30 April - 4th May 2012 :- X-Rays in Norfolk

Nimue
Fri 4 May 2012 22:46
We had previously met Martin & Elizabeth on Caduceus, in the BVI’s and it was good to see some friendly faces once we had safely tied up at Gary & Greta’s (OCC representatives) dock in Norfolk. Our first priority was to contact our Insurance Company to sort out Michael’s hip and the following day we were given an address of an Urgent Care Centre, where Michael was examined. We then had to walk to a nearby hospital to have the hip x-rayed and the whole process took most of the day- not better than the NHS!  We were given the x-ray films, but we had to wait another 2 days before we could see an Orthopaedic Surgeon and hand him the films so he could provide a diagnosis. The Insurance company sent a black chauffeur driven black Cadillac to pick us up to take us 12 miles to see Dr Tommy Osborne (a former US Football Player). Within seconds of seeing the x-ray, he had no hesitation in confirming that Michael was in urgent need of a new left hip and advised that necrosis had taken place in the joint(as a result of Michael’s diving days). Quite shell shocked with this news, we informed the Insurance company, who immediately took control and confirmed that they would repatriate Michael (and myself) to the UK. We knew this could not occur until Nimue was safely out of the water at Zimmerman’s in Deltaville (a further 50 nm trip up the Chesapeake).
 
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Michael enjoying having his hip x-rayed?
 
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X-rays in hand, it was off in the Black Caddy to see Dr Osbourne
 
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Curry night on board Nimue: left to right Gary, Greta, Michael, Elizabeth, Martin and Kenny
 
On our due departure day, we woke up to thick fog, so Gary persuaded us to stay an extra day to welcome Lewis Colam a British single hander, rowing up the ICW from Miami to New York to raise money for the Alzheimer's Research. On Lewis’s arrival, Martin gave a suitable rendition on his bagpipes and we all hand clapped as Lewis’s slowly came to the dock.  Lewis was visually shocked to see us all and he later commented that this was the best welcome he had received on his trip so far from Miami. 
 
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Aptly named for a grey foggy morning and Gary chatting to Kenny about the day’s events
 
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Martin playing the bagpipes and Lewis being welcomed in by Gary
 
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Drinks on board Nimue and time to give some final advice to Lewis for his row up the Chesapeake and to bid farewell our Norfolk friends...........until the next time!