Paradise Dancer - Raja Ampat

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Laine

Contributor
Messages
138
Reaction score
1
Location
Fremont, Michigan
# of dives
500 - 999
I wanted to let everyone know what a wonderful crew the Paradise Dancer has. In February my husband and I were on this wonderful vessel as part of a group diving trip. On our second to the last night aboard I suffered a small bowel obstruction. One of the other passengers was a family physician. After he examined me he notified the cruise director. The captain was then told of my situation. Instantly the Paradise Dancer headed for Sorong. At that point we were 12 hrs. from port, but due to a little bad weather and currents it took us a few hrs. longer. I cannot express adequately how wonderful the entire crew was to me and my husband during the passage to Sorong, the coordinating of all the arrangements (from getting me to a clinic to receive IV and medical support to transfers to the airport). The crew was caring, efficient, and always conscience of my safety and that of all the passengers.

Due to the wonderful preflight care and medical support I was able to make the 36hr. journey to the States. 32 hours after my admission to the hospital in the States I had my surgery. I am home now, back to work and getting stronger every day.

Special thanks to Claire(wonderful DM and coordinator of all my needs), Yan(surperb DM and our interpreter at the clinic and airport), Hendrick (one of the kindest men I have ever met), Acho(loved this DM what concern you showed for me!) and to the skiff drivers who treated me with respect and care and to my fellow passengers who took turns sitting with me and helping my husband with all the packing and giving him such kind emotional support!

I do not want my medical emergency to overshadow what a wonderful trip this was, as Raja was truly Paradise, but I want everyone on the SB to know how special this crew is.
Laine
 
Wow, I'm sure glad you are okay. It must have been pretty scary and it sure looks like the crew helped you though it. Lucky there was a doctor on board.
 
Thanks for the well wishes.
My husband called our travel insurance company, Access America via satellite phone. So they were aware that I might have had to stop my travels at any place along the way. They were awaiting further updates. Since we made it all the way back my regular health insurance was used.

At the clinic we paid in Rupia. For everything including the Doctor's fee, starting the IV, IV fluids, and antinausea and other meds it came to about $35.00 U.S.

Yes, it was fortunate that our friend the physician happened to be on this trip with us.
Laine
 
Wow, I'm sure glad you are okay. It must have been pretty scary and it sure looks like the crew helped you though it. Lucky there was a doctor on board.
Out of the 10 luxury liveaboards I've been on, 8 had doctors aboard, usually more than one (and we had a vet on one of the two that didn't have a human doc). Apparently exotic liveaboard dive travel is very popular with doctors. When I had a potential incident in Cocos, we had two docs and an ER nurse aboard. Fortunately the ER nurse was on my panga since the driver was rather clueless about how to use the O2 kit. A consult with the two docs and a sat phone call to DAN who all agreed on the diagnosis (not DCS), and I was good to go the next day. There's no way I'd ever have managed to get in to see a doc that fast back home :D
 
Infact my hubby is an eye doc and was a corpsman in the service. So I am sure we would have muddled through somehow, but it was soooo nice for him to have a family physician to coordinate the plan with. It took a lot of pressure from him so he could just be a husband and get out of the clinical mode somewhat.
Laine
 
having worked on liveaboards... i gotta say we were always cognizant of any guests who allowed themselves to be identified as medical personnel. Corpsmen, Paramedics, Nurses and Firemen are all really reassuring people to have along in addition to the Doctors :D

It's nice to see that the OP made it through her ordeal with good spirits and fond memories when looking back.
 
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