Wednesday 06.12.17. At sparrows' I drove 35km from Pleasant Point to DOC's Mt Nimrod Scenic Reserve via Cave, Cannington & below Hunters Hills by Back Line Rd, the last 9km gravel road. Close to White Rock River, a wallaby bounced across the gravel, surprised during its dawn water quest.
After scorching summer days, a misty morn, I tried to text Leah to tell her I was on my way. No luck, Mt Nimrod Scenic Reserve campsite, at 400m height, had no cell coverage. I would try higher up. I tried to text Leah at the beginning & during my tramps for safety & progress reasons. I left her with a Topo50 map with my intentions, just in case. Having climbed Rollesby Range, Dalgety Range & Grampian Range over the last 5 weeks, I hadn't seen a soul on my climbs, just flora, fauna & grand Alpine views.
Today would be different due to misty Mt Nimrod. For an hour I climbed the steep zig-zag track for about 1km, through native bush in the Nimrod Stream gorge. The going was humid & slippery over wet rocks & leaf litter. Dominant trees were Melicytus ramiflorus whiteywood with some Fuchsia excorticata & Griselinia littoralis broadleafs. Understorey: mainly ferns like Asplenium & vines, like Ripogonum scandens supplejack & Rubus cissoides bush lawyer. On the way up, I surprised another wallaby which stopped, having a good look at me before vanishing into bush. At the top of Mt Nimrod Scenic Reserve track, bush diversified into Leptospermum scoparium manuka, tussocks, Phormium flax, Astelias & Dracophyllum.
At the top of Mt Nimrod Scenic Reserve track, DOC recently made a new track by a farm fence, joining at a new DOC gate the recently opened 6km Hunters Hills Conservation Track, an easement through tussock grassland along Hunters Hills farm tracks to the Hunters Hills Conservation Area including Mt Nimrod, 1525m & extending NW almost to Mt Nessing summit, 1601m. The easement was part of a maze of farm tracks criss-crossing Hunters Hills.
At the start of the easement track, on a new DOC gate & a farm fence, contradictory DOC & police signs said:
Dept of Conservation
Te Papa Atawhai
Public access through
private land
No firearms to be carried
Keep to marked access
Please leave gates as found
Do not disturb stock
Police Support
Safer Communities
Persons are advised this property is
Listed as a member on the national
Anti-poaching register.
All persons entering must obtain
Permission from the landowner or
Occupier before entering or
Face prosecution.
Police
The easement track sidled past Hunters Hills tops in the mist, which obliterated views. I passed through 4 new DOC gates, visibility about 50m, often less. Farm gates & other farm track signs said:
PRIVATE PROPERTY
NO ACCESS
Alpine flora: Tussock grassland converted to farm grassland in places, associated with Discaria toumatou matagouri, Celmisia daisies, Gaultheria snowberries, Dracophyllum, Aciphylla speargrass, lichens, Scleranthus, Donatia, Cyathodes & sphagnum moss mats.
It took me 2 hours wandering up the 6km easement track, well marked with DOC marker poles, except after the 4th DOC gate on a saddle where DOC marker poles weren't close enough to see in the mist. I wandered downhill on a farm track until I realised I'd run out of marker poles & slogged uphill again. (Hint: More marker poles near saddles DOC, or else I wouldn't be the only tramper lost in the mist!)
Near the end of the easement track at about 800m height when the mist lifted over Francis Stream Valley, 3 older gents passed me going fast. They each had the usual trampers' gear: map, boots, gaiters, shorts, shirt, jacket, water bottles in backpack pouches, hat, aluminium walking sticks. Camera & binoculars optional. By another DOC gate at Francis Stream I refilled my water bottle. During the 3 hours I wandered Hunters Hills Conservation area I saw no DOC marker poles, but enjoyed alpine flora.
After crossing Francis Stream the 3 older gents sidled around the NW end of Mt Nimrod, into the mist. Non competitive, I followed at a more leisurely pace, climbing the misty, stony track for 2 hours to about 1200m height.
I stopped for lunch by lichen covered rocks in the mist. I texted Leah, no problem at 1200m. Although my Topo50 map said I was on Mt Nimrod NW ridge, roiling mist obscured Mt Nimrod summit completely. Although I'd climbed through mist for 5 hours, I wasn't cold. Noon sun shone thorough mist, causing sunburn.
I was high on adrenalin & endorphins. I returned from whence I came. No good summiting misty Mt Nimrod without any views. On my way back the mist lifted a bit, so I saw some pointy Hunters Hills, steep valleys, Nimrod Stream & the farm track maze. Due to mist, I never saw Mt Nimrod summit that day.
Stats:
Climb: 800 vertical metres.
Total return distance: 18km.
Included one way: 2km bush track, DOC Mt Nimrod Scenic Reserve.
6km DOC easement track to DOC Hunters Hills Conservation Area.
1km to 1200 m height NW track up Mt Nimrod.
Total time: 9 hours (excluding lunch).
Time included:
1 hour up Mt Nimrod Scenic Reserve bush track.
2 hours up DOC easement track from Mt Nimrod Scenic Reserve to DOC Hunters Hills Conservation Area.
2 hours from Francis Stream up to 1200m, Mt Nimrod NW side.
1 hour down from Mt Nimrod NW side, 1200m to Francis Stream.
3 hours down DOC easement track & Mt Nimrod Scenic Reserve track to DOC campsite.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Mt Dalgety Summit, Mackenzie Country
Thursday 23.11.17. I drove SH8 from Pleasant Point to the top of Hakataramea Pass, 965 m, via Albury, Fairlie, Burkes Pass, Dog Kennel Corner, Haldon Rd, Hakataramea Pass Rd, as I wanted to summit Mt Dalgety, 1752 m. Map ref: BZ17 088921.
Road distances:
* Pleasant Point SH8 tarseal to Dog Kennel Corner turnoff to Haldon Rd: 74 kms.
* Haldon Rd tarseal past Rollesby Range & Dalgety Range to Hakataramea Pass Rd turnoff: 16 kms.
* Hakataramea Pass Rd gravel road over 4 fords past Dalgety Range & Grampian Range to top of Hakataramea pass: 16 kms.
Last Wednesday I'd summitted Grampian Range. Since then, Mackenzie Council had graded Hakataramea Pass Rd, so ruts & potholes were smoothed over.
I parked my car near a closed gate at the top of Hakataramea Pass. There was no track to the top of Mt Dalgety marked on my Topo50 map, so I hopped over a fence & followed another fence E up a tussock ridge to about 1200 m where the fence took a sharp turn N. En route a ram had hung itself by entwining three of its legs amongst top 3 wires of the fence. It hung dessicated by Alpine winds & sun. A horrible way to die with views of Dalgety ridges & valleys each side & Grampian Range W the other side of Hakataramea Pass.
I left the fence & continued climbing, following goat tracks where possible through more tussock, Spaniards & Alpine plants. Notable were Gaultheria snowberries, Celmisia sessiliflora, orange & green Scleranthus, minute Hebes, like whipcord hebes, mat broom & coral broom, Carmichaelia genus. Coral brooms & mat brooms were stunted, foraged by ungulates. I passed a host of cushion plants on my way up, including Haastia vegetable sheep & Raoulia scabweed covering rocks. There was also Hieracium hawkweed all the way to the top, ravages of over a century of Alpine sheep farming.
On my way up, a series of giant steps up the ridge, I passed several rocky outcrops, vertical ancient sediments, with wind funnels above & below the rocky outcrops. A windless, sunny morn, I had no wind hassles, but had to drink lots of bottled water, stopping dehydration. I saw a bull tahr trotting over scree, hiding behind the ridge. He wore a magnificent, white mane below his backward pointing horns. Other fauna seen: brown skinks scurrying over hot rocks, brown grasshoppers, flies pollinating alpine plants, ladybugs hunting on Donatia hard cushions, a couple of seagulls short-cutting over Haka Pass from Snowy River Valley to Hakataramea Valley.
I didn't stay long on Dalgety summit rocks as I was pestered by flies sucking my sweat. After snapping pics, I sat near the bottom of Dalgety summit rocks, admiring Alpine views & scoffing my lunch - scroggin, biltong, mandarins, water. Views:
NE Rocky outcrops, Dalgety summit ridge to Rollesby Range & beyond to Hall Range incl Mt Haszard & Mistake Peak above Godley River Valley. Snowy Mt Erebus & Sibbald Range prominent. Snowy Two Thumbs Range incl D'Achiac peak, Mt Chevalier, Mt Edward, Mt Dobson prominent. Snowy Sherwood Range & Mt Fox prominent.
ENE Albury Range.
E beyond Hakataramea River, Mt Nessing.
S Rocky outcrops, Dalgety summit ridge, Mt Nimrod, Hunters Hills, Hakataramea Valley.
SSW Hakataramea Valley, Kirkliston Range.
W Hakataramea Pass, Grampian Range.
NW Mary Range, Lake Pukaki & beyond to snowy Ben Ohau Range, Mackenzie Peak, Dun Fiunary, Glentanner Peak, Mt Sealy prominent
NNW snowy Mt Sefton & Footstool prominent.
N Snowy River Valley, Lake Tekapo, Mt John, Fork River Valley, snowy Mt Stevenson & beyond to snowy La Perouse, Mt Cook, Mt Tasman prominent.
NNE Mt Joseph, Cass River Valley, snowy Gammack Range, snowy Malte Brun prominent.
Stats:
Climb: 800 vertical metres from Hakataramea Pass top to Mt Dalgety summit.
Return distance: 7 kms.
Times: Ascent 3.75 hours. Descent 2.75 hours. A long day.
Essentials: Tramping, hill walking fitness, backpack, map, sturdy shoes, all weather gear, sunglasses, walking stick(s), food, water. Cell phone coverage if cell pointed to Mt John.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Road distances:
* Pleasant Point SH8 tarseal to Dog Kennel Corner turnoff to Haldon Rd: 74 kms.
* Haldon Rd tarseal past Rollesby Range & Dalgety Range to Hakataramea Pass Rd turnoff: 16 kms.
* Hakataramea Pass Rd gravel road over 4 fords past Dalgety Range & Grampian Range to top of Hakataramea pass: 16 kms.
Last Wednesday I'd summitted Grampian Range. Since then, Mackenzie Council had graded Hakataramea Pass Rd, so ruts & potholes were smoothed over.
I parked my car near a closed gate at the top of Hakataramea Pass. There was no track to the top of Mt Dalgety marked on my Topo50 map, so I hopped over a fence & followed another fence E up a tussock ridge to about 1200 m where the fence took a sharp turn N. En route a ram had hung itself by entwining three of its legs amongst top 3 wires of the fence. It hung dessicated by Alpine winds & sun. A horrible way to die with views of Dalgety ridges & valleys each side & Grampian Range W the other side of Hakataramea Pass.
I left the fence & continued climbing, following goat tracks where possible through more tussock, Spaniards & Alpine plants. Notable were Gaultheria snowberries, Celmisia sessiliflora, orange & green Scleranthus, minute Hebes, like whipcord hebes, mat broom & coral broom, Carmichaelia genus. Coral brooms & mat brooms were stunted, foraged by ungulates. I passed a host of cushion plants on my way up, including Haastia vegetable sheep & Raoulia scabweed covering rocks. There was also Hieracium hawkweed all the way to the top, ravages of over a century of Alpine sheep farming.
On my way up, a series of giant steps up the ridge, I passed several rocky outcrops, vertical ancient sediments, with wind funnels above & below the rocky outcrops. A windless, sunny morn, I had no wind hassles, but had to drink lots of bottled water, stopping dehydration. I saw a bull tahr trotting over scree, hiding behind the ridge. He wore a magnificent, white mane below his backward pointing horns. Other fauna seen: brown skinks scurrying over hot rocks, brown grasshoppers, flies pollinating alpine plants, ladybugs hunting on Donatia hard cushions, a couple of seagulls short-cutting over Haka Pass from Snowy River Valley to Hakataramea Valley.
I didn't stay long on Dalgety summit rocks as I was pestered by flies sucking my sweat. After snapping pics, I sat near the bottom of Dalgety summit rocks, admiring Alpine views & scoffing my lunch - scroggin, biltong, mandarins, water. Views:
NE Rocky outcrops, Dalgety summit ridge to Rollesby Range & beyond to Hall Range incl Mt Haszard & Mistake Peak above Godley River Valley. Snowy Mt Erebus & Sibbald Range prominent. Snowy Two Thumbs Range incl D'Achiac peak, Mt Chevalier, Mt Edward, Mt Dobson prominent. Snowy Sherwood Range & Mt Fox prominent.
ENE Albury Range.
E beyond Hakataramea River, Mt Nessing.
S Rocky outcrops, Dalgety summit ridge, Mt Nimrod, Hunters Hills, Hakataramea Valley.
SSW Hakataramea Valley, Kirkliston Range.
W Hakataramea Pass, Grampian Range.
NW Mary Range, Lake Pukaki & beyond to snowy Ben Ohau Range, Mackenzie Peak, Dun Fiunary, Glentanner Peak, Mt Sealy prominent
NNW snowy Mt Sefton & Footstool prominent.
N Snowy River Valley, Lake Tekapo, Mt John, Fork River Valley, snowy Mt Stevenson & beyond to snowy La Perouse, Mt Cook, Mt Tasman prominent.
NNE Mt Joseph, Cass River Valley, snowy Gammack Range, snowy Malte Brun prominent.
Stats:
Climb: 800 vertical metres from Hakataramea Pass top to Mt Dalgety summit.
Return distance: 7 kms.
Times: Ascent 3.75 hours. Descent 2.75 hours. A long day.
Essentials: Tramping, hill walking fitness, backpack, map, sturdy shoes, all weather gear, sunglasses, walking stick(s), food, water. Cell phone coverage if cell pointed to Mt John.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Grampian Range Summit, Mackenzie Country
Wednesday 15.11.17. I drove SH8 from Pleasant Point to Hakataramea Pass via Albury, Fairlie, Burkes Pass, Dog Kennel Corner & Haldon Rd, as I wanted to summit Grampian Range, 1921 m. (Map ref: BZ17 029891). At Hakataramea Pass, gravel road turnoff, a fence sign read:
BE AWARE
UNLAWFUL HUNTING
WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
OFFENDERS WILL
BE PROSECUTED
FIREARMS & VEHICLES MAY BE SEIZED
FIREARMS LICENCES WILL BE REVOKED
MAXIMUM PENALTY
2 YEARS IMPRISONMENT $100 000 FINE
OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM
THE LANDOWNER / PERMITS (DOC)
BEFORE HUNTING
POLICE CRIMESTOPPERS NEIGHBOURHOOD SUPPORT
[Ph]... NEW ZEALAND
SPEAK UP, IT'S ANONYMOUS
Typical NZ cop sign touting for snitches, when cops were thin on the ground. The only cops I saw in Mackenzie Country were cops fining speedsters on SH8. Evidence of hunting / poaching I saw were dead wallabies on roadsides. SH8 farmers told us poachers spotlighted on their farms at night, taking pot shots close to their homesteads. I often saw road-kill wallabies near wooded spots on SH8 & passes.
A road sign read:
CAUTION
* NARROW ROAD
* STEEP GRADES
* FORDS
* SEASONAL SNOW & ICE
DRIVE CAREFULLY
Hakataramea Pass, gravel road passed between Dalgety Range E, 18 kms long & Grampian Range W, more than 20 kms long. En route, I crossed 4 fords, streams trickling down to Snowy River below Dalgety Range. A stream crossing the road caused big potholes. 12 kms along Haka Pass, just beyond the 4th ford, a dead wallaby lay on the road, marking a farm track. (Map ref: BZ17 058919). My Topo50 map showed the farm track ascending Grampian Range to a scree saddle at 1800 m. Above the saddle, Grampian summit ridge track spit into a S farm track & N farm track. I would take the N farm track to Grampian summit, 1921 m.
From Haka Pass, I wandered up the farm track, zig-zagging up a steep tussock ridge, streams in valleys both sides of the ridge. Besides tussock grassland & spiky Spaniards, I saw many alpine cushion plants, mentioned in other blog posts. Notable were green or brown whipcord hebes amongst stones & many grey vegetable sheep clinging to rocks on steep slopes. Scab weeds & other cushion plants reminded me of zooanthids in coastal rockpools. Living scab weed branches were supported by dead scab weed branches, providing nutrients for the living.
A warm morning. A lone wallaby hopped down a tussock slope to a stream. Skinks scuttled across rocks. Brown crickets & bigger green crickets hopped about too. A lone falcon soared thermals, hunting while I climbed.
At about 1600 m, tussockland became steep scree, covered by snow patches & sparse alpine cushion plants. I compressed snowballs, sucking them, quenching my thirst, saving my bottled water for later.
From the 1800 m scree saddle, I didn't descend the farm track the other side, as it was still snow covered, making it difficult to pass Black Rocks. Instead, I followed a fence over scree, the last 100 vertical metres odd, to Grampian summit 1921 m. I added a stone to the cairn on the flat top, surrounded by stones & alpine cushion plants, mostly yellow. On the summit ridge I'd passed two farm gates, one bent by foul weather, the other still half covered in snow, amidst scree & cushion plants.
Clouds played above my head, while I admired alpine views: E, Rollesby Range, Dalgety Range, Mt Nessing. S, Hakataramea Valley. SSW, Kirkliston Range. SW Benmore Range, Lake Benmore below. W, Mary Range, Lake Pukaki, snowy Ben Ohau Range beyond. NNW, snowy Mt Sefton prominent. NW, snowy Mt Cook Range, snowy Mt Cook & snowy Mt Tasman prominent. NNE, Mt John & Lake Tekapo. Snowy Mt Stevenson prominent. NE, snowy Malte Brun prominent. Snowy Gammack Range. Snowy Hall Range. ENE, snowy Two Thumbs Range, snowy Mt Edward, snowy Mt Dobson prominent. Snowy Sherwood Range & snowy Mt Fox prominent.
I texted Leah from Grampian Range summit, no problems, as long as I pointed my cell towards Mt John. Any other direction, my texts didn't get through, like aiming my cell towards Hakataramea Valley, a waste.
Stats:
Climb: 1000 vertical metres from Hakataramea Pass to Grampian Range summit.
Return distance: 12 kms.
Times: Ascent 4.5 hours. Descent 3.5 hours. A long day.
Essentials: Tramping, hill walking fitness, map, all weather gear, backpack, sunglasses, food, water, walking stick(s). Cell phone coverage if cell pointed to Mt John.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
BE AWARE
UNLAWFUL HUNTING
WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
OFFENDERS WILL
BE PROSECUTED
FIREARMS & VEHICLES MAY BE SEIZED
FIREARMS LICENCES WILL BE REVOKED
MAXIMUM PENALTY
2 YEARS IMPRISONMENT $100 000 FINE
OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM
THE LANDOWNER / PERMITS (DOC)
BEFORE HUNTING
POLICE CRIMESTOPPERS NEIGHBOURHOOD SUPPORT
[Ph]... NEW ZEALAND
SPEAK UP, IT'S ANONYMOUS
Typical NZ cop sign touting for snitches, when cops were thin on the ground. The only cops I saw in Mackenzie Country were cops fining speedsters on SH8. Evidence of hunting / poaching I saw were dead wallabies on roadsides. SH8 farmers told us poachers spotlighted on their farms at night, taking pot shots close to their homesteads. I often saw road-kill wallabies near wooded spots on SH8 & passes.
A road sign read:
CAUTION
* NARROW ROAD
* STEEP GRADES
* FORDS
* SEASONAL SNOW & ICE
DRIVE CAREFULLY
Hakataramea Pass, gravel road passed between Dalgety Range E, 18 kms long & Grampian Range W, more than 20 kms long. En route, I crossed 4 fords, streams trickling down to Snowy River below Dalgety Range. A stream crossing the road caused big potholes. 12 kms along Haka Pass, just beyond the 4th ford, a dead wallaby lay on the road, marking a farm track. (Map ref: BZ17 058919). My Topo50 map showed the farm track ascending Grampian Range to a scree saddle at 1800 m. Above the saddle, Grampian summit ridge track spit into a S farm track & N farm track. I would take the N farm track to Grampian summit, 1921 m.
From Haka Pass, I wandered up the farm track, zig-zagging up a steep tussock ridge, streams in valleys both sides of the ridge. Besides tussock grassland & spiky Spaniards, I saw many alpine cushion plants, mentioned in other blog posts. Notable were green or brown whipcord hebes amongst stones & many grey vegetable sheep clinging to rocks on steep slopes. Scab weeds & other cushion plants reminded me of zooanthids in coastal rockpools. Living scab weed branches were supported by dead scab weed branches, providing nutrients for the living.
A warm morning. A lone wallaby hopped down a tussock slope to a stream. Skinks scuttled across rocks. Brown crickets & bigger green crickets hopped about too. A lone falcon soared thermals, hunting while I climbed.
At about 1600 m, tussockland became steep scree, covered by snow patches & sparse alpine cushion plants. I compressed snowballs, sucking them, quenching my thirst, saving my bottled water for later.
From the 1800 m scree saddle, I didn't descend the farm track the other side, as it was still snow covered, making it difficult to pass Black Rocks. Instead, I followed a fence over scree, the last 100 vertical metres odd, to Grampian summit 1921 m. I added a stone to the cairn on the flat top, surrounded by stones & alpine cushion plants, mostly yellow. On the summit ridge I'd passed two farm gates, one bent by foul weather, the other still half covered in snow, amidst scree & cushion plants.
Clouds played above my head, while I admired alpine views: E, Rollesby Range, Dalgety Range, Mt Nessing. S, Hakataramea Valley. SSW, Kirkliston Range. SW Benmore Range, Lake Benmore below. W, Mary Range, Lake Pukaki, snowy Ben Ohau Range beyond. NNW, snowy Mt Sefton prominent. NW, snowy Mt Cook Range, snowy Mt Cook & snowy Mt Tasman prominent. NNE, Mt John & Lake Tekapo. Snowy Mt Stevenson prominent. NE, snowy Malte Brun prominent. Snowy Gammack Range. Snowy Hall Range. ENE, snowy Two Thumbs Range, snowy Mt Edward, snowy Mt Dobson prominent. Snowy Sherwood Range & snowy Mt Fox prominent.
I texted Leah from Grampian Range summit, no problems, as long as I pointed my cell towards Mt John. Any other direction, my texts didn't get through, like aiming my cell towards Hakataramea Valley, a waste.
Stats:
Climb: 1000 vertical metres from Hakataramea Pass to Grampian Range summit.
Return distance: 12 kms.
Times: Ascent 4.5 hours. Descent 3.5 hours. A long day.
Essentials: Tramping, hill walking fitness, map, all weather gear, backpack, sunglasses, food, water, walking stick(s). Cell phone coverage if cell pointed to Mt John.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Dalgety Range Summit Ridge, Mackenzie Country.
Mon 06.11.17. I drove SH8 from Pleasant Point to Mackenzie Pass via Fairlie, Burkes Pass, Dog Kennel Corner, Haldon Rd & Mackenzie Pass Rd, the latter 9 kms gravel road to Mackenzie Pass top, between Rollesby Range N, 11 kms long & Dalgety Range S, 18 kms long. Having summited Rollesby Range last week, I wanted to climb to the Dalgety Range summit track, a remote area, far from tourists. The summit track was about 8 kms long with another 3 kms climb needed to summit Mt Dalgety, 1752 m.
Several hundred metres beyond Mackenzie Memorial on Mackenzie Pass, I parked my car at the roadside near a Mackenzie Stream tributary at about 700 m height (Map ref: BZ17 073037) where a grassy farm track marked on my Topo50 map rose to electricity pylons marching across Mackenzie Pass. It was a nor'wester warm, spring morn, so I started my tramp wearing shorts, T shirt, trainers, hat & backpack. Walking stick essential.
After the farm track petered out beyond the pylons, I climbed tussock land & waded though patches of Discaria toumatou matagouri & Aciphylla speargrass till I struck the main farm track zig-zagging up the NW end of Dalgety Range. The farm track climbed E roughly parallel to Mackenzie Pass with grand views of Rollesby Range N & Albury Range E.
When I stopped to catch my breath, turning round I had grand views of arid Mackenzie Basin & snowy peaks: Stafford Range, Ben Ohau Range with Mackenzies Peak, Razorback, Kaimakamaka Peaks, Dun Fiunary, Glentanner, Mt Sealy & others. As usual Mt Sefton & The Footstool were cloudy. Mt Cook further N was clear & snowy, Mt Tasman below ditto. Below those mighty peaks I saw snowy peaks & valleys: Gammack Range, Mt Stevenson, Braemar Dome, Fork River Valley, Mt Joseph, Cass River Valley, snowy hulk Malte Brun above, Hall Range. Looking N across Mackenzie Pass, I saw Rollesby Range with snowy Two Thumbs Range peaks & snowy Sherwood Range peaks beyond.
For a while, Dalgety NW ridge I climbed overlooked Mackenzie Stream SW flowing down a valley & snowy Grampian Range distant SW. As it had snowed last night, the S end of Dalgety Range & Grampian Range summit was sprinkled with fresh snow. En route, a wallaby froze in tussock above me, letting me snap 2 pics. When I said, "Hullo Mister Wallaby," it bounded down hill, joining sheep. I'd encounter 2 more live wallabies on my tramp & 2 dead wallabies, presumably shot at the highest point I reached on the summit track.
