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Lone Eagle

I have written this piece to process the events of last weekend and what lies ahead – Merran – 1 December 2018

We felt rather than saw or heard them coming. The intense pounding of their wings as they rose ever so slightly over the mallee gums on the river verges then silence as they glided down and along the Murray itself, making a straight path over a meandering one.

My first position as a doctor, an intern at a rural hospital, and death had visited me four times in two days. I remember it so well now, more than thirty years later, and the gift of those pelicans soothing my soul and somehow speaking peace. There had been the morning in casualty when a 44-year-old tree-lopper was brought in by ambulance, electrocuted, and a 24-year-old motorcyclist whose body had been broken by a sudden impact. The 64-year-old man who had suffered a heart attack. And while grieving the pain of those losses the call came to children’s ward after midnight where a 4-year-old girl with diphtheria had had a cardiac arrest. Four failed resuscitations, four people gone, countless people impacted.

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I have written this piece to process the events of last weekend and what lies ahead – Merran – 1 December 2018

We felt rather than saw or heard them coming. The intense pounding of their wings as they rose ever so slightly over the mallee gums on the river verges then silence as they glided down and along the Murray itself, making a straight path over a meandering one.

My first position as a doctor, an intern at a rural hospital, and death had visited me four times in two days. I remember it so well now, more than thirty years later, and the gift of those pelicans soothing my soul and somehow speaking peace. There had been the morning in casualty when a 44-year-old tree-lopper was brought in by ambulance, electrocuted, and a 24-year-old motorcyclist whose body had been broken by a sudden impact. The 64-year-old man who had suffered a heart attack. And while grieving the pain of those losses the call came to children’s ward after midnight where a 4-year-old girl with diphtheria had had a cardiac arrest. Four failed resuscitations, four people gone, countless people impacted.

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So far and no more for now…

27 November 2018

Pilgrimages always hold the unexpected. We knew that on our first day with a change of route due to high river levels. Day 2, 5Okm down and we were in for a much bigger surprise. After a great day in which I was feeling fit and in relatively good shape, over I went in a dizzy spell and collapse. The initial assessment was of an electrical malfunction in the heart because I had no heart damage and no indicators of actually having had a heart attack (cardiac enzymes released by damaged muscles). I had some ECG waves associated with another condition that may still be underlying and need to be addressed. The main outcome of yesterday’s investigations is that what I experienced was at least in part due to some underlying blockages which no one, nursing staff, doctors or me expected to find. I will need major surgery. That fact that I have an undamaged heart after Saturday is entirely due to the intensity, quality and regularity of the CPR I received for a significant period. The staff here are quite amazed and a little in awe of my CPR team. So thanks again, Anthea, Andrew, Bruce, Merran, Grant, and all others who had a hand in keeping me here.  To have 2 ambulance teams and fire brigade arrive in under 10 minutes to a remote setting was nothing short of remarkable. They also provided CPR and successful defibrillation. Our sincere thanks to them for their diligent work in our community and their expertise and care to us when we needed it. Continue reading “So far and no more for now…”

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From Coast to Nook

Day 1: 23 November 2018

Well, what a great day! The beginning of our Tasmanian traverse has been very special indeed, with a wonderful group of friends and family sending us off. We began on the edge of Bass Strait, outside the house where our children were born. We walked past the East Devonport Medical Centre where I (Merran) worked for 8 years. It was quite moving to revisit places and memories and to share the first part of the walk with Tim’s father and our dear friend Jessie. Time at Bells Parade for a coffee with friends before parting ways.

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Counting down to departure day

With less than a week before we start our Island Traverse, we have had several firsts … Our first food cache went off with our son Justin yesterday (thanks Justin Dyer!); we did a trial pack of all our gear then donned our packs and climbed the Badgers, checking out our Day 3 route to Mt Roland in the process, and we tried out our ultra-light trekking umbrellas in the back garden. Tim’s research is coming up with heaps of innovations, so we will be trialing quite a few new ideas over the next couple of months. Continue reading “Counting down to departure day”