MOBAY HOPE HOSPITAL, JAMAICA

My sister Nicky advised me to first go to a private doctor Dr Kumar near to Mammee Bay just outside of Ocho Rios which was the right choice. He had a private emergency clinic and an ambulance. On arrival there, I somehow managed to climb out of our support vehicle and get into a wheelchair but found it difficult to breathe. I told the doctor that I really needed some oxygen.

My sisters Nicky and Debbie arrived there and my brother in law Louis. Dr Kumar put an oxygen mask on me, and  then decided it was best that he accompany me in ambulance to Mobay Hope Hospital in Montego Bay. I knew  then that this was more serious than I had originally imagined and my life was at risk here. However I just felt calm. I just wanted to get to the hospital which was an hours drive away.

Though Montego Bay Hope had been advised of my impending arrival, it was Sunday and they did not call out a doctor or an Xray  technician until after I had arrived and had PAID!! That was appalling. Had they said so when they got the call, someone could have gone ahead or provided my insurance information by phone! Sigh.

Though I was in severe pain by then (they say rib damage is painful as the ribs are always moving when you breathe and it has many nerve endings. Three rib fractures is painful. I would later learn that I had over two dozen!).

Needless to say,  I bear pain well.  Finally I was admitted at MoBay Hope and an xray technician and surgeon Dr Dwayne Hall were called out.

Dr Dwayne Hall

 

Now when this  handsome bald-headed sexy doctor with a million dollar smile, Dr Dwayne Hall, comes over to speak to me, I was speechless.  Just dumb struck! But not for long! I immediately checked his ring finger ..NO RING! Oh this is surely my lucky day! But I thought..hmmm...he's really a bit too young for me! Not ready to be a cougar! So I asked the young Doc...well are you single? He didn't really know what to make of me! He said...Welllll yes I am. I said...Well let me introduce you to my very single daughter Tobi!  Tobi was standing right there beside me. If I wasn't so sick, I think she would have smacked me! Lol

I wish could have said they then fell in love, got married and lived happily every after, but hey this is not a movie! They did become good friends though! Dr Dwayne Hall is just such a great person!
Still would NOT have minded having him as a son-in-law! Lol

Dr Dwayne Hall and Tobi.

Ok back to my story. Initially they had wanted to lie me down for xrays but I knew I could not breathe if I was lying flat.  That was scary.  My daughter Tobi arrived and just took charge of my care.  They told me that fluids were building up in my chest and I needed chest tubes placed (bi-laterallly) so that the fluids could drain out. Dr Dwayne Hall did that procedure immediately right there at the bedside. They said I needed to get on a ventilator to assist my lungs as the xrays showed that my lungs had collapsed.

My daughter Tobi started calling overseas by this time. She had given  birth to my grandson at Memorial Regional Hospital in Florida and felt comfortable with that hospital. Once they agreed to accept me, she then called an Air Ambulance.Everyone was surprised that I was not going to Jackson as that's where trauma patients go (so we learned after!). But destiny would have a different plan for me.

The air ambulance would take 6 hours to arrive in Jamaica,  if I wanted an anesthesiologist and a ventilator  on board.  it would take about  2 hours if it was just paramedics in which case they would "bag me" Manual ventilators. Well I did not want to wait 6 more hours! I took the chance on the manual ventilator and said....let's go!

The accident had happened before midday and I believe I finally left Jamaica at midnight! It took forever to get things organized.

My family went off in turns to pack and get my passport and get things organized.The Air Ambulance crew arrived at Mobay Hope with their stretcher and were just so professional and caring! Mobay Hope didn't even have a backboard!  But Dr Kumar was still waiting and he loaned them his! He was just the best!

My daughter Tobi, my sister Debbie and my grandson boarded the small jet with me. I don't recall much about the flight. I was kept pretty doped up. I know they fly low so that you don't have as much pressure build up inside the aircraft.