After I'd passed 3 farm gates & the top of a slip louring above Mackenzie Pass, the farm track turned sharp S at about 1300 m (Map ref: BZ17 097026) becoming the rocky, summit track winding along Dalgety summit ridge past rocky outcrops & wind funnels. The nor'wester coming off Mackenzie Basin cooled, causing me to become hypothermic, despite having climbed for 2.5 hours. I stopped & put on my winter gear, longs over my shorts, windcheater jacket with hood over my hat, gloves, which soon warmed me.
I wandered the cold, rocky, summit road for about 1 hour viewing alpine plants like Geranium sessiliflorum bronze crane-bill, Carmichaelia crassicaulis coral broom, Carmichaelia monroi dwarf broom, Raoulia scab weed, Celmisias, Dracophyllum prostratum, Gaultheria depressa snowberry, green & yellow Scleranthus, tussocks, Raoulia vegetable sheep at bitterly cold wind funnels. On the summit track I passed three more farm gates & patches of snow which increased towards Mt Dalgety summit, 1752 m.
From the E side of Dalgety summit ridge, I saw Albury Range with green Rollesby Valley below & the tops of Devils Peak & Fiery Peak beyond. E beyond Tengawai River, rolling green hills & farmlands to distant The Brothers hills & the Pacific. SE I saw Mt Nimrod Range & Mt Nessing Range, with a glimpse of green Hakataramea Valley farmlands between Mt Nessing Range & Dalgety Range.
From the W side of Dalgety summit ridge I saw arid Mackenzie Basin & snowy Alpine ranges described above: Stafford, Ben Ohau, Mt Cook, Gammack, Hall... Sprawled across arid Mackenzie Basin were smaller ranges & hills from N to S: Mt John with a glimpse of Lake Tekapo, Old Man Range with Tekapo Military Camp below, Mary Range with a glimpse of Lake Pukaki beyond. SW Grampian Range & Benmore Range. Also a glimpse of Lake Ohau at the S end of Ben Ohau.
On Dalgety summit track I scoffed my scroggin, 3 mandarins & biltong. Water essential, as I was hungry & thirsty after my 3.5 hour climb to a high point on Dalgety summit ridge, 1426 m (Map ref: BZ17 097998). There I found 2 dead wallabies, dessicated & mummified by sun & cold winds. Maybe a hunter had left them there, warning live wallabies, pests in Mackenzie Country. There was still a long way to go on Dalgety summit ridge to Mt Dalgety snowy summit, 1752 m.
I'd planned to tramp to 1588 m on Dalgety summit ridge, where I saw a distant aerial installation. But my Nikon battery expired at the 1426 m high point & the nor'wester was biting, so I returned from whence I came. Tomorrow's another day. I would've needed to tramp another 8 kms along the summit ridge to summit Mt Dalgety, 1752 m.
Stats:
Climb: 700 vertical metres.
Return distance: 12 kms (incl 3 kms farm track climb, Mackenzie Pass Rd to 1300 m start of summit track & 3 kms along summit track to 1426 m).
Times: Return 6 hours (incl 2.5 hours climb to summit track, 1 hour on summit track to 1426 m, 2.5 hours return).
Essentials: Tramping, hill walking fitness, map, backpack, walking stick(s), sturdy shoes, sunglasses, all weather gear, water, food. Cell phone coverage if cell pointed to Mt John.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Several hundred metres beyond Mackenzie Memorial on Mackenzie Pass, I parked my car at the roadside near a Mackenzie Stream tributary at about 700 m height (Map ref: BZ17 073037) where a grassy farm track marked on my Topo50 map rose to electricity pylons marching across Mackenzie Pass. It was a nor'wester warm, spring morn, so I started my tramp wearing shorts, T shirt, trainers, hat & backpack. Walking stick essential.
After the farm track petered out beyond the pylons, I climbed tussock land & waded though patches of Discaria toumatou matagouri & Aciphylla speargrass till I struck the main farm track zig-zagging up the NW end of Dalgety Range. The farm track climbed E roughly parallel to Mackenzie Pass with grand views of Rollesby Range N & Albury Range E.
When I stopped to catch my breath, turning round I had grand views of arid Mackenzie Basin & snowy peaks: Stafford Range, Ben Ohau Range with Mackenzies Peak, Razorback, Kaimakamaka Peaks, Dun Fiunary, Glentanner, Mt Sealy & others. As usual Mt Sefton & The Footstool were cloudy. Mt Cook further N was clear & snowy, Mt Tasman below ditto. Below those mighty peaks I saw snowy peaks & valleys: Gammack Range, Mt Stevenson, Braemar Dome, Fork River Valley, Mt Joseph, Cass River Valley, snowy hulk Malte Brun above, Hall Range. Looking N across Mackenzie Pass, I saw Rollesby Range with snowy Two Thumbs Range peaks & snowy Sherwood Range peaks beyond.
For a while, Dalgety NW ridge I climbed overlooked Mackenzie Stream SW flowing down a valley & snowy Grampian Range distant SW. As it had snowed last night, the S end of Dalgety Range & Grampian Range summit was sprinkled with fresh snow. En route, a wallaby froze in tussock above me, letting me snap 2 pics. When I said, "Hullo Mister Wallaby," it bounded down hill, joining sheep. I'd encounter 2 more live wallabies on my tramp & 2 dead wallabies, presumably shot at the highest point I reached on the summit track.
After I'd passed 3 farm gates & the top of a slip louring above Mackenzie Pass, the farm track turned sharp S at about 1300 m (Map ref: BZ17 097026) becoming the rocky, summit track winding along Dalgety summit ridge past rocky outcrops & wind funnels. The nor'wester coming off Mackenzie Basin cooled, causing me to become hypothermic, despite having climbed for 2.5 hours. I stopped & put on my winter gear, longs over my shorts, windcheater jacket with hood over my hat, gloves, which soon warmed me.
I wandered the cold, rocky, summit road for about 1 hour viewing alpine plants like Geranium sessiliflorum bronze crane-bill, Carmichaelia crassicaulis coral broom, Carmichaelia monroi dwarf broom, Raoulia scab weed, Celmisias, Dracophyllum prostratum, Gaultheria depressa snowberry, green & yellow Scleranthus, tussocks, Raoulia vegetable sheep at bitterly cold wind funnels. On the summit track I passed three more farm gates & patches of snow which increased towards Mt Dalgety summit, 1752 m.
From the E side of Dalgety summit ridge, I saw Albury Range with green Rollesby Valley below & the tops of Devils Peak & Fiery Peak beyond. E beyond Tengawai River, rolling green hills & farmlands to distant The Brothers hills & the Pacific. SE I saw Mt Nimrod Range & Mt Nessing Range, with a glimpse of green Hakataramea Valley farmlands between Mt Nessing Range & Dalgety Range.
From the W side of Dalgety summit ridge I saw arid Mackenzie Basin & snowy Alpine ranges described above: Stafford, Ben Ohau, Mt Cook, Gammack, Hall... Sprawled across arid Mackenzie Basin were smaller ranges & hills from N to S: Mt John with a glimpse of Lake Tekapo, Old Man Range with Tekapo Military Camp below, Mary Range with a glimpse of Lake Pukaki beyond. SW Grampian Range & Benmore Range. Also a glimpse of Lake Ohau at the S end of Ben Ohau.
On Dalgety summit track I scoffed my scroggin, 3 mandarins & biltong. Water essential, as I was hungry & thirsty after my 3.5 hour climb to a high point on Dalgety summit ridge, 1426 m (Map ref: BZ17 097998). There I found 2 dead wallabies, dessicated & mummified by sun & cold winds. Maybe a hunter had left them there, warning live wallabies, pests in Mackenzie Country. There was still a long way to go on Dalgety summit ridge to Mt Dalgety snowy summit, 1752 m.
I'd planned to tramp to 1588 m on Dalgety summit ridge, where I saw a distant aerial installation. But my Nikon battery expired at the 1426 m high point & the nor'wester was biting, so I returned from whence I came. Tomorrow's another day. I would've needed to tramp another 8 kms along the summit ridge to summit Mt Dalgety, 1752 m.
Stats:
Climb: 700 vertical metres.
Return distance: 12 kms (incl 3 kms farm track climb, Mackenzie Pass Rd to 1300 m start of summit track & 3 kms along summit track to 1426 m).
Times: Return 6 hours (incl 2.5 hours climb to summit track, 1 hour on summit track to 1426 m, 2.5 hours return).
Essentials: Tramping, hill walking fitness, map, backpack, walking stick(s), sturdy shoes, sunglasses, all weather gear, water, food. Cell phone coverage if cell pointed to Mt John.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Rollesby Range Summit, Mackenzie Country
Mon 30.10.17. A sunny day. As I wanted to climb to Rollesby Range summit ridge, 1377 m (Map ref: BZ17 095068) I drove SH8 from Pleasant Point to the top of Mackenzie Pass, 780 m, via Albury, Fairlie, Burkes Pass, 709 m, left at Dog Kennel Corner along Haldon Rd, turnoff at Mackenzie Pass Rd, a gravel road, 9 kms to the top of Mackenzie Pass. I didn't drive the shorter route from Pleasant Point via Albury to Mackenzie Pass, as there was lots of gravel road, dusty & nasty for my old Toyota Corolla.
Mackenzie Pass tops a saddle between Rollesby Range N, 11 kms long & Dalgety Range S, 18 kms long. I wanted to climb from Mackenzie Pass top to Rollesby Range summit ridge, which sloped downwards towards Burkes Pass. My Topo50 map showed a farm track up to the summit ridge. On my drive up Mackenzie Pass from arid Mackenzie Basin, I stopped by Mackenzie Stream to look at the Mackenzie Memorial, a grey, granite pyramid on a plinth beside the gravel road, inscribed in Gaelic, Maori, English:
IN
THIS SPOT
JAMES
MACKENZIE
THE FREEBOOTER
WAS CAPTURED BY
JOHN SIDEBOTTOM
AND THE MAORIS
TAIKO AND SEVENTEEN
AND ESCAPED FROM THEM
THE SAME NIGHT
4th MARCH 1855
Hence Mackenzie Country was named after freebooter & sheep rustler James Mackenzie.
The farm track-zig zagged up a tussock ridge, overlooking a gorge with a stream flowing down to Mackenzie Stream. Wilding pines grew on Rollesby Range tussock slopes. They'd be hard to fell on such steep slopes. From about 1000 m height, Alpine tussocks & speargrass associated with mat plants like Raoulia scabweed & vast mats of grey cushion plants & Alpine plants, like Celmisia & Senecio daisies, Gaultheria snowberries & green & yellow Scleranthus. Dominant plants: tussocks & rust coloured Dracophyllum shrubs with leathery stems & leaves. I saw Hieracium weed amongst that lot too, but not as polluting as Hieracium I'd seen on stations bordering Lake Tekapo.
There was little fauna on the way up: 2 seagulls enjoyed the winds over Mackenzie Pass. I wondered if they've ever seen the sea, inhabiting local lakes & tarns. A wallaby bounded to cover by the stream when it saw me. There was wallaby dung on the farm track & I picked up 4 used bullet cartridges, evidence of hunting. Dried cow dung was in the lower part of the track. There were no sheep on the tussock slopes.
At about 1100 m the track plateaued along the tussock ridge a bit, before curving upwards along the head of the gorge, then steeply zig-zagging to the summit ridge at 1377 m (Map ref: BZ17 095068). On top, the track went slightly below the rocky ridge. At 2 big rocks on each side of the track, I left the track to summit the ridge & found a weather station with anemometer & weather vane, with solar panel electricity supply. Along the rocky summit there were 3 more installations: aerials with solar panels & a tin shed at the 4th installation.
From Rollesby Range summit ridge, grand, snowy Alpine views:
E: Spring green Rollesby Valley & stations. Single Hill Range. Albury Range.
ESE: Distant Pacific. Spring green farms. The Brothers hills.
SE: Mt Nessing Range. Mt Nimrod Range.
S: End of Dalgety Range above Mackenzie Pass. Distant Otago Ranges.
SSW: Dalgety Range. Grampian Range.
SW: Arid Mackenzie Basin & stations. Greys Hills. Benmore Range. Distant Otago Ranges. Stafford Range. Ben Ohau Range.
W: Mary Range obscuring Lake Pukaki. Ben Ohau Range,
NW: Arid Mackenzie Basin & stations. Ben Ohau Range incl Dun Fiunary, Mt Glentanner, Mt Sealy.
NNW: Arid Mackenzie Basin & stations. Mt John. Old Man Range, Tekapo Military Camp below. Cloudy Mt Sefton & The Footstool. Cloudy Mt Cook & Mt Tasman. Braemar Dome. Mt Stevenson. Fork River Valley. Mt Joseph. Cass River Valley. Gammack Range. Hall Range.
N: Two Thumbs Range incl Mt Edward, Mt Maud & Mt Dobson obscuring Lake Tekapo. Mt Dobson ski field road & ski lift seen. Sherwood Range incl Mt Fox.
NE: Spring green Burkes Pass. Rollesby Valley & stations. Single Hill Range. Albury Range. ENE: Distant High Claytons. Devils Peak.
Stats:
Climb: 600 vertical metres from Mackenzie Pass summit to Rollesby Range summit ridge.
Return distance: 9 kms.
Times: 2.5 hours ascent. 2 hours descent.
Essentials:
Tramping, hill walking fitness, backpack, map, sturdy shoes, sunglasses, water, food, walking stick(s), all weather gear, as Alpine weather changed quickly. I summited Rollesby Range in windless, bright sunlight. On top, wind & clouds arose within an hour. Cell phone coverage if cell pointed to Mt John.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Mackenzie Pass tops a saddle between Rollesby Range N, 11 kms long & Dalgety Range S, 18 kms long. I wanted to climb from Mackenzie Pass top to Rollesby Range summit ridge, which sloped downwards towards Burkes Pass. My Topo50 map showed a farm track up to the summit ridge. On my drive up Mackenzie Pass from arid Mackenzie Basin, I stopped by Mackenzie Stream to look at the Mackenzie Memorial, a grey, granite pyramid on a plinth beside the gravel road, inscribed in Gaelic, Maori, English:
IN
THIS SPOT
JAMES
MACKENZIE
THE FREEBOOTER
WAS CAPTURED BY
JOHN SIDEBOTTOM
AND THE MAORIS
TAIKO AND SEVENTEEN
AND ESCAPED FROM THEM
THE SAME NIGHT
4th MARCH 1855
Hence Mackenzie Country was named after freebooter & sheep rustler James Mackenzie.
The farm track-zig zagged up a tussock ridge, overlooking a gorge with a stream flowing down to Mackenzie Stream. Wilding pines grew on Rollesby Range tussock slopes. They'd be hard to fell on such steep slopes. From about 1000 m height, Alpine tussocks & speargrass associated with mat plants like Raoulia scabweed & vast mats of grey cushion plants & Alpine plants, like Celmisia & Senecio daisies, Gaultheria snowberries & green & yellow Scleranthus. Dominant plants: tussocks & rust coloured Dracophyllum shrubs with leathery stems & leaves. I saw Hieracium weed amongst that lot too, but not as polluting as Hieracium I'd seen on stations bordering Lake Tekapo.
There was little fauna on the way up: 2 seagulls enjoyed the winds over Mackenzie Pass. I wondered if they've ever seen the sea, inhabiting local lakes & tarns. A wallaby bounded to cover by the stream when it saw me. There was wallaby dung on the farm track & I picked up 4 used bullet cartridges, evidence of hunting. Dried cow dung was in the lower part of the track. There were no sheep on the tussock slopes.
At about 1100 m the track plateaued along the tussock ridge a bit, before curving upwards along the head of the gorge, then steeply zig-zagging to the summit ridge at 1377 m (Map ref: BZ17 095068). On top, the track went slightly below the rocky ridge. At 2 big rocks on each side of the track, I left the track to summit the ridge & found a weather station with anemometer & weather vane, with solar panel electricity supply. Along the rocky summit there were 3 more installations: aerials with solar panels & a tin shed at the 4th installation.
From Rollesby Range summit ridge, grand, snowy Alpine views:
E: Spring green Rollesby Valley & stations. Single Hill Range. Albury Range.
ESE: Distant Pacific. Spring green farms. The Brothers hills.
SE: Mt Nessing Range. Mt Nimrod Range.
S: End of Dalgety Range above Mackenzie Pass. Distant Otago Ranges.
SSW: Dalgety Range. Grampian Range.
SW: Arid Mackenzie Basin & stations. Greys Hills. Benmore Range. Distant Otago Ranges. Stafford Range. Ben Ohau Range.
W: Mary Range obscuring Lake Pukaki. Ben Ohau Range,
NW: Arid Mackenzie Basin & stations. Ben Ohau Range incl Dun Fiunary, Mt Glentanner, Mt Sealy.
NNW: Arid Mackenzie Basin & stations. Mt John. Old Man Range, Tekapo Military Camp below. Cloudy Mt Sefton & The Footstool. Cloudy Mt Cook & Mt Tasman. Braemar Dome. Mt Stevenson. Fork River Valley. Mt Joseph. Cass River Valley. Gammack Range. Hall Range.
N: Two Thumbs Range incl Mt Edward, Mt Maud & Mt Dobson obscuring Lake Tekapo. Mt Dobson ski field road & ski lift seen. Sherwood Range incl Mt Fox.
NE: Spring green Burkes Pass. Rollesby Valley & stations. Single Hill Range. Albury Range. ENE: Distant High Claytons. Devils Peak.
Stats:
Climb: 600 vertical metres from Mackenzie Pass summit to Rollesby Range summit ridge.
Return distance: 9 kms.
Times: 2.5 hours ascent. 2 hours descent.
Essentials:
Tramping, hill walking fitness, backpack, map, sturdy shoes, sunglasses, water, food, walking stick(s), all weather gear, as Alpine weather changed quickly. I summited Rollesby Range in windless, bright sunlight. On top, wind & clouds arose within an hour. Cell phone coverage if cell pointed to Mt John.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Beyond Quake Walls. Mary Statue Photo, Christchurch Basilica, 22 February Quake
Mary Statue focus. Barbadoes St: My quake pics were used by blog readers to solve various problems. Example: 03.10.17. A reader's email request for a high resolution photo of Mary statue, which moved 180 degrees during collapse of Christchurch Basilica, N tower, 22 February quake:
"I have been scouring the 'net for a photo of the Catholic Cathedral taken between 2010 and 2011 quakes to put to rest a 'discussion' about whether the statue of Mary in the upper window of the north Tower actually did a one-eighty during the Feb 22nd quake. On your blog you have a photo of the Cathedral but its not high enough resolution to be sure the statue is facing inwards. If it is we expect to see the white veil at the top and the blue cloak down from there. If facing out, it will be predominantly white.
[My pic was a N angle shot of Christchurch Basilica, Barbadoes St, on 15.09.10, post 4 September, M7.1, Darfield Quake, first of 15 000 quakes shaking Christchurch over 3 years. If the emailer clicked on the pic he would've seen the white inward facing veil & blue cloak underneath. No high-resolution pic needed. If he'd searched my blog further, he would've found Mary statue pics I took during Mar 2011, post 22 February quake, showing outward facing Mary statue. See blog post link below].
I would love to see a high res copy of this - I'm certainly not wanting to prove a miracle or anything, but the truth is important to me. So either it is a remarkable seismic phenomenon or maybe someone went into the Cathedral even though it was closed to the public and turned the statue - admittedly unlikely. [Agreed. There was tons of collapsed rubble on the roof of the N tower office housing Mary statue].
But as you can imagine, dated photographic evidence is what speaks to me as a scientist... A photo from early February 2011 would be the absolute clincher..." [My clicked on 15.09.10 blog photo IS the clincher!]
See Wednesday 15.09.10. Day 12 after Christchurch Quake, Dallington.
See Now You Know, Red Zone
See Ferry Road Demolition & RC Cathedral.
My email reply:
"I took and blogged 20 600 quake pics before / as soon as citizens were allowed into Christchurch trashed CBD. My pics are not as high- resolution as you want / need, as I used 3 cheap digital-cameras (1 Nikon, 2 Samsungs) during my trekking over 3 years in Christchurch & surrounding towns, 2010-13 incl.
It was impossible to trek trashed, Chch CBD for at least 28 months post 22 February quake, as there was a military State-of-Emergency, then CBD military-cordon, with numerous cordoned / arbitrarily changed checkpoints into the CBD where trashed Christchurch Basilica was / is.
Unauthorised entry into cordoned-CBD red-zone invited arrest by cops or NZDF soldiers. Post-quakes, only CERA officials, cops, military, a few Council & NZ govt personnel, vetted media & contractors were allowed into Chch CBD red-zone, where Christchurch Basilica was / is. Sometimes, bldg owners were allowed military / cop-escorted entry to their trashed bldgs in CBD red-zone to retrieve belongings. Over many months, CERA opened parts of the CBD to citizens when perceived safe, after many demolitions.
Should you want high-resolution pics of Mary spin, I suggest you research The Press / Stuff Co articles. I remember one article which had pics of Mary spin, maybe higher-resolution than mine. I saw & photographed many heavy objects twisted & spun on their vertical-axes by quakes, like houses, stone-gateposts, war-memorial-obelisks & granite-grave-obelisks. Check out my 2 Selwyn St Cemetery blog-posts showing grave-obelisks toppled or spun on their vertical-axes by quakes. Much heavier than Mary statue.
See Selwyn St Ghosts, 5 Months Post Quake
Many bridge horizontal concrete-spans were rotated on their horizontal-axes, 1 000s of tons weightier than Mary statue. Check out my Bridge St Bridge post, Avon Estuary.
See Ten Avon River Bridges, Spans & Quakes.
Trust this resolves your skepticism. I was 82kg mass during early quakes, spun & twisted often while trying to walk / run to safety during quakes.
BTW, Mary statue faced inwards in Christchurch Basilica tower, office window pre-quakes, but faced outwards towards Barbadoes St post 22 February quake, a 180 degree spin of the statue on its pedestal caused by the quake. No miracle, just physical forces. Check out EQC's GeoNet website, if you want details of seismic-scales, vertical-accelerations, etc during quakes.
See GeoNet.
Coda:
Battling bishops: Dec 2019. Bishop Martin would announce a new Christchurch Basilica to be built, Armagh St / Colombo St, together with a new school, offices, priests' accommodation, community hub, multi-storey carpark. Hopefully completed by 2025. That idea fizzled, 2024, when the next bishop decided new Christchurch Basilica would be built on Barbadoes St original site.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
"I have been scouring the 'net for a photo of the Catholic Cathedral taken between 2010 and 2011 quakes to put to rest a 'discussion' about whether the statue of Mary in the upper window of the north Tower actually did a one-eighty during the Feb 22nd quake. On your blog you have a photo of the Cathedral but its not high enough resolution to be sure the statue is facing inwards. If it is we expect to see the white veil at the top and the blue cloak down from there. If facing out, it will be predominantly white.
[My pic was a N angle shot of Christchurch Basilica, Barbadoes St, on 15.09.10, post 4 September, M7.1, Darfield Quake, first of 15 000 quakes shaking Christchurch over 3 years. If the emailer clicked on the pic he would've seen the white inward facing veil & blue cloak underneath. No high-resolution pic needed. If he'd searched my blog further, he would've found Mary statue pics I took during Mar 2011, post 22 February quake, showing outward facing Mary statue. See blog post link below].
I would love to see a high res copy of this - I'm certainly not wanting to prove a miracle or anything, but the truth is important to me. So either it is a remarkable seismic phenomenon or maybe someone went into the Cathedral even though it was closed to the public and turned the statue - admittedly unlikely. [Agreed. There was tons of collapsed rubble on the roof of the N tower office housing Mary statue].
But as you can imagine, dated photographic evidence is what speaks to me as a scientist... A photo from early February 2011 would be the absolute clincher..." [My clicked on 15.09.10 blog photo IS the clincher!]
See Wednesday 15.09.10. Day 12 after Christchurch Quake, Dallington.
See Now You Know, Red Zone
See Ferry Road Demolition & RC Cathedral.
My email reply:
"I took and blogged 20 600 quake pics before / as soon as citizens were allowed into Christchurch trashed CBD. My pics are not as high- resolution as you want / need, as I used 3 cheap digital-cameras (1 Nikon, 2 Samsungs) during my trekking over 3 years in Christchurch & surrounding towns, 2010-13 incl.
It was impossible to trek trashed, Chch CBD for at least 28 months post 22 February quake, as there was a military State-of-Emergency, then CBD military-cordon, with numerous cordoned / arbitrarily changed checkpoints into the CBD where trashed Christchurch Basilica was / is.
Unauthorised entry into cordoned-CBD red-zone invited arrest by cops or NZDF soldiers. Post-quakes, only CERA officials, cops, military, a few Council & NZ govt personnel, vetted media & contractors were allowed into Chch CBD red-zone, where Christchurch Basilica was / is. Sometimes, bldg owners were allowed military / cop-escorted entry to their trashed bldgs in CBD red-zone to retrieve belongings. Over many months, CERA opened parts of the CBD to citizens when perceived safe, after many demolitions.
Should you want high-resolution pics of Mary spin, I suggest you research The Press / Stuff Co articles. I remember one article which had pics of Mary spin, maybe higher-resolution than mine. I saw & photographed many heavy objects twisted & spun on their vertical-axes by quakes, like houses, stone-gateposts, war-memorial-obelisks & granite-grave-obelisks. Check out my 2 Selwyn St Cemetery blog-posts showing grave-obelisks toppled or spun on their vertical-axes by quakes. Much heavier than Mary statue.
