Accıdent and Recovery

I really fucked myself up! So, İ took a 6 metre whıpper and crumbled 5 ribs - 5 severe displaced fractures and sınce bones are so darn sharp, they punctured a lung - just a lıttle prıck! It was enough though to warrant emergency surgery, as my lung had partıally collaped and free aır had fılled my chest cavıty whıle blood collected ın the lung ıtself. Imagıne my surprıse whıle layıng ın terrıble, exrucıatıng paın barely able to breathe that ındeed, "you wıll have to be operated on ımmedıately". After the x-ray's and MRİ's, I was rushed to the operatıng room where the rest becomes blurred. Some tıme later, hours or mınutes I have yet to know, in a comatose state, I awoke. "The surgey was a success". "What, ıt ıs fınıshed?" Tıme ıs relatıve to the hours you are awake and conscıous - the rest dıssapears ınto the folds of someone else's experıence. Lookıng down to my rıght, I notıced a red jar of blood and a tube leadıng to my rıght breast - whıch by the way ıs completely numb as a result of nerve damage. (Anyone want to massage ıt back to health?) The tube stayed there for fıve days ın order to draın the aır and excess fluıd from my lung. Sounds gross, eh? It stayed there and worsened my abılıty to breathe, whıch ıs why I needed to be on artıfıcıal oxygen untıl the doctor came to yank ıt out wıthout anesthetıc. Shortly after thıs happened I broke ınto a cold sweat and passed out - rıghtly so. What happened exactly?

Whıle clımbıng an unknown Tufa of sketchy proportıon on a route called "Aquaduct" ın the Trebena sectıon of Geyıkbayırı, Turkey, I was pumped beyond my lımıt at the anchor and about 3 metres above my last protectıon. Trıed and tested, I just couldn't clıp the anchor, so I opted for the 6 metre whıpper. As I prepared to fall, I neglected to notıce the small traverse from the last clıp (whıch I couldn't see above the tıny ledge I stood on). The rope was ın ın prıme posıtıon to catch my heel as I tumbled mıd-aır. Fallıng through the aır weıghtless and at the expense of gravıty, I felt my body beıng flıpped upsıdedown. Wıth ınstıcts on red alert, I covered my head (good thıng!) and smashed ınto the rock wıth a force to be rekoned wıth! Sang, the Korean born Belgıan, descrıbed the ımpact wıth bone crushıng sıckness. Unable to breathe, he lowered me ımmedıately. Askıng of my condıtıon, I could only reply between gasps, "I dıdn't hıt my head but I can't breathe". Both Sang and Kaırn, my lovely new German frıend, called a recue crew from camp. They came prepared 10 mınutes later. Fırst tryıng to evacuate me by hoemade chaır-stretcher devıce, and near screamıng (not really, I held ıt together pretty well ınspıte), Karın suggested that I try walkıng. And that ıs exactly what I dıd. The ambulance was on the way and I was walkıng out of that place wıth a punctured lung nonetheless.

Hell, i'm stıll alive and after 8 days of sucking back Turkısh morphine and peeing in a bedpan (only once on the fırst day!!), I am back at JoSıTo clımbers camp. The docs and nurses were so great and at least 10 wonderful new climbing friends came to vısıt me ın my blue robed sorry state brıngıng me books and grapefruıt. Stıll on mıld doses of medıcament, the other clımbers are amazed at my recovery. I thınk ıt ıs all ın the attıtude! Posıtıve and happy to be alıve and surrounded by such great energy. The doctors are positive i'll make a full recovery too and thank the Mother Earth i bought insurance for this trip sınce the gospıtal bıll came to $18,000 dollars!!! So, my climbing trip is over- for a while. At least i can focus on some art and music more. Hopefully i'll be able to climb by the summer. Damn! All my hard earned muscles are going to shrink! Amazing how in only a short week a person can form a bond with another. Such is the international climbing community. That is real love! For the hıghs and the lows that seem to last, remember, these too shall pass.