So it had to happen,




Yes life here is perfect and by perfect I mean it's perfect in it's imperfections as well, for as we all know nothing is perfect but lately it's been a bit off. About 3 weeks ago I started feeling a little meehhhh, nothing major just some indigestion, nausea, loss of energy... so I decided to go see a Dr. The sisters regularly go to a private clinic in Antsirabe. The clinic is very nice, clean, friendly staff so I wasn't too worried.

I had a visit with God or more commonly known here as Dr Benjamin or Benja. He speaks perfect French, is very qualified very attentive. I got to his clinic at 10 and at 10:15 I was in his office (long live private health care). A blood a urine test later showed a light UTI and light typhoid or salmonella poisoning (which are one and the sale). Typhoid even though I've been vaccinated??? Apparently it can still happen and the common name for it is dirty hand illness.....Yup comes from lack of hygiene....for Those who know me and those who only know me a little know that not too many people are more obsessed with disinfecting and hand washing. However I am all day playing and touching kids so I figured OK it can happen.

5 days later at dinner I had a big piece of cheese which seemed a bit off but then again cheese as a concept is a bit off. (it's very fitting for me..... death by cheese like in some ancient Greek tale of death by the way of our sins....Socrates Comes to mind). Following the cheese night my symptoms came back much stronger and the following Tuesday in Antsirabe I collapsed in the street and threw up 3 times. I rushed back to the clinic where I remained for the following 2 nights.

Ok so for those who are scared to death as I was of being hospitalized in a foreign country, let me put your fears to rest. The clinic here was just as clean if not cleaner than the ones back home, I had my own private room with 2 beds (because here they insist on your having someone you know stay with you....Meggi was my very wonderful private nurse), the staff is very attentive and friendly and the doctors just as incompetent as our own back home. Dr Benja was away for the week and 3 other doctors took care of me. The problem with having 3 doctors is that they each have an opinion and they don't always communicate well between eachother.....final Diagnosis, Typhoid, malaria and some intestine trouble.

Me: Um so it's Malaria and you're giving me malaria treatment?
Dr 1: yes malaria yes treatment and keep taking your antibiotics orally.
Me: OK I already took my pills tonight

30 mins later:
Dr 2: Ok so it's typhoid and we've injected into your intravenous your antibiotics so don't them orally
Me: Um I already did because Dr 1 told me to and you're treating me for malaria
Dr 2: Um OK we will now remove the intravenous. and no malaria treament
Me: please always explain to me what goes into my intravenous and I insist on seeing the vial before and the other dr said I'm also being injected with malaria treatment
Dr 2: ah interesting 2-2-2

Dr. 3: It