One Step Forward was hosted and arranged by RSM. I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak on Expedition Medicine. The other speakers were inspirational and it was delightful to hear a series of lectures by doctors who dont hold to the production line theory of doctor creation. I tried to follow this theme and aimed to inspire the junior doctors and medical students to expand their horizons and experience other cultures and hopefully to become a more rounded physician in the process. I even got to lecture to Professor Kumar (Kumar and Clark)!
Medical Director Lectures at Royal Society of Medicine
March 7th, 2010 | Dr Sean Hudson, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Travel, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, medical training course, travel doctor, travel medic, wilderness medic, wilderness medicine |
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Dr Lucy Dickinsons last report from the Amazon
After 6 weeks on the Amazon BBC presentor Helen Skelton crossed the 2010 mile finish line yesterday morning while broadcasting live on BBC news.
It was extremely exciting and more than a little emotional. Over the last 40 days she’s paddled for 366 hours, done over a million strokes, had around 50 metres of tape on her hands, eaten about 525 mints, had 2 injections, broken 2 world records, had about 150 mosquito bites, dropped 3 pairs of expensive sunglasses in the river and not capsized once.
After all this she still found the energy for a celebratory knees up last night! There’s still not been time for a rest today as there have been media interviews ongoing since 6am. Despite this the whole team is on a big high. The four boys have been really fantastic to work with and it has been the greatest of pleasures to spend the last 6 weeks with the modest, fun, strong, resilient, down to earth, inspirational Cumbrian legend that is Helen Skelton. I hope we can go for a pint next time she’s back in Cumbria.
March 1st, 2010 | Adventure, Film and Media medical support |
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Team Amazon complete journey
Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton has completed a 2,000-mile kayak trip along the Amazon for Sport Relief, supported by Expedition Medicine
The 26-year-old was greeted by cheers and celebratory gunfire as she crossed the finish line in Almerim, Brazil.
Skelton has clocked up 2,010 miles since she set off on her solo journey from Natua in Peru on 20 January.
The BBC star, who had never been in a kayak before training, broke two world records as she became the first woman to paddle the length of the river.
The records – for the longest solo journey by kayak and the longest distance in a kayak in 24 hours by a woman – are awaiting official verification.
The TV presenter paddled about 60 miles a day, six days a week, to reach the target.
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My bottom is bruised, my shoulders are sore and the muscles in my neck are making it hard to differentiate between my head and my shoulders but to be honest I am proud of the war wounds Helen Skelton
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Skelton said of her challenge: “It’s been tough but I’ve had enough highs to make it more than worthwhile.
“I’m very lucky to have amazing people in my life who’ve picked me up when things got hard and most importantly inspired me to carry on.
“My bottom is bruised, my shoulders are sore and the muscles in my neck are making it hard to differentiate between my head and my shoulders but to be honest I am proud of the war wounds.
“I reckon that you shouldn’t shy away from things because they’re tough or you might fail. Get stuck in and you never know where you might end up.”
Blue Peter, which is showing Skelton’s epic journey in two special episodes on 16 and 17 March, hopes her efforts will inspire families across the UK to rise to their own challenge for Sport Relief.
Lucy will be updating us in the next couple of days
But well done to all the team
March 1st, 2010 | Adventure, Dr Sean Hudson, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Film and Media medical support, Jungle medicine, Media Crew Expedition Medical Support, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, across the divide, wilderness medic, wilderness medicine |
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Exciting news from Team Amazon
As some of you might have heard Helen is doing really well and is expected to reach 2010 miles on Sunday! This weekend!!!!!!!!!!! All very exciting. They think she will finish approx 1-1.30pm London time and hopefully this will be aired live on BBC News.
Obviously this could change quite last minute. There are many factors involved (weather etc). If I hear any news tomorrow I’ll email round again.
A
Anne-Marie Winters
Production Co-Ordinator BLUE PETER
February 26th, 2010 | Uncategorized |
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Team Amazon Update
We have heard from the team in the Amazon and they are all doing really well. The end is in sight and Helen seems in good spirits. A more detailed update will be here soon.
February 26th, 2010 | Uncategorized |
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Dr Sean Hudson writes about recent Polar Medicine course in Norway
‘There’s no snow.’ This was the text I received the week before the course. Slightly concerning since we planning on skiing, snowmobiling and dogsledding. All of which can prove difficult without snow. Snowholing may also prove to be a challenge. As I flew over Oslo it looked as if there was plenty of snow, and as we descended into Alta over the snow clad mountains the pilot announced the temperatures outside were -25. There was no snow from a Norwegian perspective but there was still plenty for us from blighty. The group were exposed to every polar weather experience: -30 whilst dogsledding, snow and wind whilst snowholing and a fabulous slush covering the surface of the ice drill. The group rose to the challenge and threw themselves into each new skill.