See Selwyn St Ghosts, 5 Months Post Quake
Many bridge horizontal concrete-spans were rotated on their horizontal-axes, 1 000s of tons weightier than Mary statue. Check out my Bridge St Bridge post, Avon Estuary.
See Ten Avon River Bridges, Spans & Quakes.
Trust this resolves your skepticism. I was 82kg mass during early quakes, spun & twisted often while trying to walk / run to safety during quakes.
BTW, Mary statue faced inwards in Christchurch Basilica tower, office window pre-quakes, but faced outwards towards Barbadoes St post 22 February quake, a 180 degree spin of the statue on its pedestal caused by the quake. No miracle, just physical forces. Check out EQC's GeoNet website, if you want details of seismic-scales, vertical-accelerations, etc during quakes.
See GeoNet.
Coda:
Battling bishops: Dec 2019. Bishop Martin would announce a new Christchurch Basilica to be built, Armagh St / Colombo St, together with a new school, offices, priests' accommodation, community hub, multi-storey carpark. Hopefully completed by 2025. That idea fizzled, 2024, when the next bishop decided new Christchurch Basilica would be built on Barbadoes St original site.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
A Trip To Wellington
02.10.17. A letter to my adult sons summarizing Leah's & my trip to Wellington:
Sunday: Parked our car at Timaru airport for the week. Sunny flight Timaru - Wellington. Grand views of snowy Alps, farms, roads & Pacific. Flying over Christchurch, we saw the quakes' red zone along Avon River & how CERA had demolition gutted Christchurch - great swathes of green - Avon loop where you'd flatted Jake - Dallington, Horseshoe Lake, Bexley...
From Wellington airport, bussed to CBD. Checked in Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge Tce, near Queen Victoria statue. Wandered Courtenay Pl, Dixon St, Manners St, mingling with tourists & locals. Lots of cafes, restaurants, hoboes & barber shops. New World shopped, Wakefield St near our hotel.
Monday: Stormy. Te Papa, Our Place. Meals at museum cafe. First floor, I disliked the Gallipoli exhibition glorifying war, a couple of giant ANZAC soldier statues, few artefacts, a series of wall photos & descriptions. Top floor, I preferred the Darkness & Light, Maori exhibition, better Maori artefacts & descriptions. I gave short shrift to a bearded volunteer trying to explain Waitangi Treaty to me. I said: "I'm deaf. You're wasting your time!"
Tuesday: Stormy. Visited Wellington Museum, Jervois Quay - Harbour Board bldg, old wooden warehouse. Interesting 100 Years exhibition & artefacts. We ham steered an old sailing ship's wooden wheel & sat on giant, wooden, Harbour Board chairs. Lunch at Mojo cafe, escaping the rain. Visited old, wooden St Pauls church, near Parliament. Explored Parliament bldgs, incl the Beehive. Saw Minister Brownlee scuttling off behind the Beehive. Ilam constituents re-electing him daft, due to CERA excessive, post quake demolitions, EQC & CBD Blueprint debacles & delays.
Wednesday: Cloudy & cool. Walked Leah along Vivian St to her teacher conference at QC Hotel, Cuba St. QC Hotel was built on Salvation Army land as Peoples Palace 1904. Enlarged 1906. Revamped, enlarged again 2003. Reopened by PM Helen Clarke as Trekkers Hotel. I mingled with tourists and locals along Cuba Street, a death trap in future quakes, due to old, quake prone bldgs, loose brick walls, facades & parapets. Whenever I wandered Cuba St I got that creepy feeling I felt post Christchurch quakes near dangerous bldgs.
By Lambton Quay, caught the Cable Car to Botanic Gdns. Grand view of Wgtn. Lovely tulip show at main gates. Botanic labels few throughout. Cafe supper, Cuba St, crap steak.
Thursday: Walked Leah to QC Hotel. Visited War Memorial below Massey University. Found Gallipoli, Simpson & Henderson, stretcher bearers' & donkey statue on War Memorial steps. I'd seen it 23 years ago, forgot how small it was, compared to the giant War Memorial tower. Didn't pay ripoff admission fee to the Memorial Museum. New WW1 unknown soldier's grave at top of War Memorial steps, black polished granite.
Across War Memorial square, new ANZAC Memorial: raw red stone columns, Australian ground, amongst grey flagstones, NZ ground. Polished, grey granite panels on the red columns, engraved with ANZAC campaigns & aborigine carvings. Visited Wgtn Art Gallery & Library. Leah had teachers' supper at Te Papa. I dined at McDonald's, Courtenay Pl.
Friday: Walked Leah to QC Hotel. I breakfasted at Felix Cafe, bottom of Cuba St. Snapped CBD pics. Some bldg windows were boarded due to recent Kaikoura quake. Also old, brick bldgs with EARTHQUAKE PRONE BUILDING, yellow stickers. A 6 storey, modern bldg was being demolished near the Beehive, similar design to the CTV bldg which lethally collapsed during the 22.02.11 Christchurch quake. Halfwit Wgtn was slow to learn Christchurch quake lessons.
Saw opening ceremony, Maori Darkness & Light exhibition, Te Papa: PC history - Good Maori natives, bad Euro colonials. Many Maori in traditional costumes, dancing & singing. Some male dancers with spiral tattoos on their naked bums. Wondered if they knew how similar those spirals were to Celtic spirals? Boring speeches on live video near the whare exhibit. No mention on exhibit artefacts about ancient Maori cannibalism.
After Leah's conference ended we sunny afternoon wandered Oriental Pde, grand harbour & caldera hill views. Plenty joggers & beautiful people, same as I saw 23 years ago when I'd freedom camped there below Norfolk pines. Supper at Pasha Cafe, Dixon St, with a Korean friend.
Saturday: Return flight, Wgtn - Timaru, delayed 2 hours due to Marsden Refinery pipeline break. Jet refuelling took precedence over our small prop plane refuelling. Air crew were embarrassed & apologetic days after the pipeline break. Dumb fuel security organizing by NZ govt & farmer digging up stumps by the pipeline causing the break. Arrived back at Pleasant Point after dark.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Sunday: Parked our car at Timaru airport for the week. Sunny flight Timaru - Wellington. Grand views of snowy Alps, farms, roads & Pacific. Flying over Christchurch, we saw the quakes' red zone along Avon River & how CERA had demolition gutted Christchurch - great swathes of green - Avon loop where you'd flatted Jake - Dallington, Horseshoe Lake, Bexley...
From Wellington airport, bussed to CBD. Checked in Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge Tce, near Queen Victoria statue. Wandered Courtenay Pl, Dixon St, Manners St, mingling with tourists & locals. Lots of cafes, restaurants, hoboes & barber shops. New World shopped, Wakefield St near our hotel.
Monday: Stormy. Te Papa, Our Place. Meals at museum cafe. First floor, I disliked the Gallipoli exhibition glorifying war, a couple of giant ANZAC soldier statues, few artefacts, a series of wall photos & descriptions. Top floor, I preferred the Darkness & Light, Maori exhibition, better Maori artefacts & descriptions. I gave short shrift to a bearded volunteer trying to explain Waitangi Treaty to me. I said: "I'm deaf. You're wasting your time!"
Tuesday: Stormy. Visited Wellington Museum, Jervois Quay - Harbour Board bldg, old wooden warehouse. Interesting 100 Years exhibition & artefacts. We ham steered an old sailing ship's wooden wheel & sat on giant, wooden, Harbour Board chairs. Lunch at Mojo cafe, escaping the rain. Visited old, wooden St Pauls church, near Parliament. Explored Parliament bldgs, incl the Beehive. Saw Minister Brownlee scuttling off behind the Beehive. Ilam constituents re-electing him daft, due to CERA excessive, post quake demolitions, EQC & CBD Blueprint debacles & delays.
Wednesday: Cloudy & cool. Walked Leah along Vivian St to her teacher conference at QC Hotel, Cuba St. QC Hotel was built on Salvation Army land as Peoples Palace 1904. Enlarged 1906. Revamped, enlarged again 2003. Reopened by PM Helen Clarke as Trekkers Hotel. I mingled with tourists and locals along Cuba Street, a death trap in future quakes, due to old, quake prone bldgs, loose brick walls, facades & parapets. Whenever I wandered Cuba St I got that creepy feeling I felt post Christchurch quakes near dangerous bldgs.
By Lambton Quay, caught the Cable Car to Botanic Gdns. Grand view of Wgtn. Lovely tulip show at main gates. Botanic labels few throughout. Cafe supper, Cuba St, crap steak.
Thursday: Walked Leah to QC Hotel. Visited War Memorial below Massey University. Found Gallipoli, Simpson & Henderson, stretcher bearers' & donkey statue on War Memorial steps. I'd seen it 23 years ago, forgot how small it was, compared to the giant War Memorial tower. Didn't pay ripoff admission fee to the Memorial Museum. New WW1 unknown soldier's grave at top of War Memorial steps, black polished granite.
Across War Memorial square, new ANZAC Memorial: raw red stone columns, Australian ground, amongst grey flagstones, NZ ground. Polished, grey granite panels on the red columns, engraved with ANZAC campaigns & aborigine carvings. Visited Wgtn Art Gallery & Library. Leah had teachers' supper at Te Papa. I dined at McDonald's, Courtenay Pl.
Friday: Walked Leah to QC Hotel. I breakfasted at Felix Cafe, bottom of Cuba St. Snapped CBD pics. Some bldg windows were boarded due to recent Kaikoura quake. Also old, brick bldgs with EARTHQUAKE PRONE BUILDING, yellow stickers. A 6 storey, modern bldg was being demolished near the Beehive, similar design to the CTV bldg which lethally collapsed during the 22.02.11 Christchurch quake. Halfwit Wgtn was slow to learn Christchurch quake lessons.
Saw opening ceremony, Maori Darkness & Light exhibition, Te Papa: PC history - Good Maori natives, bad Euro colonials. Many Maori in traditional costumes, dancing & singing. Some male dancers with spiral tattoos on their naked bums. Wondered if they knew how similar those spirals were to Celtic spirals? Boring speeches on live video near the whare exhibit. No mention on exhibit artefacts about ancient Maori cannibalism.
After Leah's conference ended we sunny afternoon wandered Oriental Pde, grand harbour & caldera hill views. Plenty joggers & beautiful people, same as I saw 23 years ago when I'd freedom camped there below Norfolk pines. Supper at Pasha Cafe, Dixon St, with a Korean friend.
Saturday: Return flight, Wgtn - Timaru, delayed 2 hours due to Marsden Refinery pipeline break. Jet refuelling took precedence over our small prop plane refuelling. Air crew were embarrassed & apologetic days after the pipeline break. Dumb fuel security organizing by NZ govt & farmer digging up stumps by the pipeline causing the break. Arrived back at Pleasant Point after dark.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Cow Crap, Kale, Dirty Green NZ
Recently we lived in Mackenzie Country, South Canterbury for 3 years, Lake Tekapo & Fairlie. This year we moved down SH8 to a Pleasant Point rental, so Leah had an easy rural commute to her Timaru work, as Resource Teacher Literacy, South Canterbury. Pleasant Point was on the S side of Tengawai River & Opihi River confluence.
Over the last few years, we'd regularly travelled South Canterbury, to & from Christchurch for Leah's teaching & lecturing. Near Dunsandel we passed Synlait milk processing plant seen from SH1. Leah's present job required her driving rural roads visiting schools in towns like Pleasant Point, Albury, Cannington, Fairlie, Lake Tekapo, Twizel, Temuka, Winchester, Geraldine, Woodbury, Mt Peel, Timaru, St Andrews, Waimate. I was taxi driver on long trips & we saw South Canterbury rural degradation caused by sheep, red deer, pig, cattle overstocking / overgrazing, especially cattle intensification for Fonterra & Synlait milk supply.
SH8 went through the middle of Pleasant Point. On the N side, plains farmland went down to Opihi River, draining the district. On the S side, rolling hills reminded me of England's South Downs. There were pleasant walks in & around Pleasant Point: Walks around sports fields & golf course, taking in a red deer paddock & a stream near posh golf club housing with distant Alpine views.
Walks along Tengawai River stopbank via Tengawai Rd. Walks along Ophi River stopbank via Halstead Rd or Butlers Rd.
A 5 km, circular walk along Manse Rd took me across farmland to Smart Munro Rd & back to Pleasant Point. Another walk off Manse Rd took me along Longview Rd with long views of the Southern Alps. The point of my rural walks were sublime Alpine views taking in snowy mountains from Hunters Hills, Mt Nimrod, Mt Nessing in the S, across the vast panorama of Dalgety Range, Albury Range, Two Thumbs Range, Sherwood Range, Devils Peak, Fiery Peak, Blue Mt, Waihi Peak, Tripps Peak, Mt Peel, Old Man Range, Mt Somers, Mt Hutt fading to the N.
As my feet had good circulation I often walked in flip flops, even in winter. Sanctimonious Kiwis pointed to my feet saying I had the wrong tramping gear. So what? Having waded through liquefactioned sewage during Christchurch quakes, my toes were good crap detectors. Whenever I walked along rural roads my feet became covered in cow crap from farmlands' runoff. Winter roadsides were churned muddy by farm vehicles picking up plastic covered hay bales for stock feed. No haystacks anymore, but long hay rolls covered in unsightly green or pink plastic lining rural roads.
Example of cow crap & kale on a rural walk: A 6 km farmlands, circular walk from Afghan St along SH8, turning into Keans Rd at Keans Crossing by the end of Pleasant Point's tourist railway siding. A bridge crossed a stream filled with cow crap runoff, making the stream turbid brown. I passed several lifestyle houses & sheep & red deer paddocks, then a cob cottage below the hill.
As I climbed the hill on tarseal road, a Council ute passed me spraying herbicide on roadside weeds, gorse & blackberry. A B&B farmhouse sat on top of the hill. Keans Rd tarseal road became muddy gravel. I passed plastic covered, hay bales with mud churned alongside. Muddy puddles were stained brown with cow crap & urine runoff. (1 cow produced 23 kg cow crap & 25 litres urine / day. [The Press article comment]. Nitrates to fertilize farm soil & runoff pollution into streams & Opihi River). NAWA / ECAN website: Opihi River catchment, water quality indicators showed South Canterbury, Opihi River catchment was one of the worst nitrogen pollution catchments in Canterbury.
Keans Rd: Snowy Alpine views were nice. I passed an old farm house & sheds, a couple of sheep paddocks & big farm houses. The size of big, posh farm houses & farmers' SUVs, showed South Canterbury farmers were very wealthy. I crossed a muddy ford, the water opaque brown, filled with cow crap runoff.
After Keans Rd / Olivers Rd junction, on Olivers Rd I passed rolling sheep paddocks & a stock yard one side of the gravel road & a huge cattle paddock the other side of Olivers Rd, churned up. Cows up to their hocks in mud. The muddy field, a cattle killing field where cattle were finished off for the abattoir. On top of the killing field hill, a line of cattle grazed their way along a line of kale kept straight by an electric tape. (In winter we saw that cattle / kale, break grazing all over South Canterbury in pugged, muddy paddocks). At a stock yard on top of the muddy hill, two Barwoods cattle trucks awaited the arrival of the cattle for slaughter.
Doake Rd, several farm houses, tarseal back to Pleasant Point, via Smart Munro Rd: Cow crap, muddy water, stagnant under a culvert, runoff from the muddy killing field. A concrete ford by Doake Rd / Smart Munro Rd junction: A valley stream polluted by cow crap.
Multiply cow crap, water pollution seen on my 6 km walk by 2600 farms in Opihi River catchment (LAWA / ECAN) & South Canterbury was submerged by cow crap sludge, polluting South Canterbury streams & rivers. Thanks to greedy dairy farmers, Fonterra & Synlait degrading South Canterbury's intensified cattle fields into cow crapped, muddy, killing fields, runoff polluting waterways, for milk product exports. Dirty Green NZ.
13.11.18. A year later, getting tramping fit again, I did a 2 hour, 8 km, circular walk SW of Pleasant Point over downy, green, cropland & pastureland, incl some of the above roads - SH8, Keans Rd, Olivers Rd, Doake Rd, Smart Munro Rd, Manse Rd back to Pleasant Point SH8. Cattle had gone to abattoirs, but many rolling hill paddocks were now sheep stocked. Ponds, creeks, culverts, roadside ditches were filled with runoff sheep shit, causing waters to be polluted brown. If the water wasn't brown polluted it was filled with green scum from eutrophic algae. C'mon South Canterbury farmers! Get your act together & stop polluting your farms & rivers with toxic urine & crap. Dirty Green NZ.
Herbicide pollution by Timaru Council: Like the rest of South Canterbury main roads, every white, plastic, reflective road marker along Smart Munro Rd had a swathe of orange, dead plants around each marker, 10-12 paces long x 3 paces wide. That's a hell of a lot of toxic herbicide runoff for roadside ditches & creeks. Dirty Green NZ.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Synlait
See Fonterra
See The truth about cow poo (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Call for action on Canterbury's ailing waterways (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Opihi River Water Catchment (LAWA / ECAN).
See Opihi Water Project (NZ Landcare Trust).
See Cattle standing in muddy paddocks distresses farmer (The Press / Stuff Co).
See NZ election 2017 going beyond environmental slogans (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Irrigation is not the culprit in Canterburys environmental woes (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Statue of environment minister with his pants down delivered to Canterbury regional council (The Press / Stuff Co).
Over the last few years, we'd regularly travelled South Canterbury, to & from Christchurch for Leah's teaching & lecturing. Near Dunsandel we passed Synlait milk processing plant seen from SH1. Leah's present job required her driving rural roads visiting schools in towns like Pleasant Point, Albury, Cannington, Fairlie, Lake Tekapo, Twizel, Temuka, Winchester, Geraldine, Woodbury, Mt Peel, Timaru, St Andrews, Waimate. I was taxi driver on long trips & we saw South Canterbury rural degradation caused by sheep, red deer, pig, cattle overstocking / overgrazing, especially cattle intensification for Fonterra & Synlait milk supply.
SH8 went through the middle of Pleasant Point. On the N side, plains farmland went down to Opihi River, draining the district. On the S side, rolling hills reminded me of England's South Downs. There were pleasant walks in & around Pleasant Point: Walks around sports fields & golf course, taking in a red deer paddock & a stream near posh golf club housing with distant Alpine views.
Walks along Tengawai River stopbank via Tengawai Rd. Walks along Ophi River stopbank via Halstead Rd or Butlers Rd.
A 5 km, circular walk along Manse Rd took me across farmland to Smart Munro Rd & back to Pleasant Point. Another walk off Manse Rd took me along Longview Rd with long views of the Southern Alps. The point of my rural walks were sublime Alpine views taking in snowy mountains from Hunters Hills, Mt Nimrod, Mt Nessing in the S, across the vast panorama of Dalgety Range, Albury Range, Two Thumbs Range, Sherwood Range, Devils Peak, Fiery Peak, Blue Mt, Waihi Peak, Tripps Peak, Mt Peel, Old Man Range, Mt Somers, Mt Hutt fading to the N.
As my feet had good circulation I often walked in flip flops, even in winter. Sanctimonious Kiwis pointed to my feet saying I had the wrong tramping gear. So what? Having waded through liquefactioned sewage during Christchurch quakes, my toes were good crap detectors. Whenever I walked along rural roads my feet became covered in cow crap from farmlands' runoff. Winter roadsides were churned muddy by farm vehicles picking up plastic covered hay bales for stock feed. No haystacks anymore, but long hay rolls covered in unsightly green or pink plastic lining rural roads.
Example of cow crap & kale on a rural walk: A 6 km farmlands, circular walk from Afghan St along SH8, turning into Keans Rd at Keans Crossing by the end of Pleasant Point's tourist railway siding. A bridge crossed a stream filled with cow crap runoff, making the stream turbid brown. I passed several lifestyle houses & sheep & red deer paddocks, then a cob cottage below the hill.
As I climbed the hill on tarseal road, a Council ute passed me spraying herbicide on roadside weeds, gorse & blackberry. A B&B farmhouse sat on top of the hill. Keans Rd tarseal road became muddy gravel. I passed plastic covered, hay bales with mud churned alongside. Muddy puddles were stained brown with cow crap & urine runoff. (1 cow produced 23 kg cow crap & 25 litres urine / day. [The Press article comment]. Nitrates to fertilize farm soil & runoff pollution into streams & Opihi River). NAWA / ECAN website: Opihi River catchment, water quality indicators showed South Canterbury, Opihi River catchment was one of the worst nitrogen pollution catchments in Canterbury.
Keans Rd: Snowy Alpine views were nice. I passed an old farm house & sheds, a couple of sheep paddocks & big farm houses. The size of big, posh farm houses & farmers' SUVs, showed South Canterbury farmers were very wealthy. I crossed a muddy ford, the water opaque brown, filled with cow crap runoff.
After Keans Rd / Olivers Rd junction, on Olivers Rd I passed rolling sheep paddocks & a stock yard one side of the gravel road & a huge cattle paddock the other side of Olivers Rd, churned up. Cows up to their hocks in mud. The muddy field, a cattle killing field where cattle were finished off for the abattoir. On top of the killing field hill, a line of cattle grazed their way along a line of kale kept straight by an electric tape. (In winter we saw that cattle / kale, break grazing all over South Canterbury in pugged, muddy paddocks). At a stock yard on top of the muddy hill, two Barwoods cattle trucks awaited the arrival of the cattle for slaughter.
Doake Rd, several farm houses, tarseal back to Pleasant Point, via Smart Munro Rd: Cow crap, muddy water, stagnant under a culvert, runoff from the muddy killing field. A concrete ford by Doake Rd / Smart Munro Rd junction: A valley stream polluted by cow crap.
Multiply cow crap, water pollution seen on my 6 km walk by 2600 farms in Opihi River catchment (LAWA / ECAN) & South Canterbury was submerged by cow crap sludge, polluting South Canterbury streams & rivers. Thanks to greedy dairy farmers, Fonterra & Synlait degrading South Canterbury's intensified cattle fields into cow crapped, muddy, killing fields, runoff polluting waterways, for milk product exports. Dirty Green NZ.
13.11.18. A year later, getting tramping fit again, I did a 2 hour, 8 km, circular walk SW of Pleasant Point over downy, green, cropland & pastureland, incl some of the above roads - SH8, Keans Rd, Olivers Rd, Doake Rd, Smart Munro Rd, Manse Rd back to Pleasant Point SH8. Cattle had gone to abattoirs, but many rolling hill paddocks were now sheep stocked. Ponds, creeks, culverts, roadside ditches were filled with runoff sheep shit, causing waters to be polluted brown. If the water wasn't brown polluted it was filled with green scum from eutrophic algae. C'mon South Canterbury farmers! Get your act together & stop polluting your farms & rivers with toxic urine & crap. Dirty Green NZ.
Herbicide pollution by Timaru Council: Like the rest of South Canterbury main roads, every white, plastic, reflective road marker along Smart Munro Rd had a swathe of orange, dead plants around each marker, 10-12 paces long x 3 paces wide. That's a hell of a lot of toxic herbicide runoff for roadside ditches & creeks. Dirty Green NZ.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Synlait
See Fonterra
See The truth about cow poo (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Call for action on Canterbury's ailing waterways (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Opihi River Water Catchment (LAWA / ECAN).
See Opihi Water Project (NZ Landcare Trust).
See Cattle standing in muddy paddocks distresses farmer (The Press / Stuff Co).
See NZ election 2017 going beyond environmental slogans (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Irrigation is not the culprit in Canterburys environmental woes (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Statue of environment minister with his pants down delivered to Canterbury regional council (The Press / Stuff Co).
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Beyond Quake Walls. Reckoning: Christchurch Quake Memorial Wall. Port Hills Fires
Memorial Wall focus. Fri-Sat 24-25.02.17. Two days after opening of Christchurch Quake Memorial Wall, remembering 185 people killed by the 22 February quake, Leah lectured at Seabrook Mackenzie Centre, London St. A Civil Defence State-of-Emergency still went on due to mostly extinguished fires on the Port Hills. The Port Hills fires raged for days, causing a firefighter helicopter-crash (ex SAS soldier / pilot dead) razing 9 houses & endangering many others. Residents of several endangered streets on the Port Hills were evacuated. Port Hill, fire- blackened from Dyers Pass SW towards Coopers Knobs. After 3 quake years, 2010-2013, it was the second disaster hitting Christchurch in 6 years.
Oxford Tce: Friday, while Leah lectured, I examined the new Quake Memorial, Avon River S bank. The Memorial consisted of 3 black, stone-steps on the riverbank below a curved, white, marble-wall below Oxford Tce. Names of 185 dead, carved on the marble-wall. Access from E side of the wall: stone-ramp for wheelchairs beside stainless-steel banisters & balustrade. W side access, off Montreal St Bridge cnr: stone steps, stainless-steel banisters.
Amongst 8 stone & wooden benches, 6 maple saplings were planted on the top step below the wall. Below E ramp & W steps: native plantings, like kahikatea, tussock grasses, astelias, hebes; also exotic plantings, like camellias, rhododendrons. Opposite the Quake Memorial, across Avon River: more flower beds containing flowers & shrubs like Eriostemon.
