Nuku Hiva, 5-24-2017--David reporting from Tucson

Despite the title, I (David) am reporting from Tucson, AZ where I'm getting medical care.  I have no doubt that the last thing most readers want to hear is more about my medical issues.  I'm pretty tired of it myself.

I'm also determined that by the end of June, if not well before, we'll be back under sail again and will be sharing sights and experiences far more interesting that my medical woes.

That said, this unexpected turn of events is all part of the adventure, so below is a brief update.

Pearl flew from Tahiti back to Nuku Hiva yesterday and is back aboard Minimus now, awaiting my return.  She has many friends among fellow sailors there, though they'll all be leaving over the coming weeks.  Others will be arriving though, and among sailors in distant anchorages, community forms quickly so she'll likely be among friends during my absence.

On my end back here in Tucson, various tests were done yesterday, mostly suggesting good news.  If anyone is interested, here is the medical update:

CRP, an indicator of inflammation, is normally under 10 in healthy people.  Mine was 272 when I was admitted 2 weeks ago.  It's now down to 5 with all the antibiotics I've had, so the infection is clearly under control, perhaps even wiped out at this point, though I'm still on antibiotics.

An MRI on my still painful knee showed a Baker's cyst.  It's apparently related to a minor tear on the meniscus on the side of the knee.  While the radiologist couldn't rule out an association with the strep infection, he thinks it's unlikely.

So, it's looking more and more like a coincidental but bizarre constellation of symptoms and causes.  The root cause of the strep infection is still unknown and that's of course somewhat troubling.

The doctors opinion is that had we not gotten antibiotic and other treatment at the Nuku Hiva hospital, it's not likely I would have survived.   That we just happened, on the day before the infection occurred, to sail into an anchorage close to the only hospital within nearly 1000 miles is something we'll long be grateful for.

So, I'm currently scheduled to see an orthopedic surgeon on June 5, followed by outpatient surgery to fix the torn meniscus.  A couple weeks of rehab and I should be good to return to Minimus and, more importantly, to Pearl.

Our plan is then to spend a week or so exploring Nuku Hiva, followed by setting sail for the Tuamotus and Tahiti.  At that point we'll have to review where things are with the French immigration authorities, impending cyclone season, etc.

Sorry, no photos this time, but hopefully on the next blog update.