What health issues have you experienced?

[Faith of Holland]

Those four things on your list are great advice. We followed them on our whole circumnavigation, with exception of the pfd at the dock.
Gregg
Sailing Faith: Home Page

[AjariBonten]

Faith, did you use anti-malarial prophylaxis when in malaria areas?

I ask because I just this afternoon got confirmation that I will be traveling to equatorial Africa late next month for business.

[Faith of Holland]

We crossed the Pacific, and used doxyciclin (?) where the World Health Organization's guide told us we ought to. Doxy wreaks havoc on the stomach, and causes strong reactions to exposure to the sun. We were supposed to take it one week before, all the time there, and two weeks following our departure. The trouble we encountered was that by the time we got to those areas, Vanuatu specifically, and took it as prescribed, we were also running out of ozone. During the time after we left Vanuatu, through New Caledonia, and into Australia, we were in an area where there is practically no ozone, and five minutes of sun exposure turned us beet red. We weren't inclined to want to do that again. I'm not sure I would do it any differently if we had it to do over.

It was there, after completing that regimen, that we decided that we'd try to avoid mossies rather than go through that again.

I am currently posting a blog on our trials during my time with malaria at http://faithofholland.com/wordpress/

One bit of advice is that we had the meds on board, but didn't actually know I had malaria until we got to the UN Hospital. If you're going to areas where malaria is present, I'd have some sort of antibiotic, Vibramycin is what they treated me with, for any other things that might develop in my weakened state, and Fansider, once a week. Most pharmacies in Indonesia sell it over the counter. I think it's available in the US by perscription. It would be good to have on board, and even better, to know when to use it.

I've heard there's an even better drug than Fansider, but is not available in the US.

Another tidbit: tell Western doctors to look for it specifically. We had a friend who developed his symptoms in Australia, and mentioned he'd been to Vanuatu several times, but after several days, he finally forced the issue to be tested when his symptoms were present, and they discovered it. Western doctors don't see it much, if ever, and often don't even think to look for it.

Gregg
Sailing Faith: Home Page

[sushirama]

I guess I could do several spin offs from this thread or write a book or something. Im am preparing to cut loose from Mass as soon as possible. But one problem I have is my health insurance. its Harvard Pilgrim, its great in Mass. but thats the only place Im covered. They cover emergencies out of area(dont know about out of country) but not primary care things. Im keeping it because it doesn't cost anything for me to have it.

How do you handle daily things like colds and flu, or emergency room visits. Also what countries that are potential southern destinations have the best free or heavily subsidized -good- health care.

or to make it simpler - What country outside of the US that would be the best to have a heart attack that need an angioplasty or bypass in? or a broken leg or an abscess tooth.

There was another thread I was reading about making money underway and that there was a need for tech workers in place like the Caymans - what kind of insurance can you get there or is it socialized medicine there?

I guess a list of countries with health care ratings, procedures, and costs would be kind of a necessity.

Medical expenses when I get older is one of the key reason Im looking to leave the US. One good heart attack here and youre in the hole 30k or more and that's with insurance. Im not too keen on moving to canada or france either.

Also does anyone carry a heartstart on board?

[Omatako]

When we went to te US to fetch our bat two years ago we took out med insurance. It was broken down into 3 rates. One for the US, one for the trip while at sea and one for the assorted South Pacific Islands. The rate for while we wer in the US was double the next lower rate.

Back to injuries. Chopped off fingers happen more often than one would expect. The most common one thought I think is broken ribs. I have had that twice at sea. The solution is actally simple in both these instances because the doc will do the same as what you would do. Strap it up and look after it.

One thing that I suffer from at sea is psoriasis which I got the first time years ago from having my feet constantly wet for long periods without being able to dry them (don't ask). It first appeared on my feet and then spread to around my knees. When treated (easily done) it appears to go away and for long periods you will think it has gone but it comes back with amazing regularity. I have been told that once you have had it you will always have it. Not dangerous but can be really uncomfortable. Its itchy (often confused with athletes foot) but the real discomfort comes from thickening of the skin which can reach alarming proportions. On one voyge I had it so bad on my feet that when I went ashore I couldn't walk.

[Sasha_V]

And up til now, my major nightmare experience has been dental.

Rough sea passage, shorthanded and a screamingly painful tooth that had split right down the middle to the root...Oh yeah.

Enough pain that you suddenly become prone to sea-sickness, the runs and a whole bunch of other stuff that had never bothered you before.

Alex.

[eryka]

We were in Honduras waiting (and waiting and WAITING) for a weather window. Dan was taking a newer anti-malarial drug - he couldn't take the ordinary quinine-based (?) drug that everyone uses due to potential problems with a recent surgery. We had brought enough for the trip plus 2 weeks extra supply as buffer ... and given our looooong wait for weather, we would be cutting it close.

So we tried to buy more of the drug in LaCeiba while we were waiting for weather. You don't need a prescription for the generic antimalarial in Honduras, a 30-day supply costs about $5 - guess their gov't is more interested in keeping the population healthy. But our designer American antimalarial? Nowhere to be found. I speak basic Spanish, and the people in Honduras were wonderful - we found a taxi driver who took us to a pharmacy where they had a catalog to convert drug names English-Spanish, but no luck. Then a bigger pharmacy, then the local hospital, all in vain.

Moral of the story? People were great and really tried to help. Maybe it would have been different if we'd had the Spanish name for this drug before we left the US, maybe not. Next time we'll figure out how much drug we need for a trip, add a couple week buffer, pack a little more, then double it.

[BrightWolf]

I know I'm resurrecting an old thread but it isn't a year old so maybe it will be okay.

I suffer from chronic low back pain due to mild scholiosis. Having a desk job (sitting all the time) really aggravates it. Does anyone have chronic pain such as this? I am wondering if the exercise of sailing and swimming might help. I'm not on daily pain medication or anything like that. It just "goes out" very easily and so we're hoping that strengthening it would keep that from happening so much. I do see a chiropractor regularly and will talk to him about all this before we commit to anything more definite.