Floral wreaths were placed on steps below the marble-wall by families of the dead & dignitaries for the 22 February Memorial Service. Bereaved had come from all over the world for the opening of the Quake Memorial, as many overseas people died in the quake, like Japan's Toyama School students,
Wreaths & condolence-cards, still there when I visited: Governor General Reddy, NZ National govt Speaker Carter, NZ National PM English, Mayor Dalziel, Labour opposition leader Little. Also wreaths by embassies & organisations involved & affected: Toyama School, USAR, LANDSAR, NZ Fire Service, St John, NZ Red Cross, NZDF, NZ Police, Civil Defence, Green Party, Ngai Tahu, US Embassy, Turkey Embassy, Malaysia Embassy, Japanese Embassy, Korea Embassy, Philippines Embassy, Samoan Embassy, Chinese Embassy, Ireland Embassy, Canada Embassy, ...
After Leah finished lecturing, we viewed the Quake Memorial Wall together. On the pavement above the Quake Memorial ramp, a big, brown, pounamu stone lay on a plinth, fountain-water flowing over the jade.
Ghosts beyond the Memorial Wall: humans, bldgs, roads would haunt us for the rest of our lives.
Saturday, I looked at Port Hills fire-damage. Fires started on the Port Hills, Feb 13. Slow Civil Defence declared a State-of-Emergency on Feb 15.
Bengal St: From the top, I viewed blackened Sugar Loaf Hill above & below Dyers Pass. Marleys Hill: blackened except for green trees on top. Valley below Dyers Pass & Marleys Hill: blackened from top to bottom.
Shalamar Dr: Near the end , a fire-warning sign stopped me driving to the end of the road. Similar view as above, but showing valley houses weren't destroyed, as firefighters stopped fires encroaching farmland on the valley floor.
Worsleys Rd: At the valley-bottom, a St John ambulance was parked by a Civil Defence tent with CD jobsworths strutting about in orange-Hi-Vis-vests. My quake experiences made me wary of Hi-vis-vested or Hi-vis-jacketed jobsworths! I drove up Worsleys Rd, but before fire-endangered housing near the top I was turned back by a CD roadblock & two clipboarded, jobsworths in orange-Hi-Vis-vests. Having survived 3 years of 15 000 quakes & endured multitudes of NZDF soldiers at roadblocks & obstructive CD, cop, Council, CERA, SCIRT jobsworths in orange or yellow-Hi-Vis-vests, I vowed: "The next jobsworth who stops me can go to hell!"
Westmoreland Hts: I drove to the top, parked my car & climbed through a new CD fence with a fire-warning sign attached. On the grassy hilltop, I had good views of fire-endangered housing at the end of Worsleys Rd & blackened Port Hills, including Sugarloaf, Dyers Pass, Marleys Hill, Hoon Hay Valley, Cass Peak. Hillsides were blackened to ashes & stumps, but valley farms & housing were saved by firefighters.
Some housing at the end of Worsleys Rd was bordered by scorched-earth & razed-trees, Firefighters on the ground & helicopters carrying monsoon-buckets had saved fire-ringed houses.
In the distance where a forest once grew, I saw a smoke-cloud & a digger quelling a hotspot, amidst scorched stumps & ashes. A brown helicopter circled above.
I drove along Cashmere Rd to Hoon Hay Rd where a clipboarded, orange-Hi-Vis-vested jobsworth stopped cars at a roadblock. I drove further along Cashmere Rd to take pics of Hoon Hay Valley & damage on Port Hills above. Hoon Hay Valley farms & housing were OK, but Port Hills above were scorched, blackened. Several walkers, bikers, joggers passed while I watched the CD jobsworth blocking public on Hoon Hay Rd.
Drove past Halswell Quarry Reserve to Kennedys Bush Rd. Both Reserve entrances were blocked by clipboarded, orange-Hi-Vis-vested jobsworths. Public banned. Parked on Reserve grass: 2 NZ Fire Service helicopters. During my drive, I watched a helicopter circling Port Hills, looking for hot-spots.
Kennedys Bush Rd end: Parked. Wandered to a clipboarded, orange-Hi-Vis-vested roadblock, while other cars & bikes about-turned.
CD jobsworth: "No pedestrians! No rubberneckers! Only residents allowed!"
Me: "I've been here many times before. I'm doing no harm. I've come all the way from Timaru. I want to see what I've watched on TV news all week. I'm taking photographs to show Timaru people!"
CD jobsworth: "Phew!" I wandered past him to the end of Quarry Hill housing, which I'd seen develop over many years, while Luke had piano-lessons with a SA expat down Kennedys Bush Rd. Over the years, I'd walked Kennedys Bush area to Hoon Hay Valley & up to Summit Rd & Cass Peak.
Port Hills fires almost reached Kennedys Bush Rd housing, the reservoir above housing bordered by scorched trees & blackened hillsides. A swathe of lilac, fire-retardant was flown in, covering unburnt grass between reservoir & housing. Port Hills further west: blackened towards Coopers Knobs. Would Port Hills, Governors Bay side, be blackened too? During my Kennedys Bush Rd inspection, a brown helicopter clattered above, then landed at Halswell Quarry Reserve.
Port Hills fires, State-of-Emergency, only lifted a week later. Orange-Hi Vis-vested jobsworths took their time declaring a State-of-Emergency, then buggered public around for two weeks. Excuse: hotspots must be stopped!
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Port Hills Fires
Oxford Tce: Friday, while Leah lectured, I examined the new Quake Memorial, Avon River S bank. The Memorial consisted of 3 black, stone-steps on the riverbank below a curved, white, marble-wall below Oxford Tce. Names of 185 dead, carved on the marble-wall. Access from E side of the wall: stone-ramp for wheelchairs beside stainless-steel banisters & balustrade. W side access, off Montreal St Bridge cnr: stone steps, stainless-steel banisters.
Amongst 8 stone & wooden benches, 6 maple saplings were planted on the top step below the wall. Below E ramp & W steps: native plantings, like kahikatea, tussock grasses, astelias, hebes; also exotic plantings, like camellias, rhododendrons. Opposite the Quake Memorial, across Avon River: more flower beds containing flowers & shrubs like Eriostemon.
Floral wreaths were placed on steps below the marble-wall by families of the dead & dignitaries for the 22 February Memorial Service. Bereaved had come from all over the world for the opening of the Quake Memorial, as many overseas people died in the quake, like Japan's Toyama School students,
Wreaths & condolence-cards, still there when I visited: Governor General Reddy, NZ National govt Speaker Carter, NZ National PM English, Mayor Dalziel, Labour opposition leader Little. Also wreaths by embassies & organisations involved & affected: Toyama School, USAR, LANDSAR, NZ Fire Service, St John, NZ Red Cross, NZDF, NZ Police, Civil Defence, Green Party, Ngai Tahu, US Embassy, Turkey Embassy, Malaysia Embassy, Japanese Embassy, Korea Embassy, Philippines Embassy, Samoan Embassy, Chinese Embassy, Ireland Embassy, Canada Embassy, ...
After Leah finished lecturing, we viewed the Quake Memorial Wall together. On the pavement above the Quake Memorial ramp, a big, brown, pounamu stone lay on a plinth, fountain-water flowing over the jade.
Ghosts beyond the Memorial Wall: humans, bldgs, roads would haunt us for the rest of our lives.
Saturday, I looked at Port Hills fire-damage. Fires started on the Port Hills, Feb 13. Slow Civil Defence declared a State-of-Emergency on Feb 15.
Bengal St: From the top, I viewed blackened Sugar Loaf Hill above & below Dyers Pass. Marleys Hill: blackened except for green trees on top. Valley below Dyers Pass & Marleys Hill: blackened from top to bottom.
Shalamar Dr: Near the end , a fire-warning sign stopped me driving to the end of the road. Similar view as above, but showing valley houses weren't destroyed, as firefighters stopped fires encroaching farmland on the valley floor.
Worsleys Rd: At the valley-bottom, a St John ambulance was parked by a Civil Defence tent with CD jobsworths strutting about in orange-Hi-Vis-vests. My quake experiences made me wary of Hi-vis-vested or Hi-vis-jacketed jobsworths! I drove up Worsleys Rd, but before fire-endangered housing near the top I was turned back by a CD roadblock & two clipboarded, jobsworths in orange-Hi-Vis-vests. Having survived 3 years of 15 000 quakes & endured multitudes of NZDF soldiers at roadblocks & obstructive CD, cop, Council, CERA, SCIRT jobsworths in orange or yellow-Hi-Vis-vests, I vowed: "The next jobsworth who stops me can go to hell!"
Westmoreland Hts: I drove to the top, parked my car & climbed through a new CD fence with a fire-warning sign attached. On the grassy hilltop, I had good views of fire-endangered housing at the end of Worsleys Rd & blackened Port Hills, including Sugarloaf, Dyers Pass, Marleys Hill, Hoon Hay Valley, Cass Peak. Hillsides were blackened to ashes & stumps, but valley farms & housing were saved by firefighters.
Some housing at the end of Worsleys Rd was bordered by scorched-earth & razed-trees, Firefighters on the ground & helicopters carrying monsoon-buckets had saved fire-ringed houses.
In the distance where a forest once grew, I saw a smoke-cloud & a digger quelling a hotspot, amidst scorched stumps & ashes. A brown helicopter circled above.
I drove along Cashmere Rd to Hoon Hay Rd where a clipboarded, orange-Hi-Vis-vested jobsworth stopped cars at a roadblock. I drove further along Cashmere Rd to take pics of Hoon Hay Valley & damage on Port Hills above. Hoon Hay Valley farms & housing were OK, but Port Hills above were scorched, blackened. Several walkers, bikers, joggers passed while I watched the CD jobsworth blocking public on Hoon Hay Rd.
Drove past Halswell Quarry Reserve to Kennedys Bush Rd. Both Reserve entrances were blocked by clipboarded, orange-Hi-Vis-vested jobsworths. Public banned. Parked on Reserve grass: 2 NZ Fire Service helicopters. During my drive, I watched a helicopter circling Port Hills, looking for hot-spots.
Kennedys Bush Rd end: Parked. Wandered to a clipboarded, orange-Hi-Vis-vested roadblock, while other cars & bikes about-turned.
CD jobsworth: "No pedestrians! No rubberneckers! Only residents allowed!"
Me: "I've been here many times before. I'm doing no harm. I've come all the way from Timaru. I want to see what I've watched on TV news all week. I'm taking photographs to show Timaru people!"
CD jobsworth: "Phew!" I wandered past him to the end of Quarry Hill housing, which I'd seen develop over many years, while Luke had piano-lessons with a SA expat down Kennedys Bush Rd. Over the years, I'd walked Kennedys Bush area to Hoon Hay Valley & up to Summit Rd & Cass Peak.
Port Hills fires almost reached Kennedys Bush Rd housing, the reservoir above housing bordered by scorched trees & blackened hillsides. A swathe of lilac, fire-retardant was flown in, covering unburnt grass between reservoir & housing. Port Hills further west: blackened towards Coopers Knobs. Would Port Hills, Governors Bay side, be blackened too? During my Kennedys Bush Rd inspection, a brown helicopter clattered above, then landed at Halswell Quarry Reserve.
Port Hills fires, State-of-Emergency, only lifted a week later. Orange-Hi Vis-vested jobsworths took their time declaring a State-of-Emergency, then buggered public around for two weeks. Excuse: hotspots must be stopped!
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Port Hills Fires
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Cataract Surgery, South Canterbury Eye Clinic & Timaru Hospital
During 2016, Leah's eyes were painful, so she visited her Fairlie GP who said she had cataracts & needed to see an ophthalmologist. There was a long waiting list for ophthalmologist appointments at Timaru.
Breadwinner teacher Leah needed good eyes at Lake Tekapo School, St Joseph's School, Fairlie, working with private students at Fairlie & lecturing Specific Learning Difficulties topics at Seabrook Mackenzie Centre, Christchurch.
Leah's 3 year teaching contract ended at Lake Tekapo School, so at year's end we moved to Pleasant Point, after Leah got a Resource Teacher Literacy post at Timaru. Leah would need good eyes to commute daily by car from Pleasant Point to Timaru. Her new job also needed good driving eyes to South Cantebury schools from Timaru to Waimati southwards, Peel Forest northwards & Twizel westwards, requiring her regularly visiting & advising 40+ South Canterbury schools.
Wed 15.02.17. South Canterbury Eye Clinic appointment: Over 2 hours, Leah was seen & tested by 2 ophthalmologist nurses & an ophthalmologist to assess her for placement on the 4 month waiting list for cataract surgery at Timaru Hospital. Leah was told NZ state would pay $3000 for cataract surgery in one eye.
If Leah wanted cataract surgery in the other eye she would have to go through the whole bureaucratic nonsense again, seeing staff at South Canterbury Eye Clinic again to get on another waiting list for cataract surgery in her other eye. Or if we had the money, opt for cataract surgery by a private surgeon & pay his private fee. Meanwhile without cataract surgery on both eyes simultaneously, Leah's sight would be marginal & glasses defunct, while waiting for surgeries in separate eyes several months apart.
South Canterbury Eye Clinic gave Leah a handout - CATARACT SURGERY INFORMATION - PUBLIC which read:
Cataract is a clouding of the natural lens, the part of the eye responsible for focusing light and helping to produce clear, sharp images. The lens is contained in a capsule within the eye. Over time the lens changes, making images blurred or fuzzy.
For most people, cataracts are a natural result of aging but can also be caused by certain medications or injury to the eye.
In cataract surgery, the clouded natural lens is removed and, in most cases, a permanent intraocular lens (IOL) implant replaces the natural lens.
Eye tests at the Eye Clinic
The nurse puts drops into your eyes to make the pupils bigger [Leah's pupils became as wide as blackberries] so that the Ophthalmologist can examine the eye. He can advise you of possible risks and outcome you can expect from the surgery. He will get you to sign a consent form for surgery.
The nurse checks both your distance and reading vision and questions you to determine how your reduced vision is impacting on your life. Your eyes are measured on two different machines to obtain the exact lens strength required. You may also have had the operation explained to you and have been given written information. The nurse will also ask you questions about any other health issues, medicines you may be using, medication allergies and whether you have been in hospital before.
The office staff will get you to sign a form to give your permission to put your name on the waiting list. The office staff will get contact details for you and your next of kin for the Hospital.
You will be given a prescription for the post-operative eye drops, Please get this filled when you get your surgery date. Inform staff if help is required for the post-operative drops.
You have been placed on the list for cataract surgery. The Hospital Booking Office staff will notify you of the date when your surgery is scheduled. You will be sent admission information. Read the hospital information and the fact sheet and keep them.
If you take Warfarin you will be asked to have a Blood Test prior to surgery. Cataract surgery is usually done as a day case meaning you will be discharged from the hospital on the same day as your surgery.
Smoking
You are advised to stop smoking at least six weeks before your operation as smoking causes anaesthetic complications, can damage the eye's blood supply and impairs the body's healing ability. Eye Clinic or Hospital staff can refer you onto quit line. Please contact them prior to admission if you wish to take advantage o this service.
Discharge planning
Arrange for someone to take you to and from the hospital and to the post-operative appointment. You won't be able to drive yourself. You should either arrange to stay with someone, or have someone stay with you on the first night in case of unanticipated problems. [Like what?]
Food
* You will be advised by the Hospital or Ophthalmologist, but normally if your surgery is under local anaesthetic you will eat a light meal prior to admission.
* If you are having a General Anaesthetic or sedation you will receive fasting instructions from the Hospital. / Anaesthetist.
* Take your normal prescribed medication as usual unless told otherwise. Diuretics (water pills, e.g. Furosemide) may be omitted. You will be advised if there is any alteration for diabetic medication. Remember to take all your medications with you. The hospital will advise you about Warfarin according to INR results.
Do not wear any make-up (other than moisturiser) or nail polish.
On the day of your surgery
Go to the Day Patients on Level 4 of the Hospital. You will be seen by the Ophthalmologist performing your operation; you will sign the Consent Form, if it has not been signed, for the operation and a mark is placed over the operative eye.
You will also be assessed by the anaesthetist; and asked to sign Consent for the Anaesthetic. The Anaesthetist decides the type pf anaesthetic most appropriate for you - local anaesthetic - numbing of the eye before you have your operation, you may require light sedation or a general anaesthetic.
About one hour before your operation, drops will be placed in your eye to dilate the pupil. [Blackberry wide again]. Once you are taken to the operating theatre, other drops will be placed in your eye to numb the surface, and any other Local Anaesthetic will be given before the operation. If you are having a general anaesthetic you may not require these numbing drops. You will be asked your details and the operation you are having several times during your hospital stay - this is called 'Safe site surgery' and is recommended by the WHO (World Health Organisation).
During the operation
[Two pics of a plastic lens being folded into place with a surgical instrument behind the iris. Caption: Inserting the new lens].
The theatre nurses will make you comfortable on the theatre table.
You will be given a constant supply of oxygen during surgery and the clear, light, plastic, sterile drape will be lifted off your mouth and nose.
The procedure will be explained to you and you will be asked to warn them if you need to move or speak. It is important that you don't move any part of your body or talk. The ophthalmologist has instruments inside your eye and any unexpected movement you make could therefore result in damage to your eye. [Why not use a head brace?] He can usually stop and remove his instruments from your eye, or let you know when it is safe for you to move or cough.
The actual operation usually takes about 10-20 minutes per eye. so that is the only time you will need to be still for.
The time from when you arrive at hospital to the end of your surgery, will be subject to differing circumstances which cannot be controlled. [Like what?]
After the operation
You will return to the day ward with a cover over the eye which stays in place until the next day. After a light snack you will be free to leave.
The nurse will give you:
* an instruction sheet with contact phone numbers (in case of problems). [Like what?]
* eye drops should be collected prior to returning home, so the eye drop regime can be commenced when the cover is removed the next day - these drops will help settle inflammation.
* if the eye is uncomfortable, take Panadol (not Asprin or Disprin) [Why?] to relieve the discomfort.
Don't be alarmed if clear vision does not return immediately following your cataract surgery. In some cases this can take several days. [Why?]
If you have glaucoma: you may be given Diamox tablets to take morning and evening for 3 days. Restart glaucoma drops the day after surgery unless instructed by the ophthalmologist. You will be given an appointment for 1 week after surgery to ensure the eye pressure is normal.
After the surgery
You will be phoned by the Eye Clinic nurse the morning after your surgery.
Tinted glasses will be more comfortable outside as the eye will be light sensitive. Either sun glasses, or prescription tinted glasses will be suitable.
It is quite normal to feel a slight sensation of something in the eye for a while after the operation. This is part of the healing process.
Wear your own glasses if they help, they may not. The Eye Clinic in Timaru will see you again for the follow-up after the operation and will advise you whether to change your glasses at that stage.
You do need to be aware that normally the artificial lens placed in your eye during the operation is for distance vision, so you will require glasses for reading. [Misinformation. See later information].
Contact the Eye Clinic on ... if you experience any of the following problems:
* Pain
* Worsening of vision after initial improvement
* Discharge / Infection
Do's
* Use your common sense. If it hurts don't do it.
* Follow the instructions of your eye drop regime.
* Carry on with normal activities as you feel comfortable.
* Avoid dusty or dirty environments.
* If working, expect to be off work for up to 2 weeks.
* Driving will depend on the vision of the other eye, how quickly the operated eye recovers, whether you need glasses and your own self confidence.
Don'ts
* Don't rub the eye.
* Don't use your handkerchief to wipe the eye. Remember the wound is not yet healed and could provide an easy entry for infection. [Blame the patient for crap surgery].
* Don't get water in your eyes for three days after the surgery, refrain from washing your hair yourself for 3 days, as again the wound is not healed and could become infected [What about wet tears, blepharitis, etc?]
USE of EYE DROPS
It is very important to always wash your hands first, as infection in the eye may be disastrous
PUTTING DROPS IN YOURSELF
Method: [11 bulleted steps, how to put drops in your eyes].
IF SOMEBODY IS PUTTING YOUR EYE DROPS IN FOR YOU
Method: [7 bulleted steps for somebody].
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have any questions that are not covered here, please call the clinic.
WHEN CAN I DRIVE?
This depends on the individual. After your post op assessment, we will tell you for sure. We take into account, e.g. the vision of your other eye, whether you need glasses adjusted. [Costly].
CAN I READ OR WATCH TV?
You should avoid reading for the first few days. TV is fine.
CAN I WEAR MY GLASSES?
You can wear your old glasses in most cases until your follow-up.
WHEN CAN I HAVE NEW GLASSES MADE UP?
After your eye drops are completed. If it is on your licence to wear glasses to drive, you must ensure you get your licence changed if you no longer need them.
CAN I WASH MY HAIR?
Yes after a few days, but please don't get dirty water in your eye.
I FEEL LIKE THERE IS SOMETHING IN MY EYE
Some mild discomfort is common in the first few days, but may continue for some time. Please contact us if concerned.
WHEN CAN I FLY AFTER SURGERY?
Please avoid flying for at least two weeks. If you must fly, ask us for advice first.
POST CATARACT EYE DROP REGIME
[A 4 week table with daily tick boxes, to be ticked 4x/day when using Prednisoline eye drops].
POST CATARACT DROPS
DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYE ON THE DAY OF THE OPERATION
Prednisoline 4 times/day for 4 weeks commencing the morning after surgery
IF THERE ARE ANY SUBSEQUENT (GLAUCOMA) DROPS WAIT FIVE MINUTES BETWEEN DROPS.
Mon 22.05.11 Leah went for a pre op appointment at Timaru Hospital. She waited most of 3 hours in a waiting room to intermittently see a cataract op nurse, doctor & anaesthetist. They were apologetic about her long wait. Leah reported there was adequate parking at Timaru Hospital, unlike poor parking at Christchurch Hospital.
Leah was given a South Canterbury District Health Board, Patient Information Booklet, Cataract Surgery which read:
Please understand that your surgery may be cancelled at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances or emergencies.
NOTES...
Please report to Day Patient Services Level 4
Timaru Hospital Admission
for...
Please confirm you can attend surgery by phoning the Booking Office on the highlighted number on the next page and leaving a message as soon as possible.
BOOKING OFFICE CONTACT NUMBERS...
INSTRUCTIONS TO PATIENTS NEEDING ANAESTHESIA
NB: LOLLIES AND CHEWING GUM ARE NOT TO BE CHEWED OR SUCKED
FASTING INSTRUCTIONS
a) If your operation is in the morning, do not eat anything after midnight. You may drink WATER ONLY up until 6am.
b) If your operation is in the afternoon, you may have a light breakfast (toast or cereal, NOT a cooked breakfast) before 7.30am. You may drink WATER ONLY up until 11am.
PREPARING FOR YOUR SURGERY
This checklist is to assist you and the team caring for you before, during and after your stay in hospital.
NB: Methicillan Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
- have we asked you if you have been in hospital the last 6 months? If you have let us know as soon as possible.
If you have a cold, or any other infection near the day of surgery, please inform the Booking Office without delay as it may be necessary to postpone your admission until you have recovered.
OWN MEDICATIONS:
Take your usual medications on the morning of surgery, using a sip of water to swallow pills except - do not take pills for diabetes. Ignore instructions on your medications to take with food, take with water only.
You may also be given special instructions regarding:
* Insulin
* Anticoagulants (e.g. Wafarin, Pradaxa, Clopidogrel)
* Anti-Inflammatories (e.g. Aspirin, Voltaren)
* Diuretics (Water tablets)
Please bring all your medications with you to hospital.
SMOKING:
Smokers develop more complications than non smokers. It is in your interest to stop smoking 6 weeks before your operation, but if your operation is arranged at short notice, you should not smoke for at least 48 hours before operation.
PRIOR TO YOUR ADMISSION
* Remove all makeup, especially lipstick and nail polish before arrival st Day Patient Services.
* Please arrange to have a capable person stay with you for 1-2 days after discharge if possible. [Me].
* It is a good idea to have some quick meals prepared and household chores up to date so you can spend 1-2 days resting and recuperating in your home after your visit to hospital.
* Please have a bath or shower on the morning of your operation.
WHAT DO YOU BRING TO HOSPITAL WITH YOU?
* Your current medications
* Glasses or lenses
* Hearing Aids and Case (if required)
* Walking Stick (if required)
* Dentures
You will require a brimmed hat and sunglasses to wear when you go home and please wear comfortable clothes on the day of your operation.
As a precaution against loss, we suggest that you have clothing clearly marked and DO NOT bring valuables or large sums of money with you.
WHO SHOULD ACCOMPANY YOU ON THE DAY OF SURGERY?
* You should be accompanied by a capable person who will be responsible for your transport home. [Me].
* Due to lack of suitable space for waiting, we ask that the person leaves their contact details with staff so that they can be notified when you are ready to be discharged. [Poor planning & inadequate facilities for the patients' family / post op carers].
ON ADMISSION
* Please report to Day Patient Services, Level 4 at your reporting time.
* A gown will be provided for wearing during your operation. [A gown for an eye operation?]
* A Nurse will outline your procedure to you.
* If you haven't attended a Pre-Admission Clinic you may be seen by the Anaesthetist or House Surgeon.
REMEMBER
You are responsible for your own belongings while in Day Patient Services. They will be locked away while you are having your surgery.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOUR OPERATION?
* After your operation you will be returned to Day Patient Services.
* You will be given something to eat and drink.
* When the Nurse decides it is appropriate you can get dressed. [A humiliating gown's essential for an eye operation huh?]
WHAT HAPPENS ON DISCHARGE?
* When you are ready to be discharged your nominated person will be contacted.
* In consultation with you and your family any services required by you after discharge will be arranged. If you or your family have any concerns please tell the staff as soon as possible.
* You will be given a written discharge summary.
* Commence your eye drops as instructed.
* You will be given a follow up appointment if necessary.
COMPLAINTS
Should you or your family wish to make a complaint, you can do so by using one of the following ways:
* Talk to the Staff concerned
* Contact the General Manager Clinical Governance...
