Sailing Around Australia; Fever

American River, Kangaroo Island,

South Australia

15/2/2014 FEVER

Members of our sailing family, Eva and Brian on Zofia rang us today to say that it was exactly a year since we had completed our crossing of the Great Australian Bight. While we were surprised that a year had slipped by, we were astounded to think that would mean it had been ten months since we had filled Easy Tiger’s sails and headed out over the horizon.

It wasn’t that we planned a year away from our sailing adventure, it just sort of happened, which I suppose is what adventures are all about.

The first adjournment happened when we got to Port Lincoln. Leanne’s sister Sue was turning fifty and it was decided that her family would travel to Europe to celebrate. One month away from Easy Tiger wouldn’t be too bad and being a winter month of May we wouldn’t miss too much sailing.

No sooner had we arrived back in Port Lincoln, we unpacked, readied and got under way, arriving in Adelaide on the 7^th of July. As soon as we arrived in Adelaide our daughter and our son announced that they would both be in Cairns at the same time. That never happens, so hastily planned trip to Cairns for three weeks was organized and our sailing adventure and Easy Tiger were packed into care and maintenance again.

Three weeks in Cairns with our family all together turned into three months. Our budget suffered a serious deficit, so I rejoined the workforce in Cairns, which allowed us to stay longer and spend precious family time.

Following Cairns we had five days aboard Easy Tiger, then off to work at Arno Bay. While working in Arno Bay, we got a call from our great friends Stacey and Ian who had booked two weeks in Bali and insisted on us coming with them.

It was a difficult decision to delay our sailing adventure for a further three weeks (after Bali we would go and visit family in Perth and Bunbury). The chance to spend time with our friends did win over and Easy Tiger and our sailing adventure was put on the back burner again.

After work finished in Arno bay we had three weeks on Easy Tiger, then off to Bali.

One of the amazing things about our trip to Bali was that our son Luke joined us. It was so nice to spend time with a wonderful young man and I am so proud to think he is my son. However, I am not sure where he got some of his genes. While we went through a list of activities we could go and do together, such as surfing, go karting, golf etc..etc… he let it slip that he would like to go …shopping!

Worse than that, he would like to go…clothes shopping! As I love spending time or as they say “hanging out” with Luke, I agreed to go shopping with him. Such is his generosity I ended up with 2 new shirts.

That first week in Bali was lovely. Plenty of shopping, a fun night with other friends April, Wayne and their family, followed an action day on Quad bikes for the fellas.

During the second week my thoughts started turning for “home” aboard Easy Tiger. Leanne and I both discussed how nervous we would be about getting under way again, particularly as we would be without the company of Zofia and Urchin from now on.

Then, our Bali villa turned into a sick ward. First Ian had a couple of days of being unwell, then Leanne had a day or so as well. Next it was Stacey’s turn. With 5 days of our holiday left, Stacey was virtually bed ridden.

Not even the promise of the amazing dessert at our favorite restaurant could cheer her up.

Then on the last night half way through the night I woke with an attack of gastro. We were really looking forward to seeing family and then getting home and finally the day had come. We had to be on the plane the next morning at 6.30am, which meant up at 5.00am for the taxi to the airport. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it outside a range of 5 metres of the toilet, so had no idea how I was going to make it to the taxi, let alone the airport or a three hour flight.

Leanne called a doctor who gave me an injection and a hand full of tablets to take at various times. It helped immensely. I was quite concerned about carrying a plastic bag full of pills given to me by a Balinese doctor through the airport. Being as sick as I felt and I must have looked pale, weak and nervous to any of the customs officials. I was so grateful to make our flight on time, as I was on a mission to get back to Adelaide and get sailing.

Sadly, my first few days in Perth were spent in bed at my mum’s recovering from the gastro. While this was going on we heard that Stacey was still very unwell. Just before we left she had broken out in a severe rash, was running a fever and spent the first night back in Australia, in hospital.

As I got better, Leanne started to falter. A trip to Bunbury for business turned into a bit of a nightmare on the return. Leanne started suffering back pain, restlessness and feeling dizzy, which we put down to being sick of the car or even a bit motion sick.

The next day, she had a fever and worsening aches and pains. The next day she had a rash break out and worsening fever plus headaches to accompany the already worsening pain. We were due to fly to Adelaide and be back on board Easy Tiger in 2 days.

Most people will tell you that when they feel sick, their favorite place to be is with their mum. So we drove back down to Bunbury to stay with Leanne’s mum and dad. By this time Leanne had a serious fever, blinding headache and severe pain up and down her spine.

Early the next morning I took her to the emergency department at Bunbury hospital where they put her on a drip and took blood tests.

After phoning Ian and Stacey, I found out the Stacey was in fact no better either.

I went back to Leanne’s folk’s place and reluctantly delayed our flights and therefore our sailing adventures. We had no idea how long this was going to last or what it was. Our sailing adventure was starting to become a fading memory.

After a few days, with Leanne no better, the emergency department called her to say that they had a diagnosis. Dengue fever.

Dengue fever is carried by a type of mosquito and mainly found in tropical areas, such as Bali. There are several strains of Dengue fever that can attack your organs or thin your blood. At least we knew now what it was.

Unfortunately, there is no cure. The fever would have to run it’s course, which is very hard to tell someone who has a rash all over their body like a bad sunburn, who is agitated and depressed as a result of this fever.

With Leanne and Stacey no better, five days after the diagnosis, I rang and delayed our flights, and our sailing adventure further.

Bloody fever! I looked at my poor sick wife, my life partner and crew mate. I rang and delayed the flight for another four days.

As our latest booking to fly back to Easy Tiger loomed, Leanne rallied. Her fever seemed to break and she almost resembled her normal self. She said that she thought she would be all right to fly so we confirmed the booking.

My Mum drove to Bunbury and picked us up. I was very excited and eagerly looking forward to getting on that plane. Adelaide, Easy Tiger, sailing adventures here we come.

Emotional goodbyes were had at Bunbury with Leanne’s mum and dad and my mum at Perth Airport. For once we were nearly two and a half hours early for our flight. Leanne’s health seemed OK, but she was very weak. She was obviously pushing through the barrier so that we could get back to our own “home”.

At long last we were on board. Row 1 for us. Unfortunately, because we were so close to the crew that we could here them explaining, first to the pilot, then to the engineers that there was a problem with the aircraft door, that would have to be fixed before we took off. Then the announcement, “ladies and gentlemen, you will have to disembark”.

An hour after getting back off the plane, the flight was cancelled. We would have to re-book. Another delay in getting back to our sailing adventures! It was as if the universe was working against us getting back to Easy Tiger.

Bemused, we rang my Mum who cheerfully came and picked us up. Again. Unfortunately I couldn’t say that I was that cheerful. It is lovely to spend a bit of extra time with my mum, but Leanne and I really yearned for our own space, time and things around us.

Imagine our relief when the next day our plane took off at the scheduled time. Imagine how happy we were to at have our friend Susan pick us up from the airport and our gratitude when she offered us her car for the next two days! Well all that paled into insignificance when, at 10.30pm, ten days after we should have arrived back, we stepped on board Easy Tiger.