If you live in a big city you can take for granted the hospitals and world-class physicians at your finger tips; in fact, many of us would not have given it a second thought.
But living on Kangaroo Island as we do means we are hours by road from a large hospital. But thanks to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) the Island isolation is no barrier.
Last year I was happily doing my usual workout at the gym in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, when suddenly I felt an explosion in my head – an all too familiar feeling I'd experienced 25 years before when I'd had a brain haemorrhage.
I tried to dismiss it and told myself that a little rest, a sandwich and a nice hot cup of tea would fix all. Not surprisingly, it didn't! I realised I needed to get to a doctor urgently and, as fate had very kindly arranged, the gym is a short block from the medical clinic.
A staff member drove me to the clinic. Soon after I was taken to the local hospital and then by ambulance to the Kingscote airport where the RFDS was waiting for me.
Despite my emphatic pronouncement that, after a lie-down, muffin and another nice hot cup of tea in the hospital, I was feeling well enough to go home, luckily the doctor knew better and, suspecting another haemorrhage, had called the RFDS. And just as well. I owe that initiative my life.
The RFDS took me on a very comfortable trip to Adelaide Airport where I was transferred by ambulance to hospital. This too was critical to my survival as apparently hospital treatment and minimal physical disturbance in the first 24 hours after a haemorrhage are very important.
After a coiling procedure (a modern procedure designed to seal off blood flow to the aneurysm-damaged area inside an artery) and a 10-day stay in hospital, I came home to a full and active life.
I'm now back at the gym, doing yoga, volunteering in the community, gardening and thoroughly enjoying my life. All thanks to a whole team of individuals and organisations giving me the very best of service.
If it had been necessary to travel to hospital by road, my chances of survival would have been minimal. The rapid response by the RFDS enabled me not only to survive, but also make a quick and complete recovery. RFDS thank you, we're very lucky to have you!
Pat Goodwin