There were some highlights for me: the largest snow hole ever created, greatest height achieved by two ladies on a snowmobile (I had never seen the bottom of a snowmobile in flight until last week), Martin manfully getting frostbite the week before the course so that everyone could see how to dress frostbite properly, everyone did the ice drill and thankfully again no injuries. Thank you to all of you who made the course a success, from the directing staff who worked tirelessly and managed to consume 24000 calories between 4 of them in 24 hours, to the participants who had a try at everything and continued to smile and to our host at Ongajok who yet again provided us with wonderful food and accommodation. Finally thank you to the northern lights for giving us another beautiful display
February 23rd, 2010 | Dr Sean Hudson, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Uncategorized, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, expedition, polar medicine, wilderness medic |
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Update on BBC’s Amazon kayak record attempt
Expedition Medicine is supporting Helen Skelton, presenter on Blue Peter, attempt to be the first woman to kayak the Amazon and here is the latest progress report on 18th February.
All are well here now. Helen and I have managed to avoid the D+V.
It’s been an eventful week in Helen Skelton’s Amazon adventure. We started with Carnaval in the city of Manaus where the entire crew had to dress up and dance around a specially built Samba drome in the pouring rain. Leaving Manaus we reached the meeting of the Amazon with the Rio Negra, the biggest tributary of the Amazon. One is brown and the other is black and the waters don’t mix for several miles. A helicopter was chartered to film this event and the team were buzzing after this exciting milestone. Next came an unwanted drama with several members of the local and UK crew being affected by a viral gastroenteritis. It started with one of the kitchen staff and, despite working hard at the usual strict hygiene measures, it spread to several others. Fortunately Helen (and I) have been ok so far. The latest drama was the sinking of our support boat in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Nobody was on board at the time and after several hours of hard work it was resurrected but it had to be fixed up at a boat yard upstream of our location so this cost a whole day of paddling for Helen. She’s back on track now, has just clocked 1500 miles and is going as strong as ever.
Rain’s coming so I’ll be off. Lucy x
February 18th, 2010 | Adventure, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Film and Media medical support, Jungle medicine, Media Crew Expedition Medical Support, Remote medicine, Travel, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, expedition, travel doctor, travel medic, wilderness medic, wilderness medicine |
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Expedition Medicine lecturer and wilderness medic par excellence Dr Luanne Freer organiser of ‘Everest ER’ writes about her plans for 2010
The Everest base camp medical clinic “Everest ER” will be on the mountain in April 2010 for our 8th season (!) As always, we offer services to base camp climbers, support staff and trekkers-through in support of our mission to prevent and treat illness at high altitude and to use proceeds for care from non-Nepalis to subsidize free or low cost health care for our Nepali friends. The 2010 staff will be comprised of myself, Lakpa Norbu Sherpa (our faithful logistics coordinator,) Dr Steve Halvorson, and Dr. Peter Hackett, longtime HRA volunteer and world renowned altitude expert (and Everest summitteer!) will join us for the month of May. We plan to carry out a research project aimed at answering a plaguing question a high altitudes everywhere – what’s the best treatment for high altitude “Khumbu” cough?
February 16th, 2010 | Adventure, Everest, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Remote medicine, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, expedition, medical training course, mountain medicine, travel doctor, travel medic, wilderness medic, wilderness medicine |
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Kayaking the Amazon – Expedition Medicine in support
Intrepid Expedition Medic Lucy Dickinson reports on Blue Peter presenter Helen Skeltons progress down the Amazon
Helen Skelton is super strong mentally and physically, kayaking the Amazon without complaint for up to 12 hours a day. There have been a few medical problems but nothing too dramatic despite what you may have seen on TV. She’s been getting nauseous sometimes, especially in the afternoons when it’s choppier and I think she’s sea-sick so we’ve been trying some anti-emetics. Despite throwing up all over herself while in the kayak the other day and being delayed by strorms and the searing heat a smile is never far away and she and the rest of the team are great fun to be around.
On the whole she’s doing really well. She had a bit of heat exhaustion one day but nothing major. Part of my daily routine is taping up her hands to prevent blisters in the mornings and then some sports massage when she comes off the water. So far she’s only had minor musculoskeletal niggles and now she’s over half way so I think we can be optimistic that she’ll make it.
She had to come off the water early yesterday because of a storm so she started at 4:30am today and did the first couple of hours in the dark! There’s really no stopping her. The biggest risk for her is getting some illness which would mean she couldn’t kayak for a few days (she has a deadline to get to the end) so we’ll keep working hard to keep her well and cross our fingers.
February 16th, 2010 | Adventure, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, expedition, medical training course, travel doctor, travel medic, wilderness medic, wilderness medicine |
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Jungle Medicine Costa Rica – new video’s
Jungle Medicine participant gives a delegates view on the medic training course
February 12th, 2010 | Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Jungle medicine, wilderness medicine |
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