Judith Janofsky

Yes,it is indeed a happy ending. I felt so bad for the ship board doctor when he had to tell me that I may not make it. That moment was very surreal. My life has changed however. I had to retire from work and have had three surgeries here at home from all the damage done by waiting. Through my life, I undoubtedly will have more surgeries due to herniations and intestinal obstructions. Of all the days of my life this had to happen on a cruise ship is like hitting the lottery. Many doctors said that the only reason I made it is because I am so strong. You see, I have always worked out at a gym and do weight training. Little did I know that this could save my life. Everyday I feel the results of the outcome of this emergency. If my appendix ruptured at home and I received immediate medical assistance my life would be a whole lot easier today. Yes, I am still alive. This is why I would never be so far from port in the middle of the ocean again. My doctor suggests that I never go on a cruise again as my intestines could obstruct at any time due to internal scar tissue known as adhesions.

I find that the cruisers posting here are indeed deluding themselves as to what can happen at sea.

After the surgery in the Azores, my husband wrote an email to Princess Cruise Lines which they forwarded to the captain thanking them. The Captain read the email over the PA system to the entire cruise ship. We understand many clapped and were rooting for my recovery.

Due to language barriers and the emergency, we never did contact the Portuguese Military. Perhaps we should have but with all that was going on and a few days of touch and go, it didn’t happen. I did email the hospital and Dr. Teressa to thank them for all they did. This email went to the online email porthole of the hospital. I never received a reply back so don’t know if they got it.

Do realize we were working with the Portuguese Military from an island. They really didn’t want to pick me up. They said they only had one helicopter so it better be important. My thanks to the captain of the Caribbean Princess and the Princess Port Agent for their insistence of its importance.

That is not particularly true. The morning of my airlift the ship did rush back to the Azores and we waited in the chapel, which was the public room on the top deck of the ship. About 30 crew members and the 6 medical staff including 2 doctors and me in the center of the chapel on a gurney waiting for perhaps hours for the helicopter. I lost track of time going in and out of consciousness. It was very overcast and drizzly. They had to send an airplane out to find our ship ahead of the helicopter. You can see the plane in some of the frames of the airlift on YouTube. I found out later that the weather was so bad they almost didn’t come out and get me. I have also heard since that there are other times when a helicopter has not picked up due to weather. While the helicopter is along side the ship both moving forward at the same speed, all cruisers were asked to remain in their staterooms as the medivac is very dangerous. One wrong move and there is a horrible crash.

In the medical center, they put a orange life vest on me. I thought at the time....are you kidding me....if I fall in the drink....just let me go!

Yes

No,not now. I have had three surgeries in the past two years after returning home correcting issues from the Azores. The doctor and nurses in the Azores did an excellent job with the tools they had. It is just problematic when your abdominal in open to the air for 5 hours.

Pre-op for my three surgeries here did not include taking off nail polishes. I once asked if they wanted my nail polish removed and they asked why. They now put that clip on your index finger to see how much oxygen is in the blood.

I am not sure. It could be that when in Romania, dealing with the Romanians, they assume that their medical facilities are excellent. We only know that they are not. She also didn’t know until she was in the middle of it all.

What I know is when you are in the hands of professionals of any kind and can’t move, you go with the flow. I had no choice with my treatment. What I did know is it had to be done right then. In pre-op when they took my nail polish off, even in my partially unconscious state, I took pause. You see, they needed my polish off so they could see if my nails were turning blue!!!

I think that is when my heart really sunk. Pro-op was moving my gurney from room to room not really knowing why. I got so my body couldn’t move. My mind was sharp but I couldn’t get the words into my mouth. The other thing is, I really didn’t know how sick I was until months after returning home. The medical staff didn’t speak well enough English for much explanation. My sutures were removed here in California upon returning home after two weeks. The technician said she hadn’t seen sutures like that in 20 years.

The other issue regarding foreign hospitals; the hospital in the Azores was like a hospital here in the 60s, quite rudimental.

I know someone from my town who was in Romania when she broke her hip. They replaced it there but she also got a infection of the bone. Upon coming home, they removed the hip and was in the hospital for 3 months. A year later, they replaced the hip again.

The people working at the hospital in the Azores were wonderful and saved my life yet the hospital was quite old school. The good think is I had a view of the ocean from the window and a view of the cruise ships coming and going.

I have life threatening issues due to the ruptured appendix, peritonitis and sepsis along with 8 hours away from surgery help. We were just starting to retire and do a lot of cruising. My doctor suggests that cruising is no longer feasible.

I can’t speak for anyone but myself, BeagleOne but I cannot imagine that there is anything to back up that statement. My helicopter ride was not stressful. They rolled me out in a gurney onto the top deck of the ship. They told me to get into the basket. I could barely move. I don’t remember how I got into the basket. One of the helicopter guys rode with me while a cable pulled us up into the helicopter hovering over the ship. After somehow getting from the basket into their gurney and they took off my life vest, I was unaware of the rest of the hour trip. Through most of this transport I had no stress as I was I unconscious. If I hadn’t have been airlifted, I would be here today. There were four lovely Portuguese military men that picked me up. I owe my life to them. The weather was bad so they really didn’t want to pick me up. They had to bring a airplane out first to find the ship for the helicopter as it has a longer range.

I never new where the Azores were and had never been to Portugal, but everyone I met from the military to the wonderful doctors and nurses couldn’t have been sweeter and more giving.

I understanding from others on the Caribbean Princess that everyone was quite caring. After my surgery was successful, my husband sent a letter of gratitude to Princess Cruise Lines to forward on to the captain. We understand that it was read over the PA system to all on board. They all clapped.

There is a video on You Tube that the military took of the airlift. You can view it here:

Resgate de uma passageira do navio CARIBBEAN PRINCESS. Just go to You Tube and type this in.

It was stated that since my appendix is out I can now go on a TA cruise. I had complications after the surgery in the Azores with three surgeries since then at home. I have developed scar tissue or adhesions on my small intestines that could quickly develop into an intestinal obstruction which is also life threatening. I have had 2 obstructions since the cruise. We wanted to go on another Baltic cruise, but my doctor doesn’t advise it. Once bit, twice shy.

In May of 2015 I was on the Caribbean Princess with a crossing from Ft. Lauderdale to British Isles. I had pain in lower right abdominal area which I thought was gas. We were touring Ponte Delgada in the Azores with appendicitis and didn’t know. We left port on our way to the British Isles at 4:00 and thought I better go to the medical center prior to dinner to do something for my gas. They took a blood test and my white blood count was way off. I did have appendicitis. They gave me IV antibiotics and they would morning and evening until we arrived in the British Isles.

2:00 in the morning my appendix ruptured. The doctors contacted the captain. The ship was turned around and sped back to the Azores. In the morning we was airlifted by Portuguese Miitary helicopter to Ponte Delgada. This was an hour trip. I am not sure but it was 8 hours about from when my appendix ruptured and I went in for 5 hours of surgery and 2 weeks in the hospital. I got peritonitis and sepsis but thanks for the quick operation of the medical staff and captain, I owe my life to them. The Princess agent in the Azores was quite helpful and met us at the hospital and took my husband to a hotel. Trip insurance paid for everything. The Portuguese Military did not charge for the airlift.

I will never be on a transoceanic trip again. Of all the days of my life my appendix had to rupture then!!