Jervis Bay is part of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and was established so the capital could have a seaport. Yesterday was a gorgeous albeit warm day and as I was told there is a lot to see, I got out there to explore. I had to walk more than two kilometres before I got a lift but before exploring I did some food and wine shopping and got a photo with a gorgeous lady from the Australian Navy.
The Navy base here in Jervis Bay is one of the largest in the country. I wasn't interested in a military base but instead the serenity and natural beauty of Jervis Bay.
From there, after a few photos and a peaceful beach walk, things would get scary. At Murray's Beach I all of a sudden started feeling very delirious and confused. I wanted to just lay down in the grass and go to sleep. I was really feeling like I was about to collapse. Whilst trying to calm down I ate two bananas and then filled my water bottle despite the sign stating that the water wasn't suitable for drinking. Nearly an hour away from the holiday park I was feeling confused to the point where I had to ask for directions away from the beach and then I called Debbie to ask if she could pick me up but she wasn't able to since she was waiting for some guests to arrive. On the verge of collapse I walked confidently, thinking I was going to shake this feeling off. I seriously thought "this is what it must feel like to die." At this point I no longer cared about geocaching or going for a walk; instead I wanted to call Anikka and my family to tell them I love them in case something happened to me. It's impossible to accurately describe the feeling of what it was like, that it could actually be my final moments on Earth. With the strength to put my thumb out it would take two lifts to get back to the holiday park. Straight away I asked Debbie if she could take me to the hospital but she advised me to stay calm. I had a rest for a bit but then was fearful that I wasn't going to wake up. A cold shower didn't help much, and I was drinking glass after glass of water. I'd never felt so scared in my life
Yesterday evening I felt a bit better as I cooked up some Mongolian beef and flew Juliett (my drone). Today, however, I felt worse than I ever have. For the first time in my life I had the thought of calling people to tell them I love them. Eventually I would call my brother, Sean and then Eli, on Norfolk Island. Eli was convincing me to be strong, reminding me that I have my 10th trip to Norfolk Island to do. In the face of it all I was doing my best to enjoy the beauty of being here even though my strength was limited. Kangaroos with their joeys graze about; Debbie calls them her "lawn mowers."
These feelings of dying would continue into the evening. Debbie had me do a COVID-19 test which came back negative, and then she checked my pulse, which was normal. When I spoke with Sean and Eli earlier they both said I looked fine; when I started feeling funny earlier I was concerned I might be having a heart attack. Again I asked Debbie to take me to the hospital but after talking for a minute she advised me to rest and take it easy. She said she would check on me in the morning to ensure that I was OK.
Through it all I realised that I had the onset of heatstroke. I was suffering from heat exhaustion as I was confused and sweating excessively. My heart rate was also elevated. I didn't realise yesterday that I should have stayed still and tried to get a lift straight away instead of walking nearly a kilometre with the state that I was in. I've always had a habit of pushing myself even in circumstances where I should take it easy. The best advice I can give to prevent heat exhaustion and heatstroke is to take it easy on hot days and always carry more water than you think you'll need. Going easy on alcohol and caffeine is another helpful tip. In the end I would feel horrible for two days and as a precaution I stayed in Jervis Bay for a few extra days. Debbie gets a huge shout-out for looking after me and for being so helpful; she would remind me of the amount of paperwork that would need to be filled out of anything happened to me.
From this day forward, I'm gonna be a lot more mindful of my health and listen to my body in these situations. I have many more years on this planet and a lot more exploring to do!
