Vick Durand’s Adventure Blog

Sunday, November 12, 2023

Welcome to Blog #37!

It’s amazing how one little slip can really impact your life!

Six weeks ago, just as it was getting dark, I was picking basil for my clam pasta and fell down a slope on my right side. Luckily, I could manipulate myself with my feet on the downside so I could sit up while in great pain. My dog, Mana, was on one side, licking me for support, and cats on the other side trying to figure out what was going on. I was able to swing around and reach my phone to call my friend and neighbor, Karen. We went through various scenarios concerning the best thing to do. We decided that she should call 911.

I laid on the driveway for forty minutes in the dark, in extreme pain, waiting for the ambulance and fire truck to arrive. It was a great moment when I heard the sound of the sirens. About eight men showed up and scooped me up into the ambulance that was waiting at the bottom of the gate. Little did I know that we would be heading to Kahalui, two hours away. A lovely paramedic named Doug gave morphine along the way while we conversed about what I was doing out here in Hana. When we were about fifteen minutes down the road, I suddenly realized that I didn’t have any identification or credit cards. Doug said, “Oh, you won’t need any of that.” The Hana ambulance can only go one hour’s distance out of Hana, but Doug and I had become friends during that time. After an hour, I was transferred to the Maui Memorial Hospital ambulance, and off we went to continue my journey. Another great paramedic gave me more morphine, and we got to the hospital, where I checked into the ER for x-rays and a very uncomfortable night’s stay. After the doctor looked at the x-rays, she said that I had broken my arm but probably wouldn’t need surgery. I had heard and had experience with health care on Maui being less than wonderful. In the morning with the morning crew of nurses who were dressed and acted like they were headed to a cocktail party and didn’t want to be bothered. I knew I had to get out of there and back home.

After a really icky breakfast of cold oatmeal and cold coffee and a fruit cup that I couldn’t open, that didn’t arrive until after nine they announced that a social worker would be coming to meet me before I could leave. My phone was running out of charge, as I frantically tried calling people who might be able to drive me back home. At this point, the only thing that they could give me was a cold washcloth to wipe my face. I had no toothbrush, brush, or anything else. They put my arm in a flimsy sling. I knew that I had to get out of there! After three trips to my bedside the half-baked social worker didn’t even manage to get me a ride home. So I just got out of the hospital and sat for two hours out front hoping EO would arrive or someone I knew would show up. Finally I decided to call an Uber to take me to Long’s pharmacy to get my medications. I was very tired and a mess! My shirt was all bloody from my thumb injury. The Uber driver said that it would cost $500 to drive me to Hanna. I considered hitchhiking back. Meanwhile my friend, Karen, suggested that I go to the airport and take a 5 PM plane back to Hana. After a few hours Wait, looking like a bag lady and with the help of a very nice Hawaiian man I painfully managed to climb up the shakey steps of the Mokulele commuter plane. My builder, Chris, had arranged for a nice couple I’d met the week before to pick me up at the airport and drive me home. Luckily, Kalei, had fed the animals for me, while I’d been off on my grand adventure. The guys had left some little sandwiches for me from their lunch. I’ve been here, incapacitated, now for six long miserable weeks.

The next blog will fill in more details of those past six weeks which include a trip to Oahu’s Straub ER to see a real doctor.

Building continues at the rate of a three-day work week, and progress is slowly being made. I have partial solar electricity now and hope to have running water in three weeks. Happily most of the patio roof is on. I am trying to get Bradley to remove the tulip trees so we can start planting next month.

Thanks for tuning in and I will have pics next week. Trying to practice patience……..

Aloha Vicky