Saat berjalan dari truk ke pintu masuk lokasi penyelaman di Bonaire, istri saya, Deborah, tersangkut di bawah akar dan kakinya terulur saat melepaskan diri. Saat jatuh ke tanah, dia berteriak bahwa lututnya patah. Saya berteriak minta tolong sambil berlutut untuk melepaskan peralatan selamnya, tetapi tidak ada yang bisa mendengar saya karena angin kencang di pulau itu.
One of the friends with whom we were diving had just assisted his wife into the water when he saw us huddled in the sand. He returned to shore to help get Deborah into the truck. She couldn’t put any weight on her leg. Although usually stoic, she whimpered in pain from the dive site to the hospital, which was about a half-hour drive. When we arrived, three nurses got her out of the truck, onto a gurney, and into the emergency room.
Setelah memeriksa hasil rontgen dan CT scan, staf rumah sakit mengkonfirmasi bahwa kakinya patah, tapi tidak ada yang tahu seberapa parah. Saat itu hari Sabtu, dan dokter trauma tidak masuk kerja hingga hari Senin. Petugas gawat darurat ingin memulangkannya malam itu juga, namun memutuskan untuk merawatnya setelah mencoba membawanya ke kamar mandi dengan menggunakan kruk lengan bawah, di mana ia mulai muntah-muntah dan berkeringat deras.
Saya menelepon DAN untuk memberi tahu mereka apa yang terjadi sesegera mungkin. Mereka tetap menghubungi saya pada hari Sabtu dan Minggu sementara kami menunggu dokter trauma kembali.
On Monday, the trauma doctor said that the break needed surgery, but he was concerned that he wouldn’t have the necessary nuts, bolts, and plates on Bonaire. We considered going to Aruba, but it became clear in our consultation with DAN that evacuating to the United States was the only viable option.
DAN arranged for the medical flight, hospital, and surgeon in Florida. We left on a small jet at midday and landed at a private airport in Fort Lauderdale. After easily going through customs and immigration control, we boarded a transport van that was waiting to take us to the hospital. We spent only 45 minutes in the emergency room before Deborah went to a private room where I could stay with her. The staff gave us some food because we hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and it was about 7 p.m. The surgeons wanted to operate the night we arrived, but they postponed the surgery until the next day since Deborah now had food in her stomach. Meanwhile, DAN stayed in touch with me, calling every day.
Setelah sembilan hari di rumah sakit, Deborah dipindahkan ke fasilitas rehabilitasi terdekat selama dua minggu. Ketika dia dibebaskan untuk pergi ke fasilitas perawatan di dekat rumah kami untuk menjalani rehabilitasi, DAN mengatur dan membayar penerbangan kami dari Fort Lauderdale ke Hartford, Connecticut, dengan membeli empat kursi untuk kami karena Deborah perlu mengangkat kakinya. Kami tiba di bandara dan mendapati bahwa penerbangan kami dibatalkan. Saya menelepon DAN lagi, dan mereka memberikan kami empat kursi untuk penerbangan ke Providence, Rhode Island, lima jam setelah jadwal semula. Kami naik Lyft dari Providence ke fasilitas perawatan.
DAN terus menghubungi saya setiap hari sampai kami kembali ke Connecticut dan saya merasa cukup nyaman sehingga mereka berhenti menelepon. Setelah dua minggu menjalani perawatan terampil, Deborah kembali ke rumah kami.
DAN covered everything except my hotel, car rental, and food while Deborah was in rehab in Florida. They even covered a professionally installed wheelchair ramp and a private nurse for Deborah’s first week back home when I was out of town, neither of which Medicare would cover.
The emotional and physical support I got from DAN was invaluable. I couldn’t have done it all on my own. They found an excellent surgeon and a first-rate hospital for Deborah. They paid for the medevac jet, the crew, the medical ground transportation, the Lyft rides, and the part of Deborah’s health insurance that didn’t cover the Bonaire hospital stay. The DAN insurance customer service representatives were swift, professional, and courteous.
Saya selamanya berhutang budi pada DAN dan berencana untuk terus membayar premi asuransi kecelakaan selam DAN bahkan setelah kami berhenti menyelam.
© Penyelam Siaga - Q1 2023