Day 32: At Sea

Well, it was inevitable. In fact, we talked about it before we left home. We knew that one of us, if not both of us, would get sick while on this cruise. It would probably have happened even if we had been at home; on a ship with more than 4000 people, it's almost inevitable. My periodic hoarseness of last cruise blossomed into an earache which further deteriorated into a swollen jaw on that side. And lethargy...I could sleep all day. In other words, my usual M.O. After the pneumonia last year, I don't take any chances, and so am currently sitting in the waiting room at the ship's medical center waiting to be seen.
So it's a good time to talk about the medical services available on board a cruise ship. There are two fully trained doctors (they're usually from South Africa, though I'm not certain about these) and a several nurses, usually from South Africa, the U.K. or Australia. This team provides medical care for both the crew and passengers. They have regular office hours and are available 24 hours a day for emergencies (dial 911 just as in the U.S.).
The medical center is on Deck 4 midship, and is just like a regular urgent care center on land. Simple surgeries, such as appendectomies, can be performed (if the sea conditions allow- can you imagine?), and simple fractures treated. There are rooms for overnight stays, and the physicians on board have total contact with specialists on land. They make the determination as to whether a patient can be air-lifted, assuming the ship is in range and sea conditions permit.
It is this fear- the fear of having to be airlifted off a ship, which starts at $25,000 and goes up from there, that has us always, ALWAYS buying travel insurance.
But none of that for me. The doctor takes his time listening to my lungs, and declares them fine. It seems the infection is limited to the ear/throat area. He prescribed the usual Z pack and sudafed. He seemed pleased that I'd gotten a flu vaccine before boarding the ship, and also pleased that I'd received a pneumonia vaccine last winter. He wanted me to be followed up by him or my doctor at home if things deteriorated further, and when I mentioned I'd be on until the middle of February, he looked back at my chart and said, "Oh, you're THOSE <insert last name>". He mentioned that he'd be going home at the end of this cruise, but would let the medical team know that one of the people staying on until February was a high risk patient.
I wasn't sure whether to be pleased he'd heard about us or distraught that he was labeling me "high risk". Oh well, it is what it is, and it just goes to prove once again that this is the best place for us to spend our winters.