* Contact the Patient Advocacy Service...
FACTSHEET South Canterbury District Health Board
INSTRUCTIONS TO PATIENTS FOLLOWING GENERAL ANAESTHESIA OR SEDATION
1. DO NOT drive any vehicle or operate any machinery, for at least twenty four (24) hours after general anaesthesia or sedation.
2. You should arrange for someone to take you home from hospital.
3. You need to have a person to stay with you overnight.
4. DO NOT drink any alcohol for at least twenty four hours afterwards. It would be advisable to avoid any social engagements for this period.
5. AVOID any activity which requires the use of skill or judgement - e.g. delicate work, cooking or similar activity for twelve (12) hours afterwards.
6. DO NOT make any important decisions or sign any important papers for at least twelve (12) hours afterwards.
Thurs 25.05.17. Leah had the cataract op on her right eye. Day 1 after the op, Timaru Hospital phoned Leah at home. Leah told the nurse her eye was red. The nurse said that was normal post op.
Days later while recovering at home, Leah found the local anaesthetic took a while to flush from her body. The post op, anti inflammatory, eye ointment ("eye drops" below) left her eye teary & gritty & her body whoozy, with flu like symptoms & nose bleed. Leah soon stopped using the hospital ointment in favour of self medicated, homeopathic tablets, thuja & ferrum phos. She trusted her homeopath more than hospital iatrogenic quackery. There were plastic bottles of hand antiseptic for public use all over the hospital! Leah was allergic to antibiotics, so her post op reactions to conventional medicines were expected.
Leah said the op soon improved her colour vision, things looked brighter, but it took several days for her visual discrimination & focussing to improve. She would need a cataract op on her left eye before she could get prescription glasses, which was inconvenient for Leah a teacher.
Cataract surgeons only did one eye at a time due to possible complications.
Facebook chatter with friends: One said his dad had cataract ops, both eyes at different times, no problems. Another had a cataract op on her eye, which years later needed correctional laser surgery, before another cataract op on her other eye.
Post op info from Timaru Hospital:
Post Cataract Surgery Eye Drop - [Prednisolone AFT Ey 1% (Pre)]
Day of Surgery
Commence eye drops as instructed on your discharge summary.
Commence eye drops the next morning and remove your eye shield as well at this time.
Information Sheet
Points to report immediately any of the following symptoms:
* Redness
* Pain
* Headaches
* Sudden deterioration of your vision on operated eye
Please instil one drop as per instruction sheet to your operated eye only. For one month. (The regime is on the backside of this sheet).
[Wow! Regime: One squeeze of Prednisolone AFT Ey 1% (Pre) ointment 4 x per day = 112 doses in one eye per month. Leah disregarded the one month "eye drops" regime after 2 days, due to the whoozy / exhausted body reaction the "eye drops" created. She was convinced the corticosteroid anti inflammatory was poisoning her. The one month corticosteroid regime was a "better safe than sorry" medication from Timaru Hospital, which didn't take Leah's aversion to toxic drugs into consideration, despite Leah telling hospital staff at the pre op appointment, about her allergic reaction to drugs, like penicillin.
Five days post op Leah phoned Timaru Eye Clinic & told the nurse she had stopped using the anti inflammatory ointment due to side effects. The nurse replied OK, but would check with the surgeon if Leah's non compliance was OK. Hours later the nurse phoned & told Leah the surgeon said it was OK to stop the drops. One of the side affects was that the ointment could actually cause sub capsular cataracts!].
Wear dark glasses after your operation and a wide brim hat when outside.
You can wash your hair 3-4 days post operation.
Notes for patients with glaucoma:
* If you are prescribed drops for your glaucoma use them from the morning after your surgery unless the surgeon tells you differently.
If you need advice please contact Timaru Eye Clinic - 68 High Street, Timaru, Phone...
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See South Canterbury Eye Clinic
See Timaru Hospital
See Prednisolone AFT Ey 1% (Pre) sterile eye drops suspension
Breadwinner teacher Leah needed good eyes at Lake Tekapo School, St Joseph's School, Fairlie, working with private students at Fairlie & lecturing Specific Learning Difficulties topics at Seabrook Mackenzie Centre, Christchurch.
Leah's 3 year teaching contract ended at Lake Tekapo School, so at year's end we moved to Pleasant Point, after Leah got a Resource Teacher Literacy post at Timaru. Leah would need good eyes to commute daily by car from Pleasant Point to Timaru. Her new job also needed good driving eyes to South Cantebury schools from Timaru to Waimati southwards, Peel Forest northwards & Twizel westwards, requiring her regularly visiting & advising 40+ South Canterbury schools.
Wed 15.02.17. South Canterbury Eye Clinic appointment: Over 2 hours, Leah was seen & tested by 2 ophthalmologist nurses & an ophthalmologist to assess her for placement on the 4 month waiting list for cataract surgery at Timaru Hospital. Leah was told NZ state would pay $3000 for cataract surgery in one eye.
If Leah wanted cataract surgery in the other eye she would have to go through the whole bureaucratic nonsense again, seeing staff at South Canterbury Eye Clinic again to get on another waiting list for cataract surgery in her other eye. Or if we had the money, opt for cataract surgery by a private surgeon & pay his private fee. Meanwhile without cataract surgery on both eyes simultaneously, Leah's sight would be marginal & glasses defunct, while waiting for surgeries in separate eyes several months apart.
South Canterbury Eye Clinic gave Leah a handout - CATARACT SURGERY INFORMATION - PUBLIC which read:
Cataract is a clouding of the natural lens, the part of the eye responsible for focusing light and helping to produce clear, sharp images. The lens is contained in a capsule within the eye. Over time the lens changes, making images blurred or fuzzy.
For most people, cataracts are a natural result of aging but can also be caused by certain medications or injury to the eye.
In cataract surgery, the clouded natural lens is removed and, in most cases, a permanent intraocular lens (IOL) implant replaces the natural lens.
Eye tests at the Eye Clinic
The nurse puts drops into your eyes to make the pupils bigger [Leah's pupils became as wide as blackberries] so that the Ophthalmologist can examine the eye. He can advise you of possible risks and outcome you can expect from the surgery. He will get you to sign a consent form for surgery.
The nurse checks both your distance and reading vision and questions you to determine how your reduced vision is impacting on your life. Your eyes are measured on two different machines to obtain the exact lens strength required. You may also have had the operation explained to you and have been given written information. The nurse will also ask you questions about any other health issues, medicines you may be using, medication allergies and whether you have been in hospital before.
The office staff will get you to sign a form to give your permission to put your name on the waiting list. The office staff will get contact details for you and your next of kin for the Hospital.
You will be given a prescription for the post-operative eye drops, Please get this filled when you get your surgery date. Inform staff if help is required for the post-operative drops.
You have been placed on the list for cataract surgery. The Hospital Booking Office staff will notify you of the date when your surgery is scheduled. You will be sent admission information. Read the hospital information and the fact sheet and keep them.
If you take Warfarin you will be asked to have a Blood Test prior to surgery. Cataract surgery is usually done as a day case meaning you will be discharged from the hospital on the same day as your surgery.
Smoking
You are advised to stop smoking at least six weeks before your operation as smoking causes anaesthetic complications, can damage the eye's blood supply and impairs the body's healing ability. Eye Clinic or Hospital staff can refer you onto quit line. Please contact them prior to admission if you wish to take advantage o this service.
Discharge planning
Arrange for someone to take you to and from the hospital and to the post-operative appointment. You won't be able to drive yourself. You should either arrange to stay with someone, or have someone stay with you on the first night in case of unanticipated problems. [Like what?]
Food
* You will be advised by the Hospital or Ophthalmologist, but normally if your surgery is under local anaesthetic you will eat a light meal prior to admission.
* If you are having a General Anaesthetic or sedation you will receive fasting instructions from the Hospital. / Anaesthetist.
* Take your normal prescribed medication as usual unless told otherwise. Diuretics (water pills, e.g. Furosemide) may be omitted. You will be advised if there is any alteration for diabetic medication. Remember to take all your medications with you. The hospital will advise you about Warfarin according to INR results.
Do not wear any make-up (other than moisturiser) or nail polish.
On the day of your surgery
Go to the Day Patients on Level 4 of the Hospital. You will be seen by the Ophthalmologist performing your operation; you will sign the Consent Form, if it has not been signed, for the operation and a mark is placed over the operative eye.
You will also be assessed by the anaesthetist; and asked to sign Consent for the Anaesthetic. The Anaesthetist decides the type pf anaesthetic most appropriate for you - local anaesthetic - numbing of the eye before you have your operation, you may require light sedation or a general anaesthetic.
About one hour before your operation, drops will be placed in your eye to dilate the pupil. [Blackberry wide again]. Once you are taken to the operating theatre, other drops will be placed in your eye to numb the surface, and any other Local Anaesthetic will be given before the operation. If you are having a general anaesthetic you may not require these numbing drops. You will be asked your details and the operation you are having several times during your hospital stay - this is called 'Safe site surgery' and is recommended by the WHO (World Health Organisation).
During the operation
[Two pics of a plastic lens being folded into place with a surgical instrument behind the iris. Caption: Inserting the new lens].
The theatre nurses will make you comfortable on the theatre table.
You will be given a constant supply of oxygen during surgery and the clear, light, plastic, sterile drape will be lifted off your mouth and nose.
The procedure will be explained to you and you will be asked to warn them if you need to move or speak. It is important that you don't move any part of your body or talk. The ophthalmologist has instruments inside your eye and any unexpected movement you make could therefore result in damage to your eye. [Why not use a head brace?] He can usually stop and remove his instruments from your eye, or let you know when it is safe for you to move or cough.
The actual operation usually takes about 10-20 minutes per eye. so that is the only time you will need to be still for.
The time from when you arrive at hospital to the end of your surgery, will be subject to differing circumstances which cannot be controlled. [Like what?]
After the operation
You will return to the day ward with a cover over the eye which stays in place until the next day. After a light snack you will be free to leave.
The nurse will give you:
* an instruction sheet with contact phone numbers (in case of problems). [Like what?]
* eye drops should be collected prior to returning home, so the eye drop regime can be commenced when the cover is removed the next day - these drops will help settle inflammation.
* if the eye is uncomfortable, take Panadol (not Asprin or Disprin) [Why?] to relieve the discomfort.
Don't be alarmed if clear vision does not return immediately following your cataract surgery. In some cases this can take several days. [Why?]
If you have glaucoma: you may be given Diamox tablets to take morning and evening for 3 days. Restart glaucoma drops the day after surgery unless instructed by the ophthalmologist. You will be given an appointment for 1 week after surgery to ensure the eye pressure is normal.
After the surgery
You will be phoned by the Eye Clinic nurse the morning after your surgery.
Tinted glasses will be more comfortable outside as the eye will be light sensitive. Either sun glasses, or prescription tinted glasses will be suitable.
It is quite normal to feel a slight sensation of something in the eye for a while after the operation. This is part of the healing process.
Wear your own glasses if they help, they may not. The Eye Clinic in Timaru will see you again for the follow-up after the operation and will advise you whether to change your glasses at that stage.
You do need to be aware that normally the artificial lens placed in your eye during the operation is for distance vision, so you will require glasses for reading. [Misinformation. See later information].
Contact the Eye Clinic on ... if you experience any of the following problems:
* Pain
* Worsening of vision after initial improvement
* Discharge / Infection
Do's
* Use your common sense. If it hurts don't do it.
* Follow the instructions of your eye drop regime.
* Carry on with normal activities as you feel comfortable.
* Avoid dusty or dirty environments.
* If working, expect to be off work for up to 2 weeks.
* Driving will depend on the vision of the other eye, how quickly the operated eye recovers, whether you need glasses and your own self confidence.
Don'ts
* Don't rub the eye.
* Don't use your handkerchief to wipe the eye. Remember the wound is not yet healed and could provide an easy entry for infection. [Blame the patient for crap surgery].
* Don't get water in your eyes for three days after the surgery, refrain from washing your hair yourself for 3 days, as again the wound is not healed and could become infected [What about wet tears, blepharitis, etc?]
USE of EYE DROPS
It is very important to always wash your hands first, as infection in the eye may be disastrous
PUTTING DROPS IN YOURSELF
Method: [11 bulleted steps, how to put drops in your eyes].
IF SOMEBODY IS PUTTING YOUR EYE DROPS IN FOR YOU
Method: [7 bulleted steps for somebody].
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have any questions that are not covered here, please call the clinic.
WHEN CAN I DRIVE?
This depends on the individual. After your post op assessment, we will tell you for sure. We take into account, e.g. the vision of your other eye, whether you need glasses adjusted. [Costly].
CAN I READ OR WATCH TV?
You should avoid reading for the first few days. TV is fine.
CAN I WEAR MY GLASSES?
You can wear your old glasses in most cases until your follow-up.
WHEN CAN I HAVE NEW GLASSES MADE UP?
After your eye drops are completed. If it is on your licence to wear glasses to drive, you must ensure you get your licence changed if you no longer need them.
CAN I WASH MY HAIR?
Yes after a few days, but please don't get dirty water in your eye.
I FEEL LIKE THERE IS SOMETHING IN MY EYE
Some mild discomfort is common in the first few days, but may continue for some time. Please contact us if concerned.
WHEN CAN I FLY AFTER SURGERY?
Please avoid flying for at least two weeks. If you must fly, ask us for advice first.
POST CATARACT EYE DROP REGIME
[A 4 week table with daily tick boxes, to be ticked 4x/day when using Prednisoline eye drops].
POST CATARACT DROPS
DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYE ON THE DAY OF THE OPERATION
Prednisoline 4 times/day for 4 weeks commencing the morning after surgery
IF THERE ARE ANY SUBSEQUENT (GLAUCOMA) DROPS WAIT FIVE MINUTES BETWEEN DROPS.
Mon 22.05.11 Leah went for a pre op appointment at Timaru Hospital. She waited most of 3 hours in a waiting room to intermittently see a cataract op nurse, doctor & anaesthetist. They were apologetic about her long wait. Leah reported there was adequate parking at Timaru Hospital, unlike poor parking at Christchurch Hospital.
Leah was given a South Canterbury District Health Board, Patient Information Booklet, Cataract Surgery which read:
Please understand that your surgery may be cancelled at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances or emergencies.
NOTES...
Please report to Day Patient Services Level 4
Timaru Hospital Admission
for...
Please confirm you can attend surgery by phoning the Booking Office on the highlighted number on the next page and leaving a message as soon as possible.
BOOKING OFFICE CONTACT NUMBERS...
INSTRUCTIONS TO PATIENTS NEEDING ANAESTHESIA
NB: LOLLIES AND CHEWING GUM ARE NOT TO BE CHEWED OR SUCKED
FASTING INSTRUCTIONS
a) If your operation is in the morning, do not eat anything after midnight. You may drink WATER ONLY up until 6am.
b) If your operation is in the afternoon, you may have a light breakfast (toast or cereal, NOT a cooked breakfast) before 7.30am. You may drink WATER ONLY up until 11am.
PREPARING FOR YOUR SURGERY
This checklist is to assist you and the team caring for you before, during and after your stay in hospital.
NB: Methicillan Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
- have we asked you if you have been in hospital the last 6 months? If you have let us know as soon as possible.
If you have a cold, or any other infection near the day of surgery, please inform the Booking Office without delay as it may be necessary to postpone your admission until you have recovered.
OWN MEDICATIONS:
Take your usual medications on the morning of surgery, using a sip of water to swallow pills except - do not take pills for diabetes. Ignore instructions on your medications to take with food, take with water only.
You may also be given special instructions regarding:
* Insulin
* Anticoagulants (e.g. Wafarin, Pradaxa, Clopidogrel)
* Anti-Inflammatories (e.g. Aspirin, Voltaren)
* Diuretics (Water tablets)
Please bring all your medications with you to hospital.
SMOKING:
Smokers develop more complications than non smokers. It is in your interest to stop smoking 6 weeks before your operation, but if your operation is arranged at short notice, you should not smoke for at least 48 hours before operation.
PRIOR TO YOUR ADMISSION
* Remove all makeup, especially lipstick and nail polish before arrival st Day Patient Services.
* Please arrange to have a capable person stay with you for 1-2 days after discharge if possible. [Me].
* It is a good idea to have some quick meals prepared and household chores up to date so you can spend 1-2 days resting and recuperating in your home after your visit to hospital.
* Please have a bath or shower on the morning of your operation.
WHAT DO YOU BRING TO HOSPITAL WITH YOU?
* Your current medications
* Glasses or lenses
* Hearing Aids and Case (if required)
* Walking Stick (if required)
* Dentures
You will require a brimmed hat and sunglasses to wear when you go home and please wear comfortable clothes on the day of your operation.
As a precaution against loss, we suggest that you have clothing clearly marked and DO NOT bring valuables or large sums of money with you.
WHO SHOULD ACCOMPANY YOU ON THE DAY OF SURGERY?
* You should be accompanied by a capable person who will be responsible for your transport home. [Me].
* Due to lack of suitable space for waiting, we ask that the person leaves their contact details with staff so that they can be notified when you are ready to be discharged. [Poor planning & inadequate facilities for the patients' family / post op carers].
ON ADMISSION
* Please report to Day Patient Services, Level 4 at your reporting time.
* A gown will be provided for wearing during your operation. [A gown for an eye operation?]
* A Nurse will outline your procedure to you.
* If you haven't attended a Pre-Admission Clinic you may be seen by the Anaesthetist or House Surgeon.
REMEMBER
You are responsible for your own belongings while in Day Patient Services. They will be locked away while you are having your surgery.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOUR OPERATION?
* After your operation you will be returned to Day Patient Services.
* You will be given something to eat and drink.
* When the Nurse decides it is appropriate you can get dressed. [A humiliating gown's essential for an eye operation huh?]
WHAT HAPPENS ON DISCHARGE?
* When you are ready to be discharged your nominated person will be contacted.
* In consultation with you and your family any services required by you after discharge will be arranged. If you or your family have any concerns please tell the staff as soon as possible.
* You will be given a written discharge summary.
* Commence your eye drops as instructed.
* You will be given a follow up appointment if necessary.
COMPLAINTS
Should you or your family wish to make a complaint, you can do so by using one of the following ways:
* Talk to the Staff concerned
* Contact the General Manager Clinical Governance...
* Contact the Patient Advocacy Service...
FACTSHEET South Canterbury District Health Board
INSTRUCTIONS TO PATIENTS FOLLOWING GENERAL ANAESTHESIA OR SEDATION
1. DO NOT drive any vehicle or operate any machinery, for at least twenty four (24) hours after general anaesthesia or sedation.
2. You should arrange for someone to take you home from hospital.
3. You need to have a person to stay with you overnight.
4. DO NOT drink any alcohol for at least twenty four hours afterwards. It would be advisable to avoid any social engagements for this period.
5. AVOID any activity which requires the use of skill or judgement - e.g. delicate work, cooking or similar activity for twelve (12) hours afterwards.
6. DO NOT make any important decisions or sign any important papers for at least twelve (12) hours afterwards.
Thurs 25.05.17. Leah had the cataract op on her right eye. Day 1 after the op, Timaru Hospital phoned Leah at home. Leah told the nurse her eye was red. The nurse said that was normal post op.
Days later while recovering at home, Leah found the local anaesthetic took a while to flush from her body. The post op, anti inflammatory, eye ointment ("eye drops" below) left her eye teary & gritty & her body whoozy, with flu like symptoms & nose bleed. Leah soon stopped using the hospital ointment in favour of self medicated, homeopathic tablets, thuja & ferrum phos. She trusted her homeopath more than hospital iatrogenic quackery. There were plastic bottles of hand antiseptic for public use all over the hospital! Leah was allergic to antibiotics, so her post op reactions to conventional medicines were expected.
Leah said the op soon improved her colour vision, things looked brighter, but it took several days for her visual discrimination & focussing to improve. She would need a cataract op on her left eye before she could get prescription glasses, which was inconvenient for Leah a teacher.
Cataract surgeons only did one eye at a time due to possible complications.
Facebook chatter with friends: One said his dad had cataract ops, both eyes at different times, no problems. Another had a cataract op on her eye, which years later needed correctional laser surgery, before another cataract op on her other eye.
Post op info from Timaru Hospital:
Post Cataract Surgery Eye Drop - [Prednisolone AFT Ey 1% (Pre)]
Day of Surgery
Commence eye drops as instructed on your discharge summary.
Commence eye drops the next morning and remove your eye shield as well at this time.
Information Sheet
Points to report immediately any of the following symptoms:
* Redness
* Pain
* Headaches
* Sudden deterioration of your vision on operated eye
Please instil one drop as per instruction sheet to your operated eye only. For one month. (The regime is on the backside of this sheet).
[Wow! Regime: One squeeze of Prednisolone AFT Ey 1% (Pre) ointment 4 x per day = 112 doses in one eye per month. Leah disregarded the one month "eye drops" regime after 2 days, due to the whoozy / exhausted body reaction the "eye drops" created. She was convinced the corticosteroid anti inflammatory was poisoning her. The one month corticosteroid regime was a "better safe than sorry" medication from Timaru Hospital, which didn't take Leah's aversion to toxic drugs into consideration, despite Leah telling hospital staff at the pre op appointment, about her allergic reaction to drugs, like penicillin.
Five days post op Leah phoned Timaru Eye Clinic & told the nurse she had stopped using the anti inflammatory ointment due to side effects. The nurse replied OK, but would check with the surgeon if Leah's non compliance was OK. Hours later the nurse phoned & told Leah the surgeon said it was OK to stop the drops. One of the side affects was that the ointment could actually cause sub capsular cataracts!].
Wear dark glasses after your operation and a wide brim hat when outside.
You can wash your hair 3-4 days post operation.
Notes for patients with glaucoma:
* If you are prescribed drops for your glaucoma use them from the morning after your surgery unless the surgeon tells you differently.
If you need advice please contact Timaru Eye Clinic - 68 High Street, Timaru, Phone...
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See South Canterbury Eye Clinic
See Timaru Hospital
See Prednisolone AFT Ey 1% (Pre) sterile eye drops suspension
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Southern Cochlear Implant Programme Assessment, Costs, Communication, Cochlear Implant Op & Rehab
1. Background: In Durban I wasn't born deaf. As a 30 year old adult, I started going nerve deaf in Durban, after working on noisy onion packing machinery at Kibbutz Grofit, Israel in early 1982. In Dec 1982, the loud noise of my shooting a run over dog in Durban aggravated my nerve deafness. In 1983 I taught biology & was boss of the general science department at Glenwood Boys HS, Durban, where I started going deaf. I battled to hear boys' questions, had vertigo & loud noises were painful. Intermittently, I had good hearing days & deaf days, sometimes lasting weeks or months, then a series of good hearing weeks or months.
My nerve deafness worsened over the next decade, while I continued teaching at Durban, Kleinzee, QwaQwa & East London & doing a 3 year stint of DeBeers personnel work at Kleinzee & Koffiefontein mines. With my vertigo I started having intermittent blackouts & ocular migraines with scintillating scotomas in both eyes. In desperation I saw doctors, ENT specialists & audiologists in Durban, Kleinzee, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, East London. They all made megabucks out of my deafness, examining me & telling me my deafness was worsening & I must buy expensive hearing aids. I bought my first analogue hearing aid in Bloemfontein in 1987. I found analogue hearing aids painful & useless.
My last 6 teaching years were at Selborne College, East London, where my deafness worsened. 1994, my last teaching year, I couldn't hear a thing. I bluffed my way through teaching, lip reading & persevering with my useless analogue hearing aid. 1993, from East London I applied for NZ residence. My deafness was passed in my medical by NZ Immigration Service.
Before emigrating from East London, South Africa to NZ, I bought expensive Starkey in-the-ear, analogue hearing aids. My family & I arrived in Christchurch NZ in 1995. The Starkeys proved painful with loud noises & useless. The Starkeys broke & after a year I asked my East London audiologist for a refund. After evasions he repaid some of my money.
In Christchurch NZ I stopped teaching as I was too deaf. I'd tried retraining as a NZ teacher at the end of 1995, but dropped out of the teacher retraining course as I couldn't hear school kids nor teachers properly, even with my analogue hearing aid. In 1996, I read a post grad horticulture diploma at Lincoln Uni. I dropped out after a semester as I doubted the diploma would find me work. Thereafter I did labouring / clerical work in Christchurch for a couple of years before stopping & going on the dole. Teacher wife, Leah became breadwinner while our 2 sons grew up in Christchurch.
Over the next 2 decades in Christchurch I saw NZ audiologists, doctors & an ENT specialist. (Never mind NZ doctors milking WINZ for deaf & depressed Sickness Beneficiaries, a long story). They couldn't cure my nerve deafness. Early days, an audiologist gave me 2 Phonak, shop soiled, analogue hearing aids. Useless. I acquired another pair of Phonak analogue hearing aids after a deaf friend died. Useless. I bought a Widex digital hearing aid which proved adequate in quiet environments over the next 18 years. It was useless with any background noise like at restaurants. I didn't buy 2 expensive Widex digital hearing aids, as I'd had so much trouble with analogue hearing aids.
