wounded on the playa...

[pasha]

I had the misfortune of dislocating my kneecap while jousting on a six foot tall bicycle and as a result had to be removed from burningman in an ambulance and taken to northern nevada hospital for x-rays. Upon being discharged, morphine rapidly wearing off, I found myself stranded in sparks without money, ID, or even BM ticket stub. I hitchiked thursday night on crutches not makeing it back to BRC until 6am Friday morning. Thanks to Fondue of the perimeter crew for that final ride to my camp!
I realize that getting hurt at burningman is my own risk and responsability and its completely up to me to get back, but at the time i couldnt help wishing there was somone at medical who could help me make some sort of arrangement to get back to BRC from the outside.
I wonder how many people this has happened to? being injured and stranded in Reno\Sparks?

[Zona]

At a friends camp there was a woman who was gone for two and a half days...she had a hell of a time getting back. Her friends had to drive all the way from Idaho to pick her up in Reno, as she could not find a ride trying for a day and a half. It sucked. I felt bad for her, she is just so nice, and I missed her this year.

[chloe_dancer]

pasha, my friend adam told me about your adventure! kudos for u for making it back! i wish u a speedy recovery, blessed w/ many lovely vicodins!

[pasha]

At a friends camp there was a woman who was gone for two and a half days...she had a hell of a time getting back. Her friends had to drive all the way from Idaho to pick her up in Reno, as she could not find a ride trying for a day and a half. It sucked. I felt bad for her, she is just so nice, and I missed her this year.

my friend Six told me about that. His friend------(forgot name, blame the playa)who was hot, wore cat ears and drove a shiny art car. This happened to her friend who heard my story and wants to talk to me. I think she was outraged by her experience trying to get back. for me it was despair. I was on a large rock on the front lawn of the alamo trying to hitch a ride to burningman. at four am my crutches fell into the road exactly when the water sprinklers turned on and soaked me. I wanted to cry but soon afterward i finally got my ride. And it was the king of pot!

[PJ]

...dislocating my kneecap while jousting on a six foot tall bicycle...removed from burningman in an ambulance and taken to northern nevada hospital for x-rays...discharged...stranded in sparks without money, ID, or even BM ticket stub...

I'm wondering why you went for that ambulance ride without any of that stuff? Shit happens; money is always necessary to get back out of it.

In any case, bravo for jousting on a tall bike. A certain amount of such lunacy is a good thing. But keep a pal around to run for your necessities and/or give you a car ride for help when (not if) something goes badly wrong.

[lordoak]

As a virgin and semi participant of Seattle camp wrong, I dove in first day first hour with all of me. By the second night I had become immersed in the Magic of Burning man and had consumed various um cerebral supplimanents. It was about 3 A.M. on Tuesday, and all I know as suddenly I was being directed to the Medical tent. My whole arm was pulsing with pain. I did not have any recognition of the cause of the pain. I arrived and was checked in. The M.D found that I had a hairline fracture of the Ulner bone. He had two R.N's form a hard cast, and then walked me over to the BRC rangers. All of the while, I was shooting forward and backwards through time. I managed to vocalize the address of my camp to a very sweet, and to me, understanding volunteer, who gave me a long hug, which I remember stimulated a good cry.
I spent the rest of the week having a life changing time, until the night of the burn. We were on our way back and decided to circle the entire perimeter while serving brews and toons, while people jumped on and off of our art car.
Being an Epileptic, I had brought my meds, video camera, digital camera, and wallet in a zip lock bag. I kept close watch on these items, and never let them out of my grasp, that is until we neared our camp and some very rambunctious frat type guys jumped on and got pushy. I remember trying to watch my stuff as well as the art car and people that were in front of the car. No need to cause further accidents.
We got to our camp and my zip lock was gone. I searched with flashlight until full light, then spent the entire morning biking around the Playa, and going to center camp and leaving descriptions and waiting for some luck.
When I got home I posted on this site and emailed the BRC staff. No items, but...
Aside from loosing "stuff" the images of the burn, and the idea of people grabbing or stealing was not something I thought of. Foolish me. I learned a lot. And I will be back every year, I plan on having my wonderful companion with me, and no one will need to keep track of me. I fully plan on full participation in setting up our camp. And I will more have more life changing events. My apologies to anyone who I may of crossed while " out there"
My message to newbies.
Keep clear until you know what the event is.
Then have fun safely.

Lordoak

[jbelson]

While picking up my sister and girlfriends sister at Reno airport on Thursday, we noticed they had a new companion. Cute blond whose name escapes me. She left BM on tuesday. She had gotten dehydrated, severly sick and nausious. She was even on an IV drip when she decided that she had to leave. She went to the airport, got the next flight she could, and had a stop in Denver. While there, she hooked up with a friend. He was very upset that she left. She had a bunch of hours there and was feeling better, so she decided to go back to BM. We saw her at the airport, all smiles and a word of advice: Drink lots of fluids! She drank liquor and partied, but didn't even realize that she was drying up inside.
\My only problem was that she didn't realize I was going the wrong way for an hour or so, and we ended up wayyyyy out of the way. That wrong turn cost me an 2 1/2 hours on top of a 14 hour car trip. Talk about ouch!

[TheJudge]

I realize that getting hurt at burningman is my own risk and responsability and its completely up to me to get back, but at the time i couldnt help wishing there was somone at medical who could help me make some sort of arrangement to get back to BRC from the outside.

REMSA gives out medical passes to people that have to leave the city for medical reasons. Did you ever ask them about this?