Medical Burners and something to say about health care

[anonymousdonor11]

Hellow brothers and sister burners!

I'm well i don't really know.... Oz in default life...Kiwii my Playa name...(for meow) I'M BROKEN!!!

Rites of Passage was my first burn!
I was blown away instantly but got over any social issues and promptly went on an adventure....
There was so much I did on the first day it was too much!

Monday afternoon, sleep deprived and slightly intoxicated by alcohol, I rolled my ankle on a trampoline at the G Spot bar..Somewhere I'm guessing between 10-11:3 G???

The people there quickly rode their mutant bikes to the med tent and got me help asap!
My experience after my fall would change my Burn and the way I would look at medically trained Burners and individuals as well.

Our home in the desert is truly a fantastic metropolis filled with lights, dust, art, and community. Most of all giving loving people, especially ones who can fix ya up on the Playa!

The medical attention surprised me beyond words could say, but I'll try...
More medical care than I had in default life, I was promptly taken from the G-Spot Bar to the center camp medical tent with the quickness!

Once i got to Central Playa Medical....I took the shoulders of burnmeds and they helped me into the big blue tent...This tent looked like something out of an alien or post apocalyptic hazmat tent...
Once in the med tent it was like stepping into AC, I also remember feeling submersed under water. This was a relief after being hot and in pain for around an hour an a half.....Its a long ride from 10-11G to center camp...
So I sit for not more than 15-20 minutes for a doc, who quickly says he wants an x-ray! I'm like "What!? You guys got x-rays?! What's that gunna cost me?" They Said "Oh yeah we got x-rays! They use these in Iraq." So I'm stoked, waiting for a xray tech to come, another 10min.
So these cool guys come in and execute the xray which indicated a fracture in my right ankle joint...this is bad "Not to bad." the tech tells me.
I then ask whats next....

Evac..
hospital...
na I'll just go back to camp for a bit, no one knew where i was at.. and well I'll take care of it here on the playa...

Medical gave me a molded cast for my right ankle, wrapped it up and gave me a ride back to camp around 7:10 I.

I feel that those working at Burningman especially the medical staff deserve more credit than they may get! I had better attention than I have ever had in any medical situation. I am truly great full eternally to those in particular who helped me and to all those helping others who were unfortunate enough to need medical during the man.

I was able to catch a few rides with a bike trailer here and there, but overall it was to hard to be there and not get around as independently as would have liked to..

After 3days on the beautiful Playa with my new family of 50k I chose to evac myself and catch a ride out with someone i knew was headed back to Tahoe

My experience at BRC was unforgettable, heartwarming and breaking all at once..I remain emotional and yearn to feel the Playa dust between my toes and the desert air through my hair.

Nothing can replace being home.
Nothing is like Burningman.

Thank you for changing my life EVERYONE!

[Isotopia]

I think I'm pretty sure that the EMTs would love to hear your story.

Maybe send an email to: 911(at) burningman.com

[Miles]

Thanks for sharing, I saw quite a few burners in casts this year, and they all still were having a blast! Out of pure curiosity, did they bill you for the work?

[Mojojita]

I consider myself an old jaded burner but I have never been as impressed with medical care anytime, anywhere as I was with the newly-contracted center camp medics. The injury I sustained this year was such that in any of my prior 13 years, I would have had to evac. These guys took an xray, sent it to Reno to be read by the Radiologist, had it back, and had me in a cast in such a short time that I would have still been sitting waiting to be seen in any other ER by the time I was all done. I was able to stay on the playa with the admonition that it would likely need surgery within 7 - 10 days. My dear friend and orthopedic surgeon met me at the hospital yesterday to do followup and prep for surgery but he found that the bones are now well aligned, making surgery unnecessary.

The biggest impression that it has made on me is that this was a free service to me. Hence, likely paid for all 13 years of tickets I have purchased. This is what medical care needs to be in this country. We have accomplished it perfectly in our community.

[anonymousdonor11]

Mojojita> Fully....this was my first Burn and being that the medical treatment was so on point. I will definitely return next year even more excited and prepared! Likely to be running away from any trampolines!!

Miles> I incurred no debt or bill fr the treatment i received on the Playa! They only asked me minimal info (name, burn address, and maybe origin of injury) for burn records is what assume...I am super great full for their help and was well worth admission and supplies....

Trips away from camp were great, compassion poured out from camps i was toted by and the people I've met and treasures I found will help in healing my body and heart...

I wish i didn't have to wait till next year!
Who's got a time machine!?

