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American Spirit II - Day 165; A Slow Day in Denarau & a Medical Update; Thursday, June 18, 2014



Slept in today. Up at 8:00 AM. No pressing appointments coming to boat early AM.

Called rigger, Bruce, to confirm he's coming today to install new starboard back stay. Said he'd be here around noon.

Breakfast at 9:15 AM.

Scrambled eggs, chilled peach halves and bread.

Took pictures of leg wound to send to doctor in US. Had trouble sending to cell phone and then even via the internet. Surprised because our internet has been outstanding here so far. As Joel might say, 'must be an apple thing.'

Called the rigger back around noon to nail down exact time he was coming to the boat and he said he wasn't coming today; that he'd 'try' to get to me tomorrow when he comes back to the marina to work on another boat at 9:00 AM. Great. He said he had the new back stay made and would try to get it installed as he was working on the other boat at the same dock we were at yesterday. So our plan will be to get to that dock ahead of the boat he's working on so we have a spot for sure.

I departed for the Zen Medical Clinic in town at 3:00 PM; while Joel went on a purchasing mission to buy another VHF Antennae and aerial. He believes that our AIS Splitter is bad, negating one of our two antennas. So we're going to run another one up the mast, by using the cellular cable as a messenger line and pulling the other up to replace it. We never really liked the cell tower on the boat anyway. Only worked for one phone, and only really gave you the ability to call someone an hour and half earlier than you normally would.

I took a taxi to the clinic, about 20 minutes away. In leaving the Port Denarau Marina complex we had to cross a moat or river to leave the area, and a secure guard guard shack at the periphery of the property. Right outside this security shack was an 18 hole golf course. Looked pretty good. Joel and I will have to play there next week if its not too expensive.

When I got to the clinic there were 15 people in the waiting room. I had called ahead so I was expected. Upon checking in I was referred to a doctor immediately. I'm not sure why I was bumped ahead of all the other persons in the waiting room. Maybe they were waiting for certain doctors. There appeared to be multiple doctors in the clinic. The female doctor I met with was nice. I showed her my leg, and also showed her a picture of my leg when the infection was still rampant (but improving). I told her that after 3 weeks it was still oozing every day a little bit and wondered if lancing or aspirating it would help. She had me lie on a padded table on my stomach and 'jumped' all over my wound. She couldn't get anything else out of it, and said that lancing or sticking a needle into it wouldn't do any good and might spread the infection further. She said that the skin was growing back under the wound. She was impressed with the improvement of the infection after looking at my picture when the leg was really red and black. I asked her if I could get 2 prescriptions of Bactrim instead of one since I was 'traveling' and she said yes. And that I should take one prescription for 7 days; and that I should only take the 2nd prescription if needed for another 7 days. Bactrim is the MRSA drug of choice in the US. The entire medical trip had cost me 30 Fijian dollars for the cab ride ($15.00 US); 60 Fijian for the doctor visit ($15.00 US); and 40 Fijian ($20.00 US)for the prescriptions and some Vitamin C & Zinc I bought. Not bad.

I was back at Port Denarau by 4:20 PM, where I found Joel having a beer with two crew from Adela, Heather and Christine. Their boat was over at Vuda Point Marina 'on the hard.' On the hard means out of the water and on supports. They were having the bottom painted before entering Australian waters; and had a big generator problem, which might not be fixable. Vuda Point apparently didn't have near the amenities that Port Denarau Marina had, and was located about a half hour by car to the north of us.

We were back on the boat at 4:50 PM; and took a nap from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Dinner was from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, followed by a movie on the boat from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM. The movie was The Frozen Ground, with Nicholas Cage. Really good movie, based on a true story about a serial killer in Alaska.

Joel went to bed at 11:15 PM. I finished another Harry Bosch novel, The Closers, and went to bed a little after midnight.

Brian Fox

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