16th November 2018 – at sea

Spent an awful night sitting in a sea of pillows propped up so I could doze and then wake and cough. Visited the on-board doctor and, for the cold, came away with syrup and antibiotics. While there I was put on a face-covering inhaler with some drug within to help me breathe. I am required to return this evening for another 15 minutes of same.  But the downside of the visit was finding my blood pressure was more than excessively high.  I explained about the white coat syndrome, but the doctor was worried; I was given an injection (during 6-9 metre seas and the nurse got the vein first go – very impressed) to reduce the reading. Thankfully it did reduce but not really low enough, so this will be re-examined this evening and maybe tablets in addition to those I already take, will be given to me.  Since that visit I have dozed.  Now heartily sick of being sick and thought I would record that morning situation (for my own benefit- terrible reading for anyone else).

By the way, Megan would have enjoyed one aspect of the experience; the doctor joked at the end.  He said, ’Go off and get, I prescribe for you, a few glasses of whisky’.

The return visit late this afternoon to the doctors worked out well. Blood pressure all normal and everyone happy. I returned to my cabin and slept and slept – between waking caused by the excessively rough seas.  You could not, not roll in the bed as the ship swayed through the Southern Ocean.

I didn’t access the daily program –too ill. Of course, others were not as inactive as I.

Three lectures were presented and I could have learnt a great deal, so I am sorry to have missed them.  And the same can be said for the Recap session given by the Expedition Team – they were always worth listening to.

The route we cruised  from the start to the finish, along South Georgia Island specifically, and the path at the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands are shown in these two maps provided by Ponant;