The Greatest Place on Earth - With no Hospital

We just got back from another great anniversary trip to Ocracoke, North Carolina.  It was rated the number one beach in the nation this year and 5th overall in the world.  Ok, so that may be an exaggeration, but this place is amazing.  Ocracoke is a small village situated around the oldest active lighthouse still in operation (1823) and a big harbor called Silver Lake, or “the Creek” by the locals.  Our favorite part about it is that you park your car when you get there and you don’t use it again until you leave!  We rent bikes and just ride bikes anywhere we need to be.  The water was warm, the beach beautiful, and the water was actually very clear this time, clearer than ever.

However, there is one bad part about being on a tiny island only accessed by a ferry: There is no hospital.  We were eating seafood on our last night there and Jackson’s face all of the sudden turned beet red and hives started breaking out!  We freaked and didn’t know what to do b/c there’s no hospital.  Thankfully the lady at the restaraunt knew the nurse practitioner’s number - yes, he’s the only doctorish person on the island!

Long story short - Jackson was fine, our best guess is that he got a little of the shellfish from the french fries he ate that were probably cooked in the same oil.  So we rushed to the nurse practitioner, got some Benedryl and he was ok.  But needless to say we were freaked!  When Elizabeth rushed our 10-month old baby to the bathroom to wipe his face, all I could do was pray - God please let it be nothing, please let it be nothing, please let it be nothing.  I had visions of a helicopter or plane taking him to a far off hospital.  Thankfully, a dose of Benadryl and a good night’s sleep and he was fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s interesting though to think that people on that island have lived for hundreds of years without a doctor, hospital or emergency room.  I bought a book called “Ocracokers” and according to the book, Elizabeth and I aren’t the only one’s who’ve prayed a lot in fear during times of emergency on the island.  Thank you Lord.

 Howard Street is one of the coolest places at the coolest place on earth.  you’d think it was a driveway if you didn’t know any better.  It’s only about 300 yards long, but has numerous old cemetaries with 250+ year old graves, huge oak and cedar trees, and some of the oldest houses on the island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ by ryanmcbride on August 2, 2007.