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10,000 Ways to Die Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

Jophiel: No response from owner. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the current guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it. Be sure to include the GC # of the cache listing in any correspondence.

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Hidden : 5/31/2009
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:


NOTE:  Cache is NOT located at coordinates above.  To determine the cache coordinates, solve the puzzle below.

Cache is a lock-n-lock and is hidden on public property.  Parking can be within 10 feet depending on muggle traffic.

Have you ever noticed the numbers on the form during a visit to the doctor?  No, not the big number with the “$” sign in front – the other cryptic-looking decimal codes that describe the diagnosis and treatment associated with your visit.  Those are ICD codes.

The International Classification of Diseases (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) is published by the World Health Organization and provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury, disease or death.  Every health condition can be assigned to a unique category and given a code, up to six characters long. There are approximately 10,000 codes in the ICD database.  Hence, 10,000 (documented) ways to die.

 While injury, illness and death are not normally funny things – there ARE some really “interesting” descriptions for some ICD codes.  I inadvertently ran across a few of these while reading an Internet blog one day.  Below are a few actual descriptions.  Find the ICD codes for these descriptions and substitute the numbers from the codes for the corresponding letters to determine the cache coordinates.

ICD Code

Diagnosis

Editorial Comments

ABC.D

Accident due to knife/sword/dagger      

for when those D&D games get out of hand

EFG.H

Accident, pedal cycle, animal rider

who was REALLY driving?

JKL.M

Accidental suffocation, due to lack of air

and HOW ELSE could you describe suffocation? 

NPQ.R

Accident, unpowered aircraft, parachutist

okay…aren't you supposed to USE the parachute to AVOID an accident in an unpowered aircraft? 

STU.V

Suicide by paintball gun

This proves that ANYTHING is possible

 

abc.d

Accidental human bite

hmmm…how does THAT work?  Although, my younger sister once tried this excuse...

efg.h

Accident, animal-drawn vehicle, streetcar occupant

one must really focus to draw THAT mental picture

jkm.n

Accident due to ionizing radiation

that just sounds REALLY bad

pqr.s

Accident involving spacecraft

primarily used in Roswell, NM and Area 51

tuv.w

Accidental poisoning by psychodysleptics (hallucinogens)

with a name like "psychodysleptics", these folks were just ASKING for trouble

Cache location is:  N 32° LC.TDN W 092° sm.wdr

IMPORTANT NOTE:  The ICD is revised periodically and is currently in its tenth edition.  However, the ninth edition (ICD-9) should be used to solve the coordinates for this cache since the older version is now public domain.

With so many ways to die, it’s nice to know that some causes of death are preventable.  So in the interest of good health, the FTF prize is a colo-rectal self-screening kit (with a special bonus).

 

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Qba'g or JEBHTUG jvgu srne, whfg gnxr lbhe VEBA. Gb ABG trg ONEorq, rng lbhe OREEVRF.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)