Once our sons settled into their Christchurch jobs, after 3 years of Christchurch quakes, Leah got a 3 year teaching contract at Lake Tekapo School. We moved to Fairlie & 4 days a week Leah commuted to Lake Tekapo School. One day a week she taught at St Josephs School, Fairlie. During that time my old, Widex digital hearing aid played up, with intermittent, loud, beeping noises which disturbed me, my family & anyone else within hearing aid beep range. In mid 2016 I took the Widex to a Timaru audiologist for hearing aid repair. (Other hearing aids I had had also needed expensive repairs over the years). The audiologist looked at my old Widex, gave me the usual audiogram, beep test, pronounced my profound deafness & gave me 2 Bernafon digital hearing aids, an improvement on the Widex.
She said as my deafness was so profound, I was eligible for one Cochlear Implant, via the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme (SCIP).
At the end of 2016 Leah got a teaching job in Timaru, advising 40+ Southern Canterbury schools about literacy resources. We moved from Fairlie to Pleasant Point for Leah to commute to Timaru.
2. Southern Cochlear Implant Programme Assessment:
For rich folk the Cochlear Implant Assessment costs $750. I didn't pay, as I was referred by the Timaru audiologist.
In Dec 2016, I received a letter from the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme, based at St George's Hospital, Papanui, Christchurch, informing me of my Cochlear Implant Assessment which would take place over 2 days in January 2017. The letter incl a claim form stating I could only claim travel & accommodation costs after 6 visits to Christchurch. That meant stiff petrol, car wear & tear & motel costs for us, just to tell me once more I was profoundly deaf & needed a Cochlear Implant.
Despite my new Bernafons, as I lip read Leah well, Leah attended the following appointments with me as my interpreter:
Thurs 19.01.17. St George's Hospital, morning appointment, 2 hours with an audiologist: She spoke clearly in her quiet office, but I needed Leah to interpret quite a lot, as the audiologist was a UK expat with a Pom accent. She listened to my deafness story, gave me the usual audiogram beep test & pronounced my profound deafness. (Duplication of my Timaru audiologist's audiogram). She emphasized a Cochlear Implant was expensive, that the waiting list was about 140 & the Cochlear Implant Programme only had annual funds for 20 Cochlear Implants per year. She later posted me a copy of her assessment report & audiogram, recommending I needed a Cochlear Implant.
Thurs 19.01.17. St George's Hospital, afternoon appointment, 1.5 hours with a rehabilitationist who would oversee my rehab if I had a Cochlear Implant. She spoke clearly & eloquently in her quiet office. I heard her well. Like me she wasn't born deaf, but went deaf later on. She'd paid for her 2 Cochlear Implants by mortgaging her house. Fine if you had a house to mortgage. I didn't.
Like the audiologist, she emphasized that Cochlear Implants were expensive, that NZ govt only provided one Cochlear Implant for each deaf person on the programme, annual funding was low, that the waiting list was long & I'd have a long wait for a Cochlear Implant. She said as I was now on the Cochlear Implant waiting list I would never be bumped off the waiting list, which happened with other state medical waiting lists.
She suggested I write to my MP & Minister of Health to enquire why state funding was scarce for Cochlear Implants? She gave me a grant application form to apply for a Cochlear Implant grant, but emphasized there was no guarantee I would get a grant soon & should apply every year. (Rigamarole of getting annually inflated quotes). Maximum grant was $45000 per Cochlear Implant & surgery. (Eight years ago the grant max was $25000, showing inflation & troughing service providers). If I ever got a Cochlear Implant via SCIP, later on I could apply for peripherals, like repair or replacement of processor, repairs after warranty, consumables & spare parts. Cumbersome funding for dubious hearing benefits. I told her I was sceptical of the SCIP.
As I'd found in the past in South Africa & NZ, medical people used deaf people to milk money for themselves & not for deaf people. In the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme office at St George's Hospital there were was a receptionist, clinical coordinator, doctors, audiologists, rehabilitationists (for adults) & habilitationists (for children) all slurping salaries from the deafness trough, even before I saw an ENT specialist.
Fri 20.01.17. Specialists at Nine, Caledonian Rd, afternoon appointment, half an hour with an ENT specialist. In his quiet office he didn't speak clearly & Leah had to interpret most of what he mumbled. He went through ENT mumbo jumbo I'd heard before in SA & NZ that I was deaf, I had wax in my ears, that he must check my ears while I lay on his couch... He showed me a Cochlear Implant device & a plastic ear model with a Cochlear Implant. He answered my questions & reiterated state Cochlear Implant funding was scarce. The Cochlear Implant operation would take place at Forte Health, Kilmore St. Post Christchurch quakes, Forte Health was built, a private clinic funded by doctors with shares in Forte Health.
The Cochlear Implant was glorified trepanning where the ENT specialist drilled a ledge on my skull bone, planted the implant on the bone ledge, short circuited my perfectly normal outer & middle ear with an implant electrode wire covered in plastic which he inserted into my cochlear to stimulate my auditory nerve. He then stitched my skull skin closed. About a month later, after skin & bone healed, the implant processor hanging on my outer ear & attached to a magnet in my skull implant would be activated. The audiologist & rehabilitationist would enable me to use the device.
Snag: The ENT specialist wanted to place my Cochlear Implant in my "good" ear, which enabled me to still hear with my Bernafon digital hearing aid. The rationale was that my "bad" ear would take longer to rehabilitate with a Cochlear Implant. If the ENT specialist botched the implant operation, or the implant malfunctioned, there was no going back to my digital hearing aid.
The ENT specialist gave me a Cochlear Implant Advice Sheet which read:
Usually takes 1.5-2.5 hours under a General anaesthetic:
The anaesthetist will assess you on the ward before your surgery. I will see you on the ward or occasionally at the anaesthetic room.
Steps once asleep and practical points to know:
Antibiotics given through the drip
Reduces likelihood of wound infection or the rare complication of meningitis. [Complication huh? After drilling a hole in my skull!] Should have vaccine prior to surgery date.
Hair shave behind and above ear
Will grow back.
Site for Receiver Stimulator marker
For bilateral or second side implantation every effort to be made to align the implants symmetrically. However due to the curvature of the skull and the healing process they do not always end up at the same level on the skull e.g. different height above ear.
Incision made behind ear
Top of ear may feel numb afterwards. Usually recovers within 3 months.
Bone drilled to expose 2 nerves
Taste nerve: may have metallic taste. Usually recovers within 3 months.
Facial nerve: rarely weak face post op. If present it is usually temporary.
The inner ear / cochlea is then entered
Balance may be affected. Common in first 24 hours, may last a few weeks.
Electrode wire inserted
Full insertion is usual but rarely insertion is incomplete. "Device failure" is when the electrodes don't all function. Occasionally some electrodes need to be turned off. The audiologist will adjust the MAPing for these situations.
Hearing may go completely in that ear. Ringing / tinnitus may sometimes increase as nerve endings die off. This usually improves over time. [Sounded dodgy. Cortical cells destroyed to accommodate electrodes which may or may not work!]
Wound closed
Hidden stitches used. Do not need to be removed.
Head bandage applied
Stays on for 48 hours.
You will be in recovery for 1-2 hours
I will ring your contact person if you wish.
On the ward:
You will receive 2-3 doses of antibiotic. You will have an X-ray the following morning to document the position of the implant. You may be discharged from hospital afterwards. A prescription for pain relief will be supplied. Most people remove the bandage themselves the next day (as well as the underlying dressings). However, if you would prefer, you can see your GP practice nurse or come back to the ward to have it removed.
After you go home:
You should keep the wound dry. A family member or friend may wash your hair if you hold a cup over your ear and use a hair dryer to dry any water that gets on the wound. You should see your GP in 1 week for a wound check. If you are from Christchurch I can see you at this time. It is normal to feel a small bump behind your ear.
"Switch on" is usually 2-4 weeks after surgery. The implant programme will organise this with you. My secretary will organise an appointment with me around this time also.
3. Costs: After seeing the ENT specialist, Leah & I went back to St George's Hospital to enquire about costs for a Cochlear Implant. Days later, I received an email giving costs of Cochlear Implant devices & long term maintenance costs, but wanting me to email around for estimated Radiology, Anaesthetist, Surgery, Hospital costs, as follows:
*Radiology pre op CT Scan: Cost unknown, no quote given by SCIP, surgeon, radiologist
*Post op X-ray: $101.60
*Anaesthetist 3 hours in theatre: $1800.00
*Surgery pre op visit: $114.50
*Surgery: $4700.00
*St George's Hospital theatre time (120 mins): $2290.00
*Medical Supplies: $4500.00
*Recovery: $350.00
*Accommodation per night $655.00
Medical costs were sick.
The Southern Cochlear Implant Programme supplied the following costs, administered by deaf troughers & tax minions, wanting their cut from the deaf before any Cochlear Implant:
Please find below our charges and fees. All prices are GST inclusive and may change without notice. These charges are subject to our Terms and Conditions:
Prices
Prices provided here are accurate as at 25 November 2016 but may change at any time. [Inflated by manufacturers, retailers & wholesalers slurping the deafness trough]. For implant prices and fees, please request a formal quote valid for 30 days. [Making any quote request a waste of time & energy].
Equipment Manufacturer
Our programme offers the choice of 3 equipment manufacturer's systems, Cochlear Limited, Med-EL and Advanced Bionics. Selection is done in consultation with you and clinical staff. Your personal preference may not be available under some circumstances based on clinical grounds - this will be made clear to you at the time of consultation.
Invoicing and Payment
Payment should be made against our GST invoice at the time of consultation. All SCIP related services and equipment (Assessment Fees, Cochlear Implant equipment, Consultation Fees, Spare Parts, Batteries and Repairs) are payable on invoice at the time of consultation.
For initial implant system charges only, 10% deposit at time of confirmation is required. [I wasn't confirmed, just on a nebulous waiting list]. Balance can be paid in 3 monthly instalments, with the first payment required prior to surgery. [I must invest in more Lotto tickets]. After the first 2 years, follow up appointments at SCIP are invoiced at the hourly rate quoted and payment should be made at the time of consultation. [A money making factory for SCIP paid by CI recipients, similar to deaf troughing audiologists, audiometrists & WINZ doctors].
Payment for all other specialist services (ENT Fees, Hospital Fees, Anaesthetist Fees and Radiology Fees) [Above] is via the specialist or provider concerned, subject to their own Terms and Conditions. The SCIP is not responsible for costs, prices, or the Terms and Conditions of other providers. [SCIP just flogs Cochlear Implant devices, support equipment, consumables, captive audiologists & rehabilitationists / habilitationists].
Speech Processor Upgrades
Your speech processor will need to be updated at some stage in the future. Currently the approximate life of a processor is 7-8 years. [As opposed to my cheaper Widex hearing aid which needed major repair after a couple of years & lasted about 15 years before going bung over the next 3 years].
Warranty
The Cochlear Implant, speech processor and consumable parts are warranted against defect and failure. Please consult the relevant manufacturer's terms and conditions for specific warranty terms.
Travel and accommodation assistance
Patients who fund their own Cochlear Implants are therefore also required to fund their own travel and accommodation costs. Please be aware, that when you come to Christchurch or Lower Hutt [Northern Cochlear Implant Programme] for your Cochlear Implant appointments you may need accommodation. You may also need to stay in Christchurch two - three days after surgery following discharge from St Georges Hospital (this is dependent on recovery) and another two days at time of switch on. [The ENT specialist's Terms & Conditions I read & signed wanted my surgery at Forte Health, another deaf troughing, money making factory].
Bilateral Patients
Simultaneous Cochlear Implant Procedures
Some patients who are provided a Ministry of Health funded Cochlear Implant system may elect to fund a second simultaneous implant system at the same time.
Please be aware that only those costs associated with the publically funded procedure will be met out of Ministry of Health funds. Any treatment costs, including unforeseen costs, [botch ups?] not associated with publically funded procedure must be met by the patient. [Sounded dodgy].
As part of the pre-implant assessment process the clinical staff will, on clinical grounds, recommend an ear for unilateral implant. This recommendation will be done prior to surgery. This ear will then be deemed the funded ear; the other ear will become the private ear and any treatment costs associated with this private ear must be met by the patient. [Would my hearing coordinating brain then become part funded, part private too?]
Sequential Cochlear Implant Procedures
Some patients with an existing Ministry of Health funded Cochlear Implant system may elect to fund a second (sequential) implant at a later date. [After cortical cells were buggered by the first deaf troughing op].
Please be aware that any costs associated with the privately funded ear must first be met by the patient and the Ministry of Health funded services cannot be used to subsidise private procedures. [Resulting from botch ups by SCIP surgery].
This includes the cost of travel and accommodation to attend appointments for treatment procedures associated with a privately implanted system.
Any treatment costs, including unforeseen costs, [dodgy] not associated with the publically funded procedure must be met by the patient.
[The above SCIP Terms and Conditions avoided the fact there was little funding from the Ministry of Health for Cochlear Implants].
For questions regarding our Terms and Conditions please consult either the Finance Administrator or the General Manager. [Hopefully they lobbied MPs & the Ministry of Health for the long SCIP Cochlear Implant waiting list].
Cochlear Implant System - Equipment only
Cochlear MED-EL Advanced Bionics
*Implant system (implant & speech processor) $30190.00 $30190.00 $POA
Bilateral system (sequential or simultaneous) $25357.50
Applicable to patients with existing Cochlear Ltd device - valid until February 2017
My wife recently bought a second hand, 1300cc, Toyota Vitz for $6000, incl h.p. to commute daily from Pleasant Point to Timaru. Go figure, as evidently profoundly deaf people were ripped off by Cochlear Implant pricing, hospital care, anaesthetists, surgeons & radiologists. Cochlear Implant & MED-EL Implant pricing being identical, looked like monopoly pricing. Over 3 years ago when I went to my Christchurch audiologist & GP about my wavering Widex hearing aid, neither mentioned the SCIP, but both encouraged me to buy expensive hearing aids.
Worse:
Consultation Fees - Audiology, Habilitation / Rehabilitation
Cochlear Implant Candidacy Assessment (Audiology, Rehabilitation) $750.00 [Ripoff. Described above].
"Meet and Greet" pre op discussion [ENT surgeon described above]. No charge. [He got his cut from his whopping surgery fees, above].
Post implant Follow-Up (Audiology, Habilitation / Rehabilitation)
*All appointments first 2 years post switch-on $5400.00 per implant
After 2 years post switch-on $200.00/hour per implant
A 40% discount on consultation fees is offered for simultaneous recipients on the second ear.
[And the SCIP wanted me to lobby NZ govt MPs for funding. A Google search showed that SCIP troughers had asked CI candidates like me to lobby MPs for years].
On-going Equipment and Spare Parts - representative costs
Below are representative costs for some consumable items that may be necessary for on-going maintenance of your Cochlear Implant system:
Cochlear Med-EL Advance Bionics
Std Rechg Battery $315 Battery pack frame $465 Please Enquire
Battery Holder $205 Coil with magnet $800
Coil $212 Coil cable $165
Coil-cable $127
Med-EL spare parts cost more than Cochlear spare parts.
Other consumables:
Disposable Batteries 10 pk $32
Dri Briks 3 pk $18 [Ripoff - silica gel in plastic packages for use in a plastic jar].
Speech Processor Repairs
Cochlear Med-EL Advance Bionics
Warranty period 5 years Warranty period 3 years Please enquire
Warranty repair No chg Warranty repair no chge
OOW repair $488.75 OOW repair $592
Med-EL processor repairs cost more than Cochlear processor repairs.
Speech Processor Upgrade Cochlear Med-EL Adv Bionics
Usually required after 7-8 years $8360.00 $11040.00 $POA
Med-EL processor upgrade cost more than Cochlear processor upgrade.
Cochlear Implant device & Med-EL Implant device cost the same, but Med-EL spare parts, processor repairs & processor upgrade cost more. As both Cochlear Implant device & Med-EL Implant device cost the same, why were Med-El's maintenance & repair costs more than Cochlear's?
None of the above costings showed any cost of failure of the Cochlear Implant in my skull, nor cost of surgery failure.
Totaling *asterisk costs, bare minimum costs for the Implant device, surgery & 2 year follow up, the grand total $50101.10 exceeded the $45000 grant.
$50101.10 single Cochlear Implant cost exceeded Leah's gross annual teacher salary.
Medical expediters needed to pull finger to reduce astronomical costs for Cochlear Implants.
4. Communication: 13-14.02.17. After posting a grant application for $50101.10 for one Cochlear Implant to the SCIP at St George's Hospital, I emailed the following to the National Rangitata MP, Jo Goodhew & National Minister of Health, Dr Jonathan Coleman:
Cochlear Implant Funding - Southern Cochlear Implant Programme.
I am a NZ resident of 22 years, emigrated from South Africa in 1995. I have over 20 years' full time experience as a teacher & personnel officer in SA. I wasn't born deaf, but gradually went profoundly deaf over 30 plus years due to Grofit kibbutz farm machinery noise in 1982 causing my deafness. Analogue hearing aids proved inadequate & I stopped teaching on arrival in NZ. Digital hearing aids are still inadequate for my profound deafness.
Presently I live with my wife at Pleasant Point. My teacher wife is breadwinner, commuting daily to Timaru. My two adult sons, ages 30 & 25, live and work in Christchurch.
After referral by my Timaru audiologist, last month at St George's Hospital, Christchurch, I was assessed by the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme, which found me eligible for a single Cochlear Implant. I was informed the Cochlear Implant waiting list was 140, but there was annual funding only for 20 Cochlear Implants.
My Google search found there were Cochlear Implant funding shortages for years, as well as astronomical rising costs for Cochlear Implants, surgery & Cochlear Implant maintenance & repairs thereafter.
With the present status quo, I must wait years for a Cochlear Implant. Recent quotes give costs about $50101 for a single Cochlear Implant, done via the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme. Our family cannot afford to pay for a private Cochlear Implant. Never mind expensive, ongoing repair & maintenance costs.
A Cochlear Implant would greatly improve my hearing & quality of life. My wife has had a deaf husband for 34 years of our marriage. My sons have always had a deaf father.
Please let me know why there is so little NZ government funding for Cochlear Implants?
Thank you.
Mark JS Esslemont
P.S. More info about Cochlear Implants & the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme Assessment & Costs can be found on my Woza Wanderer blog...
17.02.17. I received a form letter from the Clinical Coordinator, SCIP, dated 14.02.17, which read:
You were recently seen by our Centre for a cochlear implant assessment by our Clinical staff.
The results of the assessment indicate that you meet the candidacy criteria for a cochlear implant. This means that you are likely to derive more benefit from a cochlear implant than your current hearing aid or hearing aids.
Although you are a suitable candidate, public funding for cochlear implant surgery is limited and is therefore prioritized. [How?]
Based on your clinical assessment, you do not meet the threshold [Profoundly deaf not deaf enough huh?] for a publically funded implant and as a result are referring you back to your local provider with advice for management of your hearing loss. [A waste of resources as my new digital hearing aids were useless with any background noise]. This may include a review of hearing aids [done over more than 30 years of deafness] referral to a hearing therapist, [trougher] the provision of assistive devices such as FM systems [risibly expensive] and other community supports [already sussed over many years: trougher orgs; deaf culture sign languages; loop systems in cinemas, courts, churches, lecture halls; amplified telephones; caption telephones; TV captions...]
While you don't meet the threshold for a publically funded implant at the moment, you remain on the programme. If there is an increase in funding and you meet the threshold [what?] at a later date, we [who?] will advise you at the earliest opportunity. If your circumstances have changed since your original assessment and you feel you warrant a review of your clinical priority [what?] please contact our clinic. A change in circumstances may include:
* A significant change in your hearing. [My hearing changed to profoundly deaf over many years].
* Increase in difficulty hearing at work [don't work, deaf for years] in education [I stopped teaching after leaving SA & couldn't hear lectures at Lincoln Uni in 1996 despite my analogue hearing aid] or at home. [Without hearing aids I'm completely deaf].
* Caregiver responsibility [N/a. Leah & sons were my unpaid interpreters].
* The effect of your hearing loss on your quality of life and mental health. [Crap. Huge financial, social & emotional costs. The bulleted points were discussed at my SCIP assessment, rendering them repetitive & patronising in a form letter].
A request for a review of your clinical priority should be supported by information from your GP or other health care provider. [Troughers. e.g. In 2011, when I saw my GP & Bay audiologist in Christchurch about getting new digital hearing aids via WINZ, they were both duplicitous: checking my blood pressure, referring me for blood tests, referring me to the GP's unqualified wife for hearing aid advice, or trying to dupe me to buy mega expensive digital hearing aids. Neither GP nor audiologist referred me to the SCIP in Christchurch].
You may proceed with a cochlear implant at your own cost through our private service at any time. [$50101.10 for one implant. Cough]. Please contact us if you wish to pursue this option. [SCIP screened & solicited both state & private patients simultaneously. No separation of SCIP state & private costs. e.g. private ENT specialist on SCIP milked either state or private patients with exorbitant costs].
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this [sick] letter....
Copy: Audiologist... Timaru.
The risible thing about the letter was that the SCIP's audiograms showed me more profoundly deaf than my Timaru audiograms done a few months ago. i.e. SCIP's audiogram curves were lower than my Timaru audiogram curves. A significant change in my hearing.
Letter dated 20.03.17 from the Southern Hearing Charitable Trust Grants Committee:
"Thank you for your recent application to the SHCT Charitable Grants Committee.
The Committee received 15 individual applications and had $50 000 to allocate from a single benefactor. The Committee met on 1 March 2017 to consider all applications.
The limited availability of charitable funds means that the Committee was unable to approve all applications and on this occasion your grant application has been unsuccessful.
The Committee would like to thank you for taking the time to apply. In the event that further charitable funds become available at a later date then we will notify you of this and you may apply again."
Busy work for bureaucrats who expected waiting listers to apply year after year for a grant which presently only covered one Cochlear Implant as above. What a farce! Cochlear Implant candidates were also expected to lobby current MPs for funding to enrich said bureaucrats & medical staff.
After sending my lobbying email (above) to Jo Goodhew my National MP, a lackey replied asking whether my email could be sent to Dr Jonathan Coleman, Minister of Health. I didn't reply as I'd already sent my lobbying email to Dr Coleman.
19 April 2017. I received the following email form Nicky Wagner, Associate Minister of Health. Despite her National govt praising verbiage, she avoided answering my email question above.
Thank you for your email of 18 March 2017 to the Minister of Health, Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman, about cochlear implant funding. I am responding as the matters you have raised fall within my portfolio of responsibilities as Associate Minister of Health.
The Government recognises the positive effect that cochlear implants have on people's lives. As a consequence, in 2013 the Government invested in improving the provision of cochlear implants by doubling the number of implants delivered each year to adults and continues to consider additional funding for implants alongside other health and disability priorities. [Meaning the National govt had funded about 3 CI per N Island & 3 per S Island in 2013].
[Despite 2017 being an election year, Nicky didn't say whether National's funding / numbers for cochlear implants was doubled for 2018. Considering ex PM John Key's $26m wasteful, 2016 flag referendum, $26m could've paid for 520 cochlear implants, today's prices, wiping out the waiting list].
As you know, the Ministry of Health currently contracts two trusts to deliver cochlear implant services nationally. [Enabling trust lackeys to siphon govt money for trust expenses instead of actually doing cochlear implants. The 3 SCIP staff who assessed me for a cochlear implant all said funding was low]. Each trust is contracted to provide 20 implants for adults each year. [At 2017 quoted prices above, roughly $1 000 000 cost per N island & $1 000 000 cost per South Island. A risibly low amount]. These trusts are also contracted to provide implants for children. The trusts can reprioritise funding to provide additional implants for adults if there is less demand than anticipated to provide for children's implants [Er what about trusts' waiting lists for children & adults Nicky?]
The Government acknowledges that there is growing demand for adults to access cochlear implants [due to limitations of digital hearing aids & referrals by audiologists, like Bay Audiology] and that there can be long waiting times for some people. [So provide more funding for cochlear implants!] Priority is given to people with the greatest need and ability to benefit from an implant. [Codswallop!] If you consider your circumstances have changed and your need for a cochlear implant has become more urgent, you can contact the clinical assessment team at Southern Cochlear Implant Programme and request a review of your needs. [Busy work for bureaucrats when the need is obvious - I'm profoundly deaf & hearing aids are useless in noisy environments, assessed thus by audiologists in RSA & NZ for decades]. The programme can be contacted on freephone... or email...
Thank you for sharing your concerns.
Yours sincerely...
My lobbying proved that National MPs Dr Jonathan Coleman, Nicky Wagner & Jo Goodhew were slippery buck passers & circumlocutioners.
21.02.17. I emailed the SCIP rehabilitationist who'd assessed me:
Thanks for the interview last month. We are now settled in Pleasant Point.
Regarding my CI, I have done the following:
Got quotes, applied for a grant, done a blog post, emailed MPs Jo Goodhew & Dr Jonathan Coleman asking why CI funding was so scarce?
My question:
Should my CI fail (body rejection, botched operation, failed processor needing repairs...) would I be able to use my Bernafon hearing aid again on my implanted ear?
Thanks and regards...
No reply from the SCIP rehabilitationist.
Meanwhile I contacted my audiologist in Timaru & asked the same question. Audiologist's reply: I wouldn't be able to use my Bernafon hearing aid after cochlear implant surgery, as the surgery could damage cochlear hair cells when the implant wire was shoved past hair cells in my cochlea. I said I would then have to rely entirely on lip reading, as hearing aids & cochlear implant would be useless to me.
04.02.19. Latest SURGICAL ESTIMATE for a Cochlear Implant by the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme:
"Procedure: Left Cochlear Implant, Estimated Length of Procedure: 150 mins.
Surgeon: Mr ...
Length of Stay: 1 night.