[BAS]

Well, you folks just ruined a foul mood I'd been working on all day!

I really wish that the default world's medical system were this good. (Although I haven't had any experience with medical systems outside of the USA, so maybe I should have said "my default country's.")

[nncoco]

Years ago I did something stupid at 3 AM and needed to see the people in the medical tent. I made my way alone on a light-less bike to the 9:00 spoke because I had remembered seeing a red cross symbol there once before. When I got there, I learned that the only medical care at that hour was at 6:00. The rangers there offered me a ride but I declined and made my way slowly to 6:00.

What I learned from this experience is that you need to know where help is when you arrive in BRC just in case you need it later. I had no idea there was even medical at 6:00 which would have been much closer to my camp in the first place.

[tamarakay]

I cut my finger on my first day on the Playa, pretty badly. Campmate bandaged me up and sent me on to the medical tent on the 3:00 plaza. Medics there said stitches were needed, but I had to go to Center Camp medical for that. Loaded me up on a cart, sent my hubby walking back to camp to get bikes. I told my medic that this was my first burn and I hadn't even seen the man yet. He headed on out to the Man, then to the temple, then did a quick little tour around some of the other artwork, then off to the med tent. Personal tour! Barely beat my husband to the med tent. Four stitches later i'm back at camp, no bill. I even offered to pay as I have pretty good insurance and was turned down. However I did have to give and receive many hugs. Two days later the guy who patched me up at my camp cut his finger and got two stitches, but no tour. Went by and had a wound check a couple of times and all is healing well.

Excellent care from excellent people.

[theCryptofishist]

Years ago I did something stupid at 3 AM and needed to see the people in the medical tent. I made my way alone on a light-less bike to the 9:00 spoke because I had remembered seeing a red cross symbol there once before. When I got there, I learned that the only medical care at that hour was at 6:00. The rangers there offered me a ride but I declined and made my way slowly to 6:00.

How many years? You said Rangers, was that pre-ESD? From 2002 on med care would have been available at both 3 and 9 o'clock plazas from midnight monday before the burn for the 8 days following.

[Lunalu]

Is there a place to send comments? I also went to the medical tent at 9:00 because I remembered seeing the cross up on a post and it was the only one I could think of seeing when I needed care. I arrived and was told they didn't dispense medications and that I had to go to the center one. I could not figure out where it was, I was at the wrong angle to see it I guess, and too confused from dehydration and infection to think very clearly. I ended up walking there from 9:00 because I was feeling too sick to ride my bike. I ran in to some very helpful people who got me there, but I would not have found it on my own.
The care was great, except for the MD who was explaining her plan to me and when I asked her to write it down because I was having trouble following, she asked what I didn't understand. Actually, all of it, which is why I wanted it written down for later when I could understand a bit better. Everyone else was great though and didn't treat me as stupid as I felt for ending up there.
I would like to suggest that the center medical tent is easier to identify without having to be right in front of it, something that we can see in the air if we are near but can't quite locate it. When you are in distress, it's even more difficult to find things and I know I would have appreciated being able to find it without asking people who were nearby to help me find it.

[Savannah]

Lunalu,

You may contact BRC Emergency Services via their website:
http://www.brcesd.com/

More directly:
http://www.brcesd.com/?pg=contact

I'm sure they would want your feedback on improving customer care. If the persons you'd interacted with had understood how weak or confused you were, they would have arranged for your transport from 9 o' clock to Center Camp.

[theCryptofishist]

You can email ESD at 911 at burningman dot com.

The neon signs for 3 and 9 o'clock med outposts were donated by a long-time volunteer who no longer works with the department. Perhaps if a group of us got together and raised the money, another cross could be bought for Center Camp Med Tent.

[Lunalu]

Thanks, good ideas!

[creativecstasy]

I had an interaction with emergency services as well.

I was near the 9 o'clock plaza and stepped into the tent there. The volunteer I spoke with said my concerns required a lab test, and the "hospital at 6 o'clock" could help me. A hospital! on the playa!

So the boyfriend and I biked over toward center camp. Within 20 minutes I was through triage, had provided the necessary sample, had it tested in the lab, received my results, and discussed the required steps for my treatment.

Meanwhile, a guy was being taken off in an ambulance for a 20 foot fall, and couple folks were being treated for overdose, and a handful of other folks were waiting for treatment for illnesses I couldn't identify.

I'm SUPER impressed at the quality of treatment, speed of service, and great demeanor of everyone I encountered. The air conditioning wasn't half bad either