Day 5 Disaster on the Felucca
Photo above: our felucca for the 24 hour float from Aswan to Luxor. It was sunny, warm and breezy. Bridget brought the iPod and speaker. We were playing "I shot the sheriff"... It was one of the most relaxing moments on the trip.
Calm waters and me napping
A relaxing day floating on the felucca on the Nile turned into a disaster when Julee fell from the top of the five foot deck down to the narrow metal storage niche below and dislocated her elbow.
I rushed to her and Daniel, our tour leader carried her up. Her elbow looked hollow and soft, her bones were twisting unnaturally away from each other. Her palm was facing the other way. It looked like she had broken it. We made a sling for her and Daniel carried her off the felucca when I followed, picking up Julee's arm so it would be less painful. There happened to be a Nubian village 100 meters away. We went to the local doctor's. The doctor was so confused, he did not even realize which arm was dislocated although it was so obvious Julee was raising the injured arm in the air. He squeezed the good arm and said it looked ok. When we pointed out it was the left arm, he squeezed her shoulder and wrist and still could not figure out it was the elbow. He wanted to give Julee full body anesthesia which we all thought was unnecessary. She was such a champion she did not cry although it must have been such great pain. Everyone surrounded us, speaking loudly. I had five layers of clothing and sun hat on, when I got into the hospital, I was dizzy and felt I was going to pass out. I had to squat down and put my head between my legs to catch a breath and let the blood rush back. Then a bunch of people carried her to a dirty bed and tried to pull her arm straight. She was moaning the entire time out of agony and I was hissing just feeling her pain and in between squatting down to catch another breath. There must have been 7 or 8 people in the room. Oxygen tank was knocked over, people shuffled chairs around urging me to get up and sit, touching my back and speaking comforting words, adjusting Julee's arm... it was hectic and crazy. She then had to get an x-ray where the machine was not movable. So we had to move her, up and down, all the time holding her arm. Eventually she had to kneel down in order to get the x-ray. I had my hand below her butt to support her, while the men pulled her up to reach for the x-ray. After the x-ray came out in dripping water, she was put under for 20 minutes when one of the village people (not the doctor!!) adjusted her elbow. She was giving shot without any wipes but just a dry cotton. I was really concerned about that but there was nothing we could do about it. Inshallah. She then had to have the arm x-rayed again so everyone moved to the x-ray room and got radiation for free again. When Julee was out, Daniel and I rushed back to the felucca picking the fastest country road to go. When we walked down the dirt hill, we passed a man doing his business out in the open field. I felt terrible intruding on him and tried to rush down the steep hill, thinking I should be really careful not to fall and break my legs. We lugged all our belongings back to the hospital.
I rushed to her and Daniel, our tour leader carried her up. Her elbow looked hollow and soft, her bones were twisting unnaturally away from each other. Her palm was facing the other way. It looked like she had broken it. We made a sling for her and Daniel carried her off the felucca when I followed, picking up Julee's arm so it would be less painful. There happened to be a Nubian village 100 meters away. We went to the local doctor's. The doctor was so confused, he did not even realize which arm was dislocated although it was so obvious Julee was raising the injured arm in the air. He squeezed the good arm and said it looked ok. When we pointed out it was the left arm, he squeezed her shoulder and wrist and still could not figure out it was the elbow. He wanted to give Julee full body anesthesia which we all thought was unnecessary. She was such a champion she did not cry although it must have been such great pain. Everyone surrounded us, speaking loudly. I had five layers of clothing and sun hat on, when I got into the hospital, I was dizzy and felt I was going to pass out. I had to squat down and put my head between my legs to catch a breath and let the blood rush back. Then a bunch of people carried her to a dirty bed and tried to pull her arm straight. She was moaning the entire time out of agony and I was hissing just feeling her pain and in between squatting down to catch another breath. There must have been 7 or 8 people in the room. Oxygen tank was knocked over, people shuffled chairs around urging me to get up and sit, touching my back and speaking comforting words, adjusting Julee's arm... it was hectic and crazy. She then had to get an x-ray where the machine was not movable. So we had to move her, up and down, all the time holding her arm. Eventually she had to kneel down in order to get the x-ray. I had my hand below her butt to support her, while the men pulled her up to reach for the x-ray. After the x-ray came out in dripping water, she was put under for 20 minutes when one of the village people (not the doctor!!) adjusted her elbow. She was giving shot without any wipes but just a dry cotton. I was really concerned about that but there was nothing we could do about it. Inshallah. She then had to have the arm x-rayed again so everyone moved to the x-ray room and got radiation for free again. When Julee was out, Daniel and I rushed back to the felucca picking the fastest country road to go. When we walked down the dirt hill, we passed a man doing his business out in the open field. I felt terrible intruding on him and tried to rush down the steep hill, thinking I should be really careful not to fall and break my legs. We lugged all our belongings back to the hospital.
On our way in the taxi to Luxor waiting to join the convoy. Julee's in her sling made out of her fleece jacket and I am totally medicated by Dramamine. Police with machine guns are everywhere outside. I have gotten so used to seeing pistols and machine guns, they make me feel incredibly safe.
The bus in the convoy following us. For the first time, its driver actually did not want to pass us and get ahead like anywhere else in Egypt.When Julee came to, the two of us had to leave the group to get on a minivan to join the convoy to go to Luxor ourselves because it seemed that the village people did not relocate her elbow. We wanted to see a doctor in Luxor to make sure. We arrived safely after 3.5 hours of ride and received great care because Intrepid had wonderful tour operators in Luxor. Abdul from our hotel, Little Garden, took us the see an orthopaedist. He confirmed that Julee's elbow was not ok and he put her down for the second time of the day and readjusted her and put a cast on her. I also asked the doctor to take a look at me since my cough had gone really bad. He gave me some cough syrup, antibiotics and lozenges. Dr. Milek is so great. He's Coptic Christian. He told me his name meant "little angel". I said "you are a little angel." We were so lucky to be taken care of so well in Luxor. People in Luxor are the best folks I've met in Egypt.
Abdul, our Intrepid operator, our knight in shiny armor from Luxor, right after Julee woke up from the hospital. In Julee's drugged up state, she asked to marry Abdul as his #1 wife and then conveniently married me to him as his #2 wife. She also mentioned that she loved Dr. Milek and she wanted Daniel to be her boyfriend... It must be some darn good drugs. :-) After a good night's sleep, I feel much better today. Julee is in a cast and sling now but she's ok. We are seeing the Karnak Temple this afternoon with the group since we rejoined with them at noon.
posted by Koshka at 2/06/2007
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