Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Day 9




It all started out like a normal day. We ate breakfast and loaded the cars up for Ramona Trail on Thomas Mountain. Now that I look back on it all it had not been such a scary experience. It had been more like an adventure in which I was Batman. We started going up the trail and I had already drank one water bottle. Keep in mind we are in the desert and its like 300 degrees out there. We decided that on the way back we would collect plants instead of on the way up. I asked Rusty how much farther and just like always he says " a little bit farther" which means 300 miles. We stop for one last time, and after that it was all a blur from there. I remember getting very weak and dizzy in-between all of this... Monica was the first to notice how bad I looked. Rusty started talking to me very loudly trying to get me to answer him and I would not do it. He decided that it was time to make an emergency phone call. I remember them trying to take me down the mountain by walking, but I kept forgetting to open my eyes and tripping over my own self. We were already 3 miles up, and Shannon said I cannot walk and picks me up on her back and beasts me down the mountain for a mile or so. All of this of course is what they are telling me after I got back from the hospital that night. Shannon said she would scream for me to say anything to her, and previously they had put this metal sheet on me to prevent me from going into shock. All I ever said to Shannon was a few mumbles and then finally said I'm Batman. Okay, there was seriously wrong with me for me to utter that statement. haha. SHANNON IS NOW MY HERO BY THE WAY. Everyone could tell that she was getting very weak so Rusty puts me on his back for a few hundred yards and then these men in yellow interceded. Then followed men in orange which I am soon to find out are convicts who work for the Fire Stations.

Ok so HC has now retired and wanted me (Shannon) to fill everyone on her experience down the mountain. So it's as crazy as it sounds but the situation was handled perfectly with everyone playing an important role. Rusty sent Skadoosh and Robert down the hill at a nice safe sprint as they would call it because we couldn't tell if people had heard our radio emergency. Needless to say they sprinted their butts off and Katie, Mon-icka, and Anthony went down the mountain with pounds of packs running fastly. Then Julie (nursing HC down the trail) and Rusty (calling for help and taking control) stayed with me while I took HC down the mountain. It was hot and hard but I wouldn't say I was a hero at all because everybody did something really important.
But everyone stayed in control and it all ended up perfectly. There are funny facts to know about the day though and they are: 1. That like 20 vehicles came to help HC (ok 6 seriously but still a lot!) 2. HC only remembers me huffing and puffing down the mountain and forgot all about the jokes and me screaming at her to stop muttering. The most interesting conversation being "Hannah how are you feeling?" "Mmn." "Hannah when I ask you a question you need to answer me with a real word." "Mmn." "Hannah! How are you feeling?" "I'm Batman." 3. Monica did a power knee slide down the mountain that she bounded up from which I'm sure she did just because of sympathy pains 4. Everyone was bounding with joy when they saw all the rescue people (especially some key firemen) 5. HC is the only person that would use her phone to call someone in the back of an ambulance and 6. After the long day HC was in great spirits and everybody felt better and content to be at the James Reserve....
Needless to say we are all glad for the experience to be over and excited that HC was such a trooper about it because otherwise it would've been a sad day. One thing is for sure and that is that we make a great group, definitely worthy of the title Team Dominate :)

And now Hannah picks up during the ambulance ride...

Well now that Shannon told us the funny things I will add to all of this. I got in the ambulance and the IV had definately helped me. Julie rode with me on the way to the hospital, and it was the longest ride of my life... though I do admit it was pretty sweet laying on a bed inside of a moving vehicle, but thats besides the point. Then, I told the lady " Julia" that I had to pee very badly! She said," The best I can do for you is a bedpan." I had to go so badly that I just said to give it to me. She asked me a series of questions in which I really did not feel like answering at all. I had literally been asked if I was pregnant like 30 times that day. I was just about to get rude with the people and tell them... do you really think that I would be climbing a mountain if I was carrying an embryo in my stomach? NO! Ughhhhh I was sick of that question. Well after about 20 minutes the bedpan was a success!!!!! Victory! We then arrived at the hospital, and they wheeled me in on my domination bed. I looked rough but I felt much better! I waited for a while in the hallway watching everyone pass by. I really felt like I was in a movie. Haha. Next, I got the neat armband and doctor to go with it. Its like a 2 in 1 package. I was almost airlifted. How sweet would that have been? Well, I was eventually discharged right after I put on the hospital gown. After a few crazy pictures and car rides later I was back at the reserve telling everyone that I was indeed okay. I have to say out of my 16 years of life that day was the most legit of them all. All in all I have the coolest story to tell my kids when I am 30. :) I love firemen! ( and convicts)

~Hannah C. and Shannon

4 comments:

  1. Glad to hear everyone's OK. I don't suppose Rusty will want those blue duds to become the new Earthwatch uniform!

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  2. Shannon is a total rock star. That's my girl! I'm glad that all is well.

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  3. Good to hear that everyone is ok. More DRAMA than TRAUMA. Hopefully between the nose bleeds, head colds, dehydration, power knee slides, initial flight delays and twisted ankles the group has been able to collect plant samples! Kind of like a combined Botantical Survivorman and Reno 911 TV episode.
    Hope you did get to see the meteor showers last night between bites of Smores.
    Love from Iowa,
    Mom and Dad Cox

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  4. haha it's Monica here! Just telling everyone that is reading our blog that everyone is healing and doing JUST fine :)) We are a silly group that has a tendency to get a few blisters and a random scratch here or there, but we are all tough cookies. Don't worry about collecting plant specimens, we're always getting down and dirty to work. We all saw shooting stars last night when we camped out by the solar panels here at the James Reserve, but I believe that Skadoosh was the only gal who managed to stay up late enough to see the meteor shower. The sky was gorgeous last night and the campout was a blast!! loved it :))

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