the only problem is that we were not getting to Restoration Island in a hurry.
A Noddy tern landed on the boat Sat. night and the Dave's could easily caught it..so we got a tin of lambs toungs..none of the others could eat it so I ate the lot!!..great.
Last night was a mixed bag but we had the moon which is really something and we have kept moving..two day average was about 95 miles a day so not too bad and today has been rollicking along. I seem to be cracking up..I had to laugh going onto the bow to change sails..everything hurts..I have a huge black bruise the size of my hand on my right buttock from the whack I took during our knock down weeks ago..my little toe still sticks out..I cant kneel in my right knee yet as the launch day gash is still weeping and heeling..my left thumb is inflamed and infected and to top all that off my pants kept falling down trying to get back into the cockpit because I am loosing weight..It was a saga I tell you!! and very funny..
The kidney stones were not funny..it started at 0515 this morning..had the urge for a pee that was strange but resisted as I was up on watch at 0600..then had a pee with some funny feelings..at 0630 I suspected a Kidney stone was moving so started drinking heaps again hoping I would pass it..at 0730 I was getting worried as the pains were moving to I went to the toilet to empty my bowels twice in case I would be having suppository pain killers soon...at 0800 I told the crew..and had a tablet to open my urethra to help pass anything...by 0900 I was in raising pain..I rang Margie for advice and she started things rolling in Hobart with our doctor..I was very emotional at that point as I knew I was in trouble..yes I was scared!..like looking at the world as a condemned man about to go through maybe 24 hours of serious pain that in the past had nearly made me collapse in the first few hours..Dave and Chris had the first aid kit out and we made plans for the suppositories and everything up to Morphine..the good news was that I could still Pee..
Anyway as the pain had built in a scale to 4 out of 10 and I was about to start everything happening...I sat down to check with Margie again and all of a sudden there was a knife edge pain in my penis and Bang..withing two minutes all pain was gone..My colour came back..I stopped perspiring and felt fine..all while on the phone to a much relieved Margie and Dave Pryce..about to administer the first Suppository..for me I was just in heaven...anyway I took two Panadol and rested taking heaps of water and for the rest of the day peed into a bucket looking for the stone..Bing..at 0430 this afternoon I got three pieces of kidney stone in the bucket!!..YEEHA!!...Happy chappy!!..I have kept them and may think about auctioning them off for SIF!!
What a saga...what a day..what an A team..it was comforting to know Margie and the team were onto it and as for the Talisker Bounty Boat crew they were great..thanks guys!! Been sailing at 5-6kts all day and some thunder squalls are on the horizon so not sure what tonight will bring but who cares..after that little scare life is good...700 miles to go to the reef..wind 20kts from the SE ..sea 1.5mtr,,7/8th cloud cover..Temp 29c .I really did keep the stones!!..all smiles...Don.
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14 comments:
That was a close call Don! well done to all your nurses1 which was the one you fancied the most/
I will get the ball rolling and bid 20 dollars for the Kidney stones,It's for a great cause
all the best PLP
Haha, Don. As much as I'd love to bid to win the auction and have your kidney stones framed and put above my mantle piece, I think I might just donate to the SIF Directly. lol
OMG! You poor thing. So glad your survived the ordeal. Brave heart.
Hi Don,
I hate to think what else that bedraggled body of yours is going to throw at you next! I'm glad that call for a female crew member didn't come to fruition.
I hope those tradewinds keep steady, ☺☺☺ Hoo Roo ☺☺☺.
I'm sorry, but I don't understand. You have space blankets and i-pods, and goodness knows what other luxuries, but you don't have the basic necessities of life. Your priorities seem to be a little skewed.
It is an interesting voyage but it painful to read about it. Keep on trucking!
Yep, forget the auction of the stones Don. I'll just donate thanks.
I've shown your story to half a dozen different Primary classes now (your intro video is great...)
The vast majority of the kids admire what you're doing; love the link to Aussie history through Bligh's story & will never sing "Bound for Botany Bay" again in the same light.
God speed, fair winds, calm seas and safe travel. Mike
Hush up about how many kidney stones you have there Don; you know the Government is trying to get a supertax passed on mineral resources!
No more scares; just smooth sailing from here on OK? Digit
Awww quit yer whinin, Don!
Try giving birth to a 9lb baby! LOL
Glad it all worked itself out, literally! :)
You blokes are amazing .... crazy buggers, but amazing! :)
Cheers from Soldier's Mum
I've been lurking here on-line for a while now, following your journey and thoroughly enjoying your blogs.
Don, your latest one describes to a 'T' what my husband goes through with those nasty things and I can well imagine your terror at the prospect of dealing with one so far from land or luxury! I hope you've seen the last of them.
Here's to wind in your sails ... but not TOO much - you deserve a restful night!
I don't get the lambs toungs bit!
They didn't take a pic of an awesome Noddy and then kill it did they?
They fly thousands of miles over the ocean then return to their nest, to land on the Talikster was just for a rest.
Eat fish and grazed cattle, not wild birds or marine mammals!!!
Wow Don - that stone was Karma for you being the only one to be able to stomach the tin of "lambs tongue" (dry retching at the thought of it)!! Seriously though glad you were able to pass it - must've been better than winning Lotto when you saw it pop out giving your conditions!! Love Chris's blogs - he like the rest of you is blatantly honest - but it is very interesting to hear it from an 18 year olds point of view re the media attachment etc. Glad the toilet situation is working out well - sounds like a real hoot!! Stay safe and sail on guys for a wonderful cause - am trying my darndest to drum up support here in Aussie but not easy....Cheers MJ from Brisbane
Well done Don & Margie good team work!
Dear William Watson,
Regarding the Lambs Tongue bit.
Bligh caught and ate birds to supplement there meager rations.
Don's crew will not eat birds.
So if a bird lands on the Talisker Bounty Boat,
The crew gets a bonus of a tin of Lambs Tongue's to share between them!
Some bonus by the sound of things, I don't think Dave W likes bonuses!
Catching up on the blogs...to Ken above, no, they don't have ipods. It's just Chris who has the list of his favorite music 'burned into his mind.' Along with the list of his favorite films and food it seems!
Stones are often formed in the kidney due to dehydration, and are one of the most painful conditions a person can experience, right up there with childbirth! A scary prospect in their current circumstances!
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