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Back from 5/22 Freedom Sailing - Minor Injury Sustained at Labadee

cjdixon4
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cjdixon4

cjdixon4

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I'm back from a great Freedom sailing with a quick story.

Hubby and I set up camp at the first beach area we saw at the Labadee port stop (Barefoot Beach, I think?). It had rained pretty hard early that morning, and for a while it looked as though we wouldn't be able to get off the ship. The weather however, did let up...so we walked to the beach.

 

Hubby set up our lounge chairs on the sand right where we could watch the zipliners fly across the water, and right near the bathroom facilities. Long story made short, there is a sign posted that says "NO SWIMMING." Everyone who was in the water was either wading, tossing a ball around, or simply standing at the shore letting the water wash up on them. I decided to join the crowd and wade around a bit. I now understand why everyone seemed to be so tentative and stepping so gingerly in the water...ROCKS. Big ones, small ones, every size in between. And of course, who steps on a rock with a sharp edge? Yep, MOI. LOL...:rolleyes:

 

I didn't realize until I got out of the water that the heel of my left foot was cut and oozing blood. I managed to get the medical staff at the beach to assist with cleaning the wound with antiseptic and wrapping it. Once I got back on the ship, I went to the Medical Unit who further examined it, determined that no stitches were needed, AND administered a tetanus shot...just in case. Kudos to the RCI medical staff, who were extremely attentive to my needs and checked on me daily. Best of all, they charged me NOTHING for any of my treatment. They also sent a Compliance Officer to speak to me about what occurred. I couldn't ask for better! The worst thing for me was that I had to avoid the pool/hot tub for the remainder of the cruise. Oh well moral of the story for me, I will be investing in my first pair of water shoes for my next scheduled sailing. Might be a little something others ma want to consider as well. Just saying...;)

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cjdixon4

cjdixon4

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What was the damage on that medical center bill on the ship?

 

I think you missed my statement in paragraph #3. I was not charged for the treatment, which was greatly appreciated. Even if they had charged, I would have gotten reimbursed via my insurance.

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cjdixon4

cjdixon4

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LOL, Oh the embarrassment of being one of THOSE people who doesn't pay attention to the sign. :p :D

Glad to hear no serious damage. :)

 

LOL, PCWalton1, thanks! The Compliance Officer and I had a "discussion" about the NO SWIMMING sign, and whether or not RCI should have some more specific info included about the rocks. That's for another thread, though! :rolleyes:

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cb at sea

cb at sea

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Adrenaline beach (where you were) is VERY rocky...not suitable for swimming or wading. Folks should know that...it should be posted somewhere, other than on this site...where it's posted regularly!

 

Sorry you got injured....glad you're ok! No beach is perfectly safe...ever!

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cjdixon4

cjdixon4

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Adrenaline beach (where you were) is VERY rocky...not suitable for swimming or wading. Folks should know that...it should be posted somewhere, other than on this site...where it's posted regularly!

 

Sorry you got injured....glad you're ok! No beach is perfectly safe...ever!

 

Thanks cb, I'm doing well. Also thanks for the clarification on which beach I was on. I wasn't completely sure of the name. The signage is quite misleading and hopefully, at the least, they'll add some more details. Who knows how many other folks have been hurt there and didn't say ANYTHING about it? :confused:

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Lionesss "Live from...." Rare

Lionesss

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The first time we went to Labadee it was a tender port, and we just went to Adrenaline beach with our water shoes on and did not have to much fun.

 

After lunch we found Barefoot beach, then a beach all could enjoy, and loved it!

 

As time and cruises moved on it became a suite beach.

 

Love it though.

 

 

Safer travels.

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knots4crewzing

knots4crewzing

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Glad you're ok.:)

Hubby and i were at that beach in November and i didn't remember it being so rocky.

If you go all the way to the right when facing the water where the cabanas are~~ it's nice and sandy.

 

Glad you didn't lose your footing and fall into those rocks! it could have been a LOT worse those are some of the sharpest rocks.

 

 

Liz:)

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mollyeilis

mollyeilis

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It's amazing how an underwater cut can't really be felt. I did that as a young teen and had NO idea I was bleeding until someone yelled about it as I was walking to my family.

 

As for the shot; because obviously the medical staff didn't know and you couldn't therefore give informed consent, a tetanus shot given AFTER an event does nothing, not a single thing, for the event. Unless they magically had tetanus toxoid, which they almost certainly did NOT, because almost no one does. So you're now "current" for the future, but you could totally still get tetanus this time around.

 

Except that your wound bled. Which means that there was oxygenated blood flowing past it. And tetanus is an ANaerobic organism, which means that oxygen kills it. So if you have bled through the wound, you cannot get tetanus b/c of the oxygen in the blood.

 

It's really too bad all the doctors and nurses miss those vital days of actually comprehending diseases and how you can and cannot get them.

 

And I hope you didn't get as sick as my mom did when she was lied to ("it's the toxoid shot!") after she sustained a wound, like yours, that could not possibly have given her tetanus. She was sicker than she had EVER been in her life, after getting the dtp that time. And she left that doctor when she went back in after she was better, demanded her records, and found that they had lied to her about what they were giving her.

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cjdixon4

cjdixon4

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And I hope you didn't get as sick as my mom did when she was lied to ("it's the toxoid shot!") after she sustained a wound, like yours, that could not possibly have given her tetanus. She was sicker than she had EVER been in her life, after getting the dtp that time. And she left that doctor when she went back in after she was better, demanded her records, and found that they had lied to her about what they were giving her.

 

Molly, sorry your mom became ill during her experience. What I didn't share in my brief story was that when I returned home from the cruise, I saw my personal physician who did a thorough check of the wound (which is healing nicely). All is well.

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cjdixon4

cjdixon4

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Glad you're ok.:)

Hubby and i were at that beach in November and i didn't remember it being so rocky.

If you go all the way to the right when facing the water where the cabanas are~~ it's nice and sandy.

 

Glad you didn't lose your footing and fall into those rocks! it could have been a LOT worse those are some of the sharpest rocks.

 

 

Liz:)

 

Thanks Liz. I was informed later that the non-rocky beach areas were a bit further down. I would have gladly made the longer walk had I known better. Should I ever decide to return to Labadee, that's where I'll be!

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cjdixon4

cjdixon4

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They should really come in and take those rocks out. Would make the beach so much nicer and more enjoyable.

 

While I agree with you fundamentally, I won't hold my breath waiting for RCI to get rid of those rocks (and there are a LOT of them). Now what they DO have the ability to do is be more specific on their "NO SWIMMING" signage. Tell sunbathers that not only is swimming dangerous at that location, but clearly so is walking/wading. :rolleyes:

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jagsfan

jagsfan

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If an area is not safe for even wading, it should say so. Most of us don't think about not wading. Glad you had no after effects. I cut my foot in Hawaii when I was snorkeling and sure enough, had to wear a house slipper to fly home because I wound up with blood poisoning. The "Rock" was coral. That's the big danger of wading where there are underwater rocks.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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cjdixon4

cjdixon4

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If an area is not safe for even wading, it should say so. Most of us don't think about not wading. Glad you had no after effects. I cut my foot in Hawaii when I was snorkeling and sure enough, had to wear a house slipper to fly home because I wound up with blood poisoning. The "Rock" was coral. That's the big danger of wading where there are underwater rocks.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I so agree with you, jagsfan. That's exactly what I shared with the RCI officer.

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