Hospital: St George's Hospital.
Surgeon: NZ$7500. [Costs more than a Christchurch, low mileage, 2nd hand, Toyota Vitz car].
Preoperative Consultation: NZ$ 130.
St George's Hospital / Theatre Charges: NZ$3305.
Recovery: NZ$360.
Medical supplies: NZ$4500.
Accommodation (per night): $700. [Costs more than a posh hotel in Christchurch CBD].
Anaesthetist: NZ$1800.
Postoperative X Ray: NZ102.
The above costings are GST inclusive, are an estimate only and may be subject to change.
This estimate includes post operative consultations with Mr ... for up to six weeks after surgery at no charge. [Huh?] Consultations after six weeks will incur standard followup fee [What?]
If you have an insurance shortfall [Why necessary in a Welfare State run CI programme?] or if you are self funding your surgery the hospital may require this to be paid upon admission to the hospital. Please contact the hospital directly to discuss this.
Following your surgery you will receive three invoices (surgeon, hospital and anaesthetist) to send with your claim to your insurance company. Your insurer will pay these directly."
Without my touting CI Brand names, Southern Cochlear Implant Programme quoted a range of prices for various Cochlear Implant devices: NZ$16675; NZ$20125; NZ$21275 (2 different Brands); NZ$22425; NZ$28750; NZ$33810. A big discrepancy in pricing of different CI Brands.
Over time, there would be ongoing maintenance costs: Recharging the Battery; Coil (UHP) / Cable; Disposable Batteries; Speech Processor Repairs; Speech Processor Upgrades, amounting to thousands more dollars ... Different cost for different brands ...
Coda:
Op & Post-op Rehab:
Mar 2022. After 5 years, on the SCIP waiting list, Sept 2021 I had a Cochlear Implant op beneath my scalp on my left ear at St George's Hospital, Papanui Rd. Rehabilitation took months & many visits to St George's Hospital for appointments with supportive audiologists & rehabilitationists. My family's NZ taxes over 25 years had paid for my Cochlear Implant, costing approx NZ$50 000, excluding private travel costs from Pleasant Point to Christchurch & Christchurch private accommodation costs.
As I was profoundly deaf, my Cochlear Implant finished off any residual hearing I had, as the Cochlear Implant wire containing 22 electrodes was passed from the Implant gadget beneath my scalp through my middle ear (destroying my taste sense for months) into my inner ear cochlea.
2 weeks post-op my CI was switched on by an audiologist at SCIP offices, St George's Hospital, Papanui Rd. At first there was loud popping, static noises & speech sounded loud & robotic. Telemetry & mapping soon sorted that. My Cochlear Implant improved my hearing when I wore its magnetised processor attached to my outer left ear, like a normal hearing aid. But it took months to become used to the processor, fiddling with remote control from a separate gadget & mostly remote control from my cell phone: adjusting volume controls & forward focussing when background noises became excessive, like heavy traffic noises, kids screaming in playgrounds, restaurant kitchen noises... (I'd found hearing aids' volume control easier with a simple manual wheel to twiddle on a hearing aid). And of course I was still stone-deaf at night without the processor, which required nightly drying in a plastic box & nightly battery recharging, a tedious ritual. Ongoing costs: A new Cochlear Implant, rechargeable battery cost NZ$255, new cables cost NZ$225...!
I was not born deaf, but from age 30, I deafened for the next 40 years. I did my own Cochlear Implant rehabilitation by listening to lots of 1960s pop music, broadcast by Spotify direct into my Cochlear Implant. I'd found a manual of rehab exercises provided by SCIP rehabilitationists tedious & boring. Nature sounds & human speech came back quickly & clearly over the next few months. Conversations / discussions with family, friends & shop staff became clearer over the first few, post-op months, where I had to change my lip-reading habit to active listening. Listening to TV, Netflix, music videos, Spotify music & podcasts helped me rehab. Receiving cell phone calls were stressful at first (relayed direct to my Cochlear Implant) & it took me a while to become used to making cell phone calls, as cell phones were not made for easy use by deaf people. I had to force myself to actively listen again, instead of relying on TV & movie subtitles. Covid-19 mask-wearing by others made it impossible to lip-read, so I was forced to actively listen to anyone wearing a face mask. Some shop assistants kindly removed their masks when I said I was deaf.
Family was important for my rehab: My 2 sons, in their 30s, were delighted to have a deaf dad who could converse with them for the first time in their adult lives. They helped me get used to my new cell phone & ensured I knew how to use relevant rehab apps, like Spotify & how to make & receive cell phone calls. Our eldest son emailed me pop music he had recorded, like "Little Black Submarines", "It's a lovely Day"... which helped my rehab. Nice to hear his adult singing voice too. He enabled me to Google pop song lyrics & videos & gave me a harmonica to practise new sounds. Wife Leah was vital for my rehab. She attended all my appointments with audiologists & rehabilitationists to give family input. Since the mid 1970s her teaching career involved literacy teaching & learning problems involved with Literacy, like dyslexia. For years she'd been my deaf interpreter & my rehab involved her making word lists I needed to resolve my word hearing errors & get my brain used to word endings I missed initially with my processor. Early days, her saying, "Yeees!" would loudly hiss & explode in my head, so my audiologist had to tweak out that exploding, hissing sound caused by my implant & processor whenever I heard sibilants. Not the only tweaking required...
Despite my Cochlear Implant, I still had permanent tinnitus in my non CI, deaf ear & still had vertigo & intermmittent ocular migraines with scintillating scotomas in both eyes, which I stopped by means of either an ice lolly or my own version of EMDR: Moving my eyes from left to right several times & waiting for about 10 -20 minutes for my brain waves to resettle, thus obviating nausea & blackouts. Despite my 40 years of deafness in SA & NZ, no doctor nor ENT specialist had ever advised about optical migraines & scintillating scotomas, caused by my nerve deafness / Menieres Disease. I Google searched those things, incl EMDR. Long story...
If I had a noisy, busy day wearing my CI processor, average usage about 15h/day (noisy background sounds, like cafes, long car travel, traffic noises, like passing trucks & loud Spotify music for hours) my CI ear gave me loud tinnitus which disappeared after a good night's sleep. Whenever my audiologist changed my CI programme series (changed at every tweaking appointment during the post-op year) for the first day or two after the CI programme change my CI ear would give me loud tinnitus while my overloaded brain adjusted to the new CI programme. Thankfully that CI induced tinnitus didn't last.
Although 6 months after my CI op, my taste sense was slill faulty (no sucrose nor salt taste, due to op damage to my Chorda tympani nerve going through the middle ear) I don't regret having a new CI, as my hearing communication greatly improved, especially with family. Expectations by others could be a problem, like shop assistants wearing Covid-19 masks, masking their voices & nosy neighbours expecting me to hear perfectly with my new CI, after many years' deafness. I rebuffed one well-meaning neighbour after he insisted on fiddling with my cell phone (his wife in tow too) offering me Whatsapp on my newly acquired cell phone. Prior to my CI op, I had only used a cheap cell phone for texting family. Post-op, for months I explored the limits of my CI & Cochlear remote control app on my new cell. In noisy places like cafes & restaurants, I had to remotely reduce CI volume and use Forward Focus to mute loud kitchen noises, background music & chatter from neighbouring diners. At home, while watching TV or Netflix, I used the remote Mute button when Leah talked to me, to mute TV noise, as my brain became overloaded & I was stressed by her chatter and background TV noise simultaneously.
Nightly I am still profoundly deaf when I remove the processor for drying in its electric drying box & recharge the processor battery.
My Christchurch audiologist's take on my 6 months' post-op rehab:
"...Impedence Telemetry
Telemetery is checked prior to each re-mapping session. All measurements continue to be within normal limits indicating appropriate electrode function.
Mapping
Mark's microphone covers were changed, and his skin flap checked to verify that the skin under the receiver coil / magnet appeared healthy without undue magnet pressure - the site was of normal appearance. Mark's Maps were adjusted using a combination of objective measures (Auto-Neural Response Telemetry (NRT) and behavioural checks of threshold comfort levels. Mark advised that the new Map was clearer and a little louder. He was provided with this Map together with a slightly louder one, should this be necessary. Volume would ideally be set at level 6 or higher to enable optimal potential from the device.
Mark continues to enjoy all the new sounds he is now able to detect with his speech processor. He states that he has been enjoying Bluetooth streaming from his phone direct to his implant, and the family has been noticing that Mark has been spontaneously hearing conversation without seeing people's faces, something he would not have been able to do prior to CI surgery. It has been suggested to Mark he does some listening practice using Bluetooth streaming of Audiobooks or Podcasts to optimise auditory benefit from his cochlear implant.
Aided Speech Perception (recorded test material) presented at 55dBSPL - (SPANZ test)
(1) HINT SENTENCES
Auditory Alone: 96%
(0% pre-implant using bilateral hearing aids)
(2) CNC WORDS
Auditory Alone: 44% words correct. 77% phonemes correct
(8% words correct, 28% phonemes correct pre-implant using left hearing aid)
These scores continue to indicate very significant benefit from the cochlear implant compared to that obtained via conventional aiding.
Summary and Recommendations
Mark continues to make very good progress. We will continue to see him according to our usual protocols, and a further update will be sent out following his one-year visit..."
My Christchurch audiology updates were sent to my Christchurch ENT surgeon, Geraldine GP & Timaru audiologist who had recommended I join the SCIP programme all those years ago. Since my CI journey began, I'd attended several venues: Timaru Bay Audiology offices (testing for CI candidacy); Specialists at Nine offices, Christchurch, (meet & greet potential ENT surgeon, CI candidacy sussing); SCIP offices, St George's Hospital, Christchurch, (SCIP audiology testing for CI candidacy, post-op audiology testing, mapping, programming & rehab); Timaru Hospital (pre-op Xray); Geraldine Clinic (pre-op vaccinations & GP visit); Forte Health, Christchurch (pre-op meet & greet ENT surgeon); St Georges Hospital, Christchurch (pre-op & post-op appointments with anaesthetist & ENT surgeon, X ray staff & many kind nurses giving me pre-op & post-op care: fancy bed with a bed adjustment gadget; antibiotic drip; pulse, blood pressure & temperature monitors; knee length boots with intermittent pressure to stop post-op blood clots. Some hospital safety protocols: A wheel chair, toilet seat going over the normal toilet. I didn't use it as I wasn't dizzy post-op, although I felt I was walking on eggshells - anaesthetic chemicals wearing off. One nurse wanted to watch me while I post-op showered, in case I blacked-out. Felt creepy. I didn't shower as I soon left the hospital.
Post-op year required a huge time / travel / accommodation committment to audiology & rehab appointments: return trips to / from Pleasant Point / Christchurch to St George's Hospital, SCIP offices. After 6 months post-op I'd attended 12 appointments: 6 audiology appointments with 2 different technicians; 6 rehab appointments with 3 different rehab technicians. 9 months post-op, I still had 2 more audiology / rehab appointments. Ditto 1 year post-op. Total: 16 audiology / rehab appointments in the post-op year. Thereafter I would have annual audiology / rehab appointments for SCIP check ups. A full time Clinical Coordinator arranged all those appointments which ran like clockwork. And I was just one CI patient.
During my 5 years on the SCIP waiting list SCIP never told me that post-op there would be many audiology mapping appointments & rehab appointments to get used to my CI. SCIP just posted me annual CI costs & annual grant application forms. In short, I was medically brainwashed.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Cochlear Implant
See Nicky Wagner's tweet attitude to NZ disabled (The Press / Stuff Co)
My nerve deafness worsened over the next decade, while I continued teaching at Durban, Kleinzee, QwaQwa & East London & doing a 3 year stint of DeBeers personnel work at Kleinzee & Koffiefontein mines. With my vertigo I started having intermittent blackouts & ocular migraines with scintillating scotomas in both eyes. In desperation I saw doctors, ENT specialists & audiologists in Durban, Kleinzee, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, East London. They all made megabucks out of my deafness, examining me & telling me my deafness was worsening & I must buy expensive hearing aids. I bought my first analogue hearing aid in Bloemfontein in 1987. I found analogue hearing aids painful & useless.
My last 6 teaching years were at Selborne College, East London, where my deafness worsened. 1994, my last teaching year, I couldn't hear a thing. I bluffed my way through teaching, lip reading & persevering with my useless analogue hearing aid. 1993, from East London I applied for NZ residence. My deafness was passed in my medical by NZ Immigration Service.
Before emigrating from East London, South Africa to NZ, I bought expensive Starkey in-the-ear, analogue hearing aids. My family & I arrived in Christchurch NZ in 1995. The Starkeys proved painful with loud noises & useless. The Starkeys broke & after a year I asked my East London audiologist for a refund. After evasions he repaid some of my money.
In Christchurch NZ I stopped teaching as I was too deaf. I'd tried retraining as a NZ teacher at the end of 1995, but dropped out of the teacher retraining course as I couldn't hear school kids nor teachers properly, even with my analogue hearing aid. In 1996, I read a post grad horticulture diploma at Lincoln Uni. I dropped out after a semester as I doubted the diploma would find me work. Thereafter I did labouring / clerical work in Christchurch for a couple of years before stopping & going on the dole. Teacher wife, Leah became breadwinner while our 2 sons grew up in Christchurch.
Over the next 2 decades in Christchurch I saw NZ audiologists, doctors & an ENT specialist. (Never mind NZ doctors milking WINZ for deaf & depressed Sickness Beneficiaries, a long story). They couldn't cure my nerve deafness. Early days, an audiologist gave me 2 Phonak, shop soiled, analogue hearing aids. Useless. I acquired another pair of Phonak analogue hearing aids after a deaf friend died. Useless. I bought a Widex digital hearing aid which proved adequate in quiet environments over the next 18 years. It was useless with any background noise like at restaurants. I didn't buy 2 expensive Widex digital hearing aids, as I'd had so much trouble with analogue hearing aids.
Once our sons settled into their Christchurch jobs, after 3 years of Christchurch quakes, Leah got a 3 year teaching contract at Lake Tekapo School. We moved to Fairlie & 4 days a week Leah commuted to Lake Tekapo School. One day a week she taught at St Josephs School, Fairlie. During that time my old, Widex digital hearing aid played up, with intermittent, loud, beeping noises which disturbed me, my family & anyone else within hearing aid beep range. In mid 2016 I took the Widex to a Timaru audiologist for hearing aid repair. (Other hearing aids I had had also needed expensive repairs over the years). The audiologist looked at my old Widex, gave me the usual audiogram, beep test, pronounced my profound deafness & gave me 2 Bernafon digital hearing aids, an improvement on the Widex.
She said as my deafness was so profound, I was eligible for one Cochlear Implant, via the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme (SCIP).
At the end of 2016 Leah got a teaching job in Timaru, advising 40+ Southern Canterbury schools about literacy resources. We moved from Fairlie to Pleasant Point for Leah to commute to Timaru.
2. Southern Cochlear Implant Programme Assessment:
For rich folk the Cochlear Implant Assessment costs $750. I didn't pay, as I was referred by the Timaru audiologist.
In Dec 2016, I received a letter from the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme, based at St George's Hospital, Papanui, Christchurch, informing me of my Cochlear Implant Assessment which would take place over 2 days in January 2017. The letter incl a claim form stating I could only claim travel & accommodation costs after 6 visits to Christchurch. That meant stiff petrol, car wear & tear & motel costs for us, just to tell me once more I was profoundly deaf & needed a Cochlear Implant.
Despite my new Bernafons, as I lip read Leah well, Leah attended the following appointments with me as my interpreter:
Thurs 19.01.17. St George's Hospital, morning appointment, 2 hours with an audiologist: She spoke clearly in her quiet office, but I needed Leah to interpret quite a lot, as the audiologist was a UK expat with a Pom accent. She listened to my deafness story, gave me the usual audiogram beep test & pronounced my profound deafness. (Duplication of my Timaru audiologist's audiogram). She emphasized a Cochlear Implant was expensive, that the waiting list was about 140 & the Cochlear Implant Programme only had annual funds for 20 Cochlear Implants per year. She later posted me a copy of her assessment report & audiogram, recommending I needed a Cochlear Implant.
Thurs 19.01.17. St George's Hospital, afternoon appointment, 1.5 hours with a rehabilitationist who would oversee my rehab if I had a Cochlear Implant. She spoke clearly & eloquently in her quiet office. I heard her well. Like me she wasn't born deaf, but went deaf later on. She'd paid for her 2 Cochlear Implants by mortgaging her house. Fine if you had a house to mortgage. I didn't.
Like the audiologist, she emphasized that Cochlear Implants were expensive, that NZ govt only provided one Cochlear Implant for each deaf person on the programme, annual funding was low, that the waiting list was long & I'd have a long wait for a Cochlear Implant. She said as I was now on the Cochlear Implant waiting list I would never be bumped off the waiting list, which happened with other state medical waiting lists.
She suggested I write to my MP & Minister of Health to enquire why state funding was scarce for Cochlear Implants? She gave me a grant application form to apply for a Cochlear Implant grant, but emphasized there was no guarantee I would get a grant soon & should apply every year. (Rigamarole of getting annually inflated quotes). Maximum grant was $45000 per Cochlear Implant & surgery. (Eight years ago the grant max was $25000, showing inflation & troughing service providers). If I ever got a Cochlear Implant via SCIP, later on I could apply for peripherals, like repair or replacement of processor, repairs after warranty, consumables & spare parts. Cumbersome funding for dubious hearing benefits. I told her I was sceptical of the SCIP.
As I'd found in the past in South Africa & NZ, medical people used deaf people to milk money for themselves & not for deaf people. In the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme office at St George's Hospital there were was a receptionist, clinical coordinator, doctors, audiologists, rehabilitationists (for adults) & habilitationists (for children) all slurping salaries from the deafness trough, even before I saw an ENT specialist.
Fri 20.01.17. Specialists at Nine, Caledonian Rd, afternoon appointment, half an hour with an ENT specialist. In his quiet office he didn't speak clearly & Leah had to interpret most of what he mumbled. He went through ENT mumbo jumbo I'd heard before in SA & NZ that I was deaf, I had wax in my ears, that he must check my ears while I lay on his couch... He showed me a Cochlear Implant device & a plastic ear model with a Cochlear Implant. He answered my questions & reiterated state Cochlear Implant funding was scarce. The Cochlear Implant operation would take place at Forte Health, Kilmore St. Post Christchurch quakes, Forte Health was built, a private clinic funded by doctors with shares in Forte Health.
The Cochlear Implant was glorified trepanning where the ENT specialist drilled a ledge on my skull bone, planted the implant on the bone ledge, short circuited my perfectly normal outer & middle ear with an implant electrode wire covered in plastic which he inserted into my cochlear to stimulate my auditory nerve. He then stitched my skull skin closed. About a month later, after skin & bone healed, the implant processor hanging on my outer ear & attached to a magnet in my skull implant would be activated. The audiologist & rehabilitationist would enable me to use the device.
Snag: The ENT specialist wanted to place my Cochlear Implant in my "good" ear, which enabled me to still hear with my Bernafon digital hearing aid. The rationale was that my "bad" ear would take longer to rehabilitate with a Cochlear Implant. If the ENT specialist botched the implant operation, or the implant malfunctioned, there was no going back to my digital hearing aid.
The ENT specialist gave me a Cochlear Implant Advice Sheet which read:
Usually takes 1.5-2.5 hours under a General anaesthetic:
The anaesthetist will assess you on the ward before your surgery. I will see you on the ward or occasionally at the anaesthetic room.
Steps once asleep and practical points to know:
Antibiotics given through the drip
Reduces likelihood of wound infection or the rare complication of meningitis. [Complication huh? After drilling a hole in my skull!] Should have vaccine prior to surgery date.
Hair shave behind and above ear
Will grow back.
Site for Receiver Stimulator marker
For bilateral or second side implantation every effort to be made to align the implants symmetrically. However due to the curvature of the skull and the healing process they do not always end up at the same level on the skull e.g. different height above ear.
Incision made behind ear
Top of ear may feel numb afterwards. Usually recovers within 3 months.
Bone drilled to expose 2 nerves
Taste nerve: may have metallic taste. Usually recovers within 3 months.
Facial nerve: rarely weak face post op. If present it is usually temporary.
The inner ear / cochlea is then entered
Balance may be affected. Common in first 24 hours, may last a few weeks.
Electrode wire inserted
Full insertion is usual but rarely insertion is incomplete. "Device failure" is when the electrodes don't all function. Occasionally some electrodes need to be turned off. The audiologist will adjust the MAPing for these situations.
Hearing may go completely in that ear. Ringing / tinnitus may sometimes increase as nerve endings die off. This usually improves over time. [Sounded dodgy. Cortical cells destroyed to accommodate electrodes which may or may not work!]
Wound closed
Hidden stitches used. Do not need to be removed.
Head bandage applied
Stays on for 48 hours.
You will be in recovery for 1-2 hours
I will ring your contact person if you wish.
On the ward:
You will receive 2-3 doses of antibiotic. You will have an X-ray the following morning to document the position of the implant. You may be discharged from hospital afterwards. A prescription for pain relief will be supplied. Most people remove the bandage themselves the next day (as well as the underlying dressings). However, if you would prefer, you can see your GP practice nurse or come back to the ward to have it removed.
After you go home:
You should keep the wound dry. A family member or friend may wash your hair if you hold a cup over your ear and use a hair dryer to dry any water that gets on the wound. You should see your GP in 1 week for a wound check. If you are from Christchurch I can see you at this time. It is normal to feel a small bump behind your ear.
"Switch on" is usually 2-4 weeks after surgery. The implant programme will organise this with you. My secretary will organise an appointment with me around this time also.
3. Costs: After seeing the ENT specialist, Leah & I went back to St George's Hospital to enquire about costs for a Cochlear Implant. Days later, I received an email giving costs of Cochlear Implant devices & long term maintenance costs, but wanting me to email around for estimated Radiology, Anaesthetist, Surgery, Hospital costs, as follows:
*Radiology pre op CT Scan: Cost unknown, no quote given by SCIP, surgeon, radiologist
*Post op X-ray: $101.60
*Anaesthetist 3 hours in theatre: $1800.00
*Surgery pre op visit: $114.50
*Surgery: $4700.00
*St George's Hospital theatre time (120 mins): $2290.00
*Medical Supplies: $4500.00
*Recovery: $350.00
*Accommodation per night $655.00
Medical costs were sick.
The Southern Cochlear Implant Programme supplied the following costs, administered by deaf troughers & tax minions, wanting their cut from the deaf before any Cochlear Implant:
Please find below our charges and fees. All prices are GST inclusive and may change without notice. These charges are subject to our Terms and Conditions:
Prices
Prices provided here are accurate as at 25 November 2016 but may change at any time. [Inflated by manufacturers, retailers & wholesalers slurping the deafness trough]. For implant prices and fees, please request a formal quote valid for 30 days. [Making any quote request a waste of time & energy].
Equipment Manufacturer
Our programme offers the choice of 3 equipment manufacturer's systems, Cochlear Limited, Med-EL and Advanced Bionics. Selection is done in consultation with you and clinical staff. Your personal preference may not be available under some circumstances based on clinical grounds - this will be made clear to you at the time of consultation.
Invoicing and Payment
Payment should be made against our GST invoice at the time of consultation. All SCIP related services and equipment (Assessment Fees, Cochlear Implant equipment, Consultation Fees, Spare Parts, Batteries and Repairs) are payable on invoice at the time of consultation.
For initial implant system charges only, 10% deposit at time of confirmation is required. [I wasn't confirmed, just on a nebulous waiting list]. Balance can be paid in 3 monthly instalments, with the first payment required prior to surgery. [I must invest in more Lotto tickets]. After the first 2 years, follow up appointments at SCIP are invoiced at the hourly rate quoted and payment should be made at the time of consultation. [A money making factory for SCIP paid by CI recipients, similar to deaf troughing audiologists, audiometrists & WINZ doctors].
Payment for all other specialist services (ENT Fees, Hospital Fees, Anaesthetist Fees and Radiology Fees) [Above] is via the specialist or provider concerned, subject to their own Terms and Conditions. The SCIP is not responsible for costs, prices, or the Terms and Conditions of other providers. [SCIP just flogs Cochlear Implant devices, support equipment, consumables, captive audiologists & rehabilitationists / habilitationists].
Speech Processor Upgrades
Your speech processor will need to be updated at some stage in the future. Currently the approximate life of a processor is 7-8 years. [As opposed to my cheaper Widex hearing aid which needed major repair after a couple of years & lasted about 15 years before going bung over the next 3 years].
Warranty
The Cochlear Implant, speech processor and consumable parts are warranted against defect and failure. Please consult the relevant manufacturer's terms and conditions for specific warranty terms.
Travel and accommodation assistance
Patients who fund their own Cochlear Implants are therefore also required to fund their own travel and accommodation costs. Please be aware, that when you come to Christchurch or Lower Hutt [Northern Cochlear Implant Programme] for your Cochlear Implant appointments you may need accommodation. You may also need to stay in Christchurch two - three days after surgery following discharge from St Georges Hospital (this is dependent on recovery) and another two days at time of switch on. [The ENT specialist's Terms & Conditions I read & signed wanted my surgery at Forte Health, another deaf troughing, money making factory].
Bilateral Patients
Simultaneous Cochlear Implant Procedures
Some patients who are provided a Ministry of Health funded Cochlear Implant system may elect to fund a second simultaneous implant system at the same time.
Please be aware that only those costs associated with the publically funded procedure will be met out of Ministry of Health funds. Any treatment costs, including unforeseen costs, [botch ups?] not associated with publically funded procedure must be met by the patient. [Sounded dodgy].
As part of the pre-implant assessment process the clinical staff will, on clinical grounds, recommend an ear for unilateral implant. This recommendation will be done prior to surgery. This ear will then be deemed the funded ear; the other ear will become the private ear and any treatment costs associated with this private ear must be met by the patient. [Would my hearing coordinating brain then become part funded, part private too?]
Sequential Cochlear Implant Procedures
Some patients with an existing Ministry of Health funded Cochlear Implant system may elect to fund a second (sequential) implant at a later date. [After cortical cells were buggered by the first deaf troughing op].
Please be aware that any costs associated with the privately funded ear must first be met by the patient and the Ministry of Health funded services cannot be used to subsidise private procedures. [Resulting from botch ups by SCIP surgery].
This includes the cost of travel and accommodation to attend appointments for treatment procedures associated with a privately implanted system.
Any treatment costs, including unforeseen costs, [dodgy] not associated with the publically funded procedure must be met by the patient.
[The above SCIP Terms and Conditions avoided the fact there was little funding from the Ministry of Health for Cochlear Implants].
For questions regarding our Terms and Conditions please consult either the Finance Administrator or the General Manager. [Hopefully they lobbied MPs & the Ministry of Health for the long SCIP Cochlear Implant waiting list].
Cochlear Implant System - Equipment only
Cochlear MED-EL Advanced Bionics
*Implant system (implant & speech processor) $30190.00 $30190.00 $POA
Bilateral system (sequential or simultaneous) $25357.50
Applicable to patients with existing Cochlear Ltd device - valid until February 2017
My wife recently bought a second hand, 1300cc, Toyota Vitz for $6000, incl h.p. to commute daily from Pleasant Point to Timaru. Go figure, as evidently profoundly deaf people were ripped off by Cochlear Implant pricing, hospital care, anaesthetists, surgeons & radiologists. Cochlear Implant & MED-EL Implant pricing being identical, looked like monopoly pricing. Over 3 years ago when I went to my Christchurch audiologist & GP about my wavering Widex hearing aid, neither mentioned the SCIP, but both encouraged me to buy expensive hearing aids.
Worse:
Consultation Fees - Audiology, Habilitation / Rehabilitation
Cochlear Implant Candidacy Assessment (Audiology, Rehabilitation) $750.00 [Ripoff. Described above].
"Meet and Greet" pre op discussion [ENT surgeon described above]. No charge. [He got his cut from his whopping surgery fees, above].
Post implant Follow-Up (Audiology, Habilitation / Rehabilitation)
*All appointments first 2 years post switch-on $5400.00 per implant
After 2 years post switch-on $200.00/hour per implant
A 40% discount on consultation fees is offered for simultaneous recipients on the second ear.
[And the SCIP wanted me to lobby NZ govt MPs for funding. A Google search showed that SCIP troughers had asked CI candidates like me to lobby MPs for years].
On-going Equipment and Spare Parts - representative costs
Below are representative costs for some consumable items that may be necessary for on-going maintenance of your Cochlear Implant system:
Cochlear Med-EL Advance Bionics
Std Rechg Battery $315 Battery pack frame $465 Please Enquire
Battery Holder $205 Coil with magnet $800
Coil $212 Coil cable $165
Coil-cable $127
Med-EL spare parts cost more than Cochlear spare parts.
Other consumables:
Disposable Batteries 10 pk $32
Dri Briks 3 pk $18 [Ripoff - silica gel in plastic packages for use in a plastic jar].
Speech Processor Repairs
Cochlear Med-EL Advance Bionics
Warranty period 5 years Warranty period 3 years Please enquire
Warranty repair No chg Warranty repair no chge
OOW repair $488.75 OOW repair $592
Med-EL processor repairs cost more than Cochlear processor repairs.
Speech Processor Upgrade Cochlear Med-EL Adv Bionics
Usually required after 7-8 years $8360.00 $11040.00 $POA
Med-EL processor upgrade cost more than Cochlear processor upgrade.
Cochlear Implant device & Med-EL Implant device cost the same, but Med-EL spare parts, processor repairs & processor upgrade cost more. As both Cochlear Implant device & Med-EL Implant device cost the same, why were Med-El's maintenance & repair costs more than Cochlear's?
None of the above costings showed any cost of failure of the Cochlear Implant in my skull, nor cost of surgery failure.
Totaling *asterisk costs, bare minimum costs for the Implant device, surgery & 2 year follow up, the grand total $50101.10 exceeded the $45000 grant.
$50101.10 single Cochlear Implant cost exceeded Leah's gross annual teacher salary.
Medical expediters needed to pull finger to reduce astronomical costs for Cochlear Implants.
4. Communication: 13-14.02.17. After posting a grant application for $50101.10 for one Cochlear Implant to the SCIP at St George's Hospital, I emailed the following to the National Rangitata MP, Jo Goodhew & National Minister of Health, Dr Jonathan Coleman:
Cochlear Implant Funding - Southern Cochlear Implant Programme.
I am a NZ resident of 22 years, emigrated from South Africa in 1995. I have over 20 years' full time experience as a teacher & personnel officer in SA. I wasn't born deaf, but gradually went profoundly deaf over 30 plus years due to Grofit kibbutz farm machinery noise in 1982 causing my deafness. Analogue hearing aids proved inadequate & I stopped teaching on arrival in NZ. Digital hearing aids are still inadequate for my profound deafness.
Presently I live with my wife at Pleasant Point. My teacher wife is breadwinner, commuting daily to Timaru. My two adult sons, ages 30 & 25, live and work in Christchurch.
After referral by my Timaru audiologist, last month at St George's Hospital, Christchurch, I was assessed by the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme, which found me eligible for a single Cochlear Implant. I was informed the Cochlear Implant waiting list was 140, but there was annual funding only for 20 Cochlear Implants.
My Google search found there were Cochlear Implant funding shortages for years, as well as astronomical rising costs for Cochlear Implants, surgery & Cochlear Implant maintenance & repairs thereafter.
With the present status quo, I must wait years for a Cochlear Implant. Recent quotes give costs about $50101 for a single Cochlear Implant, done via the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme. Our family cannot afford to pay for a private Cochlear Implant. Never mind expensive, ongoing repair & maintenance costs.
A Cochlear Implant would greatly improve my hearing & quality of life. My wife has had a deaf husband for 34 years of our marriage. My sons have always had a deaf father.
Please let me know why there is so little NZ government funding for Cochlear Implants?
Thank you.
Mark JS Esslemont
P.S. More info about Cochlear Implants & the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme Assessment & Costs can be found on my Woza Wanderer blog...
17.02.17. I received a form letter from the Clinical Coordinator, SCIP, dated 14.02.17, which read:
You were recently seen by our Centre for a cochlear implant assessment by our Clinical staff.
The results of the assessment indicate that you meet the candidacy criteria for a cochlear implant. This means that you are likely to derive more benefit from a cochlear implant than your current hearing aid or hearing aids.
Although you are a suitable candidate, public funding for cochlear implant surgery is limited and is therefore prioritized. [How?]
Based on your clinical assessment, you do not meet the threshold [Profoundly deaf not deaf enough huh?] for a publically funded implant and as a result are referring you back to your local provider with advice for management of your hearing loss. [A waste of resources as my new digital hearing aids were useless with any background noise]. This may include a review of hearing aids [done over more than 30 years of deafness] referral to a hearing therapist, [trougher] the provision of assistive devices such as FM systems [risibly expensive] and other community supports [already sussed over many years: trougher orgs; deaf culture sign languages; loop systems in cinemas, courts, churches, lecture halls; amplified telephones; caption telephones; TV captions...]
While you don't meet the threshold for a publically funded implant at the moment, you remain on the programme. If there is an increase in funding and you meet the threshold [what?] at a later date, we [who?] will advise you at the earliest opportunity. If your circumstances have changed since your original assessment and you feel you warrant a review of your clinical priority [what?] please contact our clinic. A change in circumstances may include:
* A significant change in your hearing. [My hearing changed to profoundly deaf over many years].
* Increase in difficulty hearing at work [don't work, deaf for years] in education [I stopped teaching after leaving SA & couldn't hear lectures at Lincoln Uni in 1996 despite my analogue hearing aid] or at home. [Without hearing aids I'm completely deaf].
* Caregiver responsibility [N/a. Leah & sons were my unpaid interpreters].
* The effect of your hearing loss on your quality of life and mental health. [Crap. Huge financial, social & emotional costs. The bulleted points were discussed at my SCIP assessment, rendering them repetitive & patronising in a form letter].
A request for a review of your clinical priority should be supported by information from your GP or other health care provider. [Troughers. e.g. In 2011, when I saw my GP & Bay audiologist in Christchurch about getting new digital hearing aids via WINZ, they were both duplicitous: checking my blood pressure, referring me for blood tests, referring me to the GP's unqualified wife for hearing aid advice, or trying to dupe me to buy mega expensive digital hearing aids. Neither GP nor audiologist referred me to the SCIP in Christchurch].
You may proceed with a cochlear implant at your own cost through our private service at any time. [$50101.10 for one implant. Cough]. Please contact us if you wish to pursue this option. [SCIP screened & solicited both state & private patients simultaneously. No separation of SCIP state & private costs. e.g. private ENT specialist on SCIP milked either state or private patients with exorbitant costs].
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this [sick] letter....
Copy: Audiologist... Timaru.
The risible thing about the letter was that the SCIP's audiograms showed me more profoundly deaf than my Timaru audiograms done a few months ago. i.e. SCIP's audiogram curves were lower than my Timaru audiogram curves. A significant change in my hearing.
Letter dated 20.03.17 from the Southern Hearing Charitable Trust Grants Committee:
"Thank you for your recent application to the SHCT Charitable Grants Committee.
The Committee received 15 individual applications and had $50 000 to allocate from a single benefactor. The Committee met on 1 March 2017 to consider all applications.
The limited availability of charitable funds means that the Committee was unable to approve all applications and on this occasion your grant application has been unsuccessful.
The Committee would like to thank you for taking the time to apply. In the event that further charitable funds become available at a later date then we will notify you of this and you may apply again."
Busy work for bureaucrats who expected waiting listers to apply year after year for a grant which presently only covered one Cochlear Implant as above. What a farce! Cochlear Implant candidates were also expected to lobby current MPs for funding to enrich said bureaucrats & medical staff.
After sending my lobbying email (above) to Jo Goodhew my National MP, a lackey replied asking whether my email could be sent to Dr Jonathan Coleman, Minister of Health. I didn't reply as I'd already sent my lobbying email to Dr Coleman.
19 April 2017. I received the following email form Nicky Wagner, Associate Minister of Health. Despite her National govt praising verbiage, she avoided answering my email question above.
Thank you for your email of 18 March 2017 to the Minister of Health, Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman, about cochlear implant funding. I am responding as the matters you have raised fall within my portfolio of responsibilities as Associate Minister of Health.
The Government recognises the positive effect that cochlear implants have on people's lives. As a consequence, in 2013 the Government invested in improving the provision of cochlear implants by doubling the number of implants delivered each year to adults and continues to consider additional funding for implants alongside other health and disability priorities. [Meaning the National govt had funded about 3 CI per N Island & 3 per S Island in 2013].
[Despite 2017 being an election year, Nicky didn't say whether National's funding / numbers for cochlear implants was doubled for 2018. Considering ex PM John Key's $26m wasteful, 2016 flag referendum, $26m could've paid for 520 cochlear implants, today's prices, wiping out the waiting list].
As you know, the Ministry of Health currently contracts two trusts to deliver cochlear implant services nationally. [Enabling trust lackeys to siphon govt money for trust expenses instead of actually doing cochlear implants. The 3 SCIP staff who assessed me for a cochlear implant all said funding was low]. Each trust is contracted to provide 20 implants for adults each year. [At 2017 quoted prices above, roughly $1 000 000 cost per N island & $1 000 000 cost per South Island. A risibly low amount]. These trusts are also contracted to provide implants for children. The trusts can reprioritise funding to provide additional implants for adults if there is less demand than anticipated to provide for children's implants [Er what about trusts' waiting lists for children & adults Nicky?]
The Government acknowledges that there is growing demand for adults to access cochlear implants [due to limitations of digital hearing aids & referrals by audiologists, like Bay Audiology] and that there can be long waiting times for some people. [So provide more funding for cochlear implants!] Priority is given to people with the greatest need and ability to benefit from an implant. [Codswallop!] If you consider your circumstances have changed and your need for a cochlear implant has become more urgent, you can contact the clinical assessment team at Southern Cochlear Implant Programme and request a review of your needs. [Busy work for bureaucrats when the need is obvious - I'm profoundly deaf & hearing aids are useless in noisy environments, assessed thus by audiologists in RSA & NZ for decades]. The programme can be contacted on freephone... or email...
Thank you for sharing your concerns.
Yours sincerely...
My lobbying proved that National MPs Dr Jonathan Coleman, Nicky Wagner & Jo Goodhew were slippery buck passers & circumlocutioners.
21.02.17. I emailed the SCIP rehabilitationist who'd assessed me:
Thanks for the interview last month. We are now settled in Pleasant Point.
Regarding my CI, I have done the following:
Got quotes, applied for a grant, done a blog post, emailed MPs Jo Goodhew & Dr Jonathan Coleman asking why CI funding was so scarce?
My question:
Should my CI fail (body rejection, botched operation, failed processor needing repairs...) would I be able to use my Bernafon hearing aid again on my implanted ear?
Thanks and regards...
No reply from the SCIP rehabilitationist.
Meanwhile I contacted my audiologist in Timaru & asked the same question. Audiologist's reply: I wouldn't be able to use my Bernafon hearing aid after cochlear implant surgery, as the surgery could damage cochlear hair cells when the implant wire was shoved past hair cells in my cochlea. I said I would then have to rely entirely on lip reading, as hearing aids & cochlear implant would be useless to me.
04.02.19. Latest SURGICAL ESTIMATE for a Cochlear Implant by the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme:
"Procedure: Left Cochlear Implant, Estimated Length of Procedure: 150 mins.
Surgeon: Mr ...
Length of Stay: 1 night.
Hospital: St George's Hospital.
Surgeon: NZ$7500. [Costs more than a Christchurch, low mileage, 2nd hand, Toyota Vitz car].
Preoperative Consultation: NZ$ 130.
St George's Hospital / Theatre Charges: NZ$3305.
Recovery: NZ$360.
Medical supplies: NZ$4500.
Accommodation (per night): $700. [Costs more than a posh hotel in Christchurch CBD].
Anaesthetist: NZ$1800.
Postoperative X Ray: NZ102.
The above costings are GST inclusive, are an estimate only and may be subject to change.
This estimate includes post operative consultations with Mr ... for up to six weeks after surgery at no charge. [Huh?] Consultations after six weeks will incur standard followup fee [What?]
If you have an insurance shortfall [Why necessary in a Welfare State run CI programme?] or if you are self funding your surgery the hospital may require this to be paid upon admission to the hospital. Please contact the hospital directly to discuss this.
Following your surgery you will receive three invoices (surgeon, hospital and anaesthetist) to send with your claim to your insurance company. Your insurer will pay these directly."
Without my touting CI Brand names, Southern Cochlear Implant Programme quoted a range of prices for various Cochlear Implant devices: NZ$16675; NZ$20125; NZ$21275 (2 different Brands); NZ$22425; NZ$28750; NZ$33810. A big discrepancy in pricing of different CI Brands.
Over time, there would be ongoing maintenance costs: Recharging the Battery; Coil (UHP) / Cable; Disposable Batteries; Speech Processor Repairs; Speech Processor Upgrades, amounting to thousands more dollars ... Different cost for different brands ...
Coda:
Op & Post-op Rehab:
Mar 2022. After 5 years, on the SCIP waiting list, Sept 2021 I had a Cochlear Implant op beneath my scalp on my left ear at St George's Hospital, Papanui Rd. Rehabilitation took months & many visits to St George's Hospital for appointments with supportive audiologists & rehabilitationists. My family's NZ taxes over 25 years had paid for my Cochlear Implant, costing approx NZ$50 000, excluding private travel costs from Pleasant Point to Christchurch & Christchurch private accommodation costs.
As I was profoundly deaf, my Cochlear Implant finished off any residual hearing I had, as the Cochlear Implant wire containing 22 electrodes was passed from the Implant gadget beneath my scalp through my middle ear (destroying my taste sense for months) into my inner ear cochlea.
2 weeks post-op my CI was switched on by an audiologist at SCIP offices, St George's Hospital, Papanui Rd. At first there was loud popping, static noises & speech sounded loud & robotic. Telemetry & mapping soon sorted that. My Cochlear Implant improved my hearing when I wore its magnetised processor attached to my outer left ear, like a normal hearing aid. But it took months to become used to the processor, fiddling with remote control from a separate gadget & mostly remote control from my cell phone: adjusting volume controls & forward focussing when background noises became excessive, like heavy traffic noises, kids screaming in playgrounds, restaurant kitchen noises... (I'd found hearing aids' volume control easier with a simple manual wheel to twiddle on a hearing aid). And of course I was still stone-deaf at night without the processor, which required nightly drying in a plastic box & nightly battery recharging, a tedious ritual. Ongoing costs: A new Cochlear Implant, rechargeable battery cost NZ$255, new cables cost NZ$225...!
I was not born deaf, but from age 30, I deafened for the next 40 years. I did my own Cochlear Implant rehabilitation by listening to lots of 1960s pop music, broadcast by Spotify direct into my Cochlear Implant. I'd found a manual of rehab exercises provided by SCIP rehabilitationists tedious & boring. Nature sounds & human speech came back quickly & clearly over the next few months. Conversations / discussions with family, friends & shop staff became clearer over the first few, post-op months, where I had to change my lip-reading habit to active listening. Listening to TV, Netflix, music videos, Spotify music & podcasts helped me rehab. Receiving cell phone calls were stressful at first (relayed direct to my Cochlear Implant) & it took me a while to become used to making cell phone calls, as cell phones were not made for easy use by deaf people. I had to force myself to actively listen again, instead of relying on TV & movie subtitles. Covid-19 mask-wearing by others made it impossible to lip-read, so I was forced to actively listen to anyone wearing a face mask. Some shop assistants kindly removed their masks when I said I was deaf.
Family was important for my rehab: My 2 sons, in their 30s, were delighted to have a deaf dad who could converse with them for the first time in their adult lives. They helped me get used to my new cell phone & ensured I knew how to use relevant rehab apps, like Spotify & how to make & receive cell phone calls. Our eldest son emailed me pop music he had recorded, like "Little Black Submarines", "It's a lovely Day"... which helped my rehab. Nice to hear his adult singing voice too. He enabled me to Google pop song lyrics & videos & gave me a harmonica to practise new sounds. Wife Leah was vital for my rehab. She attended all my appointments with audiologists & rehabilitationists to give family input. Since the mid 1970s her teaching career involved literacy teaching & learning problems involved with Literacy, like dyslexia. For years she'd been my deaf interpreter & my rehab involved her making word lists I needed to resolve my word hearing errors & get my brain used to word endings I missed initially with my processor. Early days, her saying, "Yeees!" would loudly hiss & explode in my head, so my audiologist had to tweak out that exploding, hissing sound caused by my implant & processor whenever I heard sibilants. Not the only tweaking required...
Despite my Cochlear Implant, I still had permanent tinnitus in my non CI, deaf ear & still had vertigo & intermmittent ocular migraines with scintillating scotomas in both eyes, which I stopped by means of either an ice lolly or my own version of EMDR: Moving my eyes from left to right several times & waiting for about 10 -20 minutes for my brain waves to resettle, thus obviating nausea & blackouts. Despite my 40 years of deafness in SA & NZ, no doctor nor ENT specialist had ever advised about optical migraines & scintillating scotomas, caused by my nerve deafness / Menieres Disease. I Google searched those things, incl EMDR. Long story...
If I had a noisy, busy day wearing my CI processor, average usage about 15h/day (noisy background sounds, like cafes, long car travel, traffic noises, like passing trucks & loud Spotify music for hours) my CI ear gave me loud tinnitus which disappeared after a good night's sleep. Whenever my audiologist changed my CI programme series (changed at every tweaking appointment during the post-op year) for the first day or two after the CI programme change my CI ear would give me loud tinnitus while my overloaded brain adjusted to the new CI programme. Thankfully that CI induced tinnitus didn't last.
Although 6 months after my CI op, my taste sense was slill faulty (no sucrose nor salt taste, due to op damage to my Chorda tympani nerve going through the middle ear) I don't regret having a new CI, as my hearing communication greatly improved, especially with family. Expectations by others could be a problem, like shop assistants wearing Covid-19 masks, masking their voices & nosy neighbours expecting me to hear perfectly with my new CI, after many years' deafness. I rebuffed one well-meaning neighbour after he insisted on fiddling with my cell phone (his wife in tow too) offering me Whatsapp on my newly acquired cell phone. Prior to my CI op, I had only used a cheap cell phone for texting family. Post-op, for months I explored the limits of my CI & Cochlear remote control app on my new cell. In noisy places like cafes & restaurants, I had to remotely reduce CI volume and use Forward Focus to mute loud kitchen noises, background music & chatter from neighbouring diners. At home, while watching TV or Netflix, I used the remote Mute button when Leah talked to me, to mute TV noise, as my brain became overloaded & I was stressed by her chatter and background TV noise simultaneously.
Nightly I am still profoundly deaf when I remove the processor for drying in its electric drying box & recharge the processor battery.
My Christchurch audiologist's take on my 6 months' post-op rehab:
"...Impedence Telemetry
Telemetery is checked prior to each re-mapping session. All measurements continue to be within normal limits indicating appropriate electrode function.
Mapping
Mark's microphone covers were changed, and his skin flap checked to verify that the skin under the receiver coil / magnet appeared healthy without undue magnet pressure - the site was of normal appearance. Mark's Maps were adjusted using a combination of objective measures (Auto-Neural Response Telemetry (NRT) and behavioural checks of threshold comfort levels. Mark advised that the new Map was clearer and a little louder. He was provided with this Map together with a slightly louder one, should this be necessary. Volume would ideally be set at level 6 or higher to enable optimal potential from the device.
Mark continues to enjoy all the new sounds he is now able to detect with his speech processor. He states that he has been enjoying Bluetooth streaming from his phone direct to his implant, and the family has been noticing that Mark has been spontaneously hearing conversation without seeing people's faces, something he would not have been able to do prior to CI surgery. It has been suggested to Mark he does some listening practice using Bluetooth streaming of Audiobooks or Podcasts to optimise auditory benefit from his cochlear implant.
Aided Speech Perception (recorded test material) presented at 55dBSPL - (SPANZ test)
(1) HINT SENTENCES
Auditory Alone: 96%
(0% pre-implant using bilateral hearing aids)
(2) CNC WORDS
Auditory Alone: 44% words correct. 77% phonemes correct
(8% words correct, 28% phonemes correct pre-implant using left hearing aid)
These scores continue to indicate very significant benefit from the cochlear implant compared to that obtained via conventional aiding.
Summary and Recommendations
Mark continues to make very good progress. We will continue to see him according to our usual protocols, and a further update will be sent out following his one-year visit..."
My Christchurch audiology updates were sent to my Christchurch ENT surgeon, Geraldine GP & Timaru audiologist who had recommended I join the SCIP programme all those years ago. Since my CI journey began, I'd attended several venues: Timaru Bay Audiology offices (testing for CI candidacy); Specialists at Nine offices, Christchurch, (meet & greet potential ENT surgeon, CI candidacy sussing); SCIP offices, St George's Hospital, Christchurch, (SCIP audiology testing for CI candidacy, post-op audiology testing, mapping, programming & rehab); Timaru Hospital (pre-op Xray); Geraldine Clinic (pre-op vaccinations & GP visit); Forte Health, Christchurch (pre-op meet & greet ENT surgeon); St Georges Hospital, Christchurch (pre-op & post-op appointments with anaesthetist & ENT surgeon, X ray staff & many kind nurses giving me pre-op & post-op care: fancy bed with a bed adjustment gadget; antibiotic drip; pulse, blood pressure & temperature monitors; knee length boots with intermittent pressure to stop post-op blood clots. Some hospital safety protocols: A wheel chair, toilet seat going over the normal toilet. I didn't use it as I wasn't dizzy post-op, although I felt I was walking on eggshells - anaesthetic chemicals wearing off. One nurse wanted to watch me while I post-op showered, in case I blacked-out. Felt creepy. I didn't shower as I soon left the hospital.
Post-op year required a huge time / travel / accommodation committment to audiology & rehab appointments: return trips to / from Pleasant Point / Christchurch to St George's Hospital, SCIP offices. After 6 months post-op I'd attended 12 appointments: 6 audiology appointments with 2 different technicians; 6 rehab appointments with 3 different rehab technicians. 9 months post-op, I still had 2 more audiology / rehab appointments. Ditto 1 year post-op. Total: 16 audiology / rehab appointments in the post-op year. Thereafter I would have annual audiology / rehab appointments for SCIP check ups. A full time Clinical Coordinator arranged all those appointments which ran like clockwork. And I was just one CI patient.
During my 5 years on the SCIP waiting list SCIP never told me that post-op there would be many audiology mapping appointments & rehab appointments to get used to my CI. SCIP just posted me annual CI costs & annual grant application forms. In short, I was medically brainwashed.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Cochlear Implant
See Nicky Wagner's tweet attitude to NZ disabled (The Press / Stuff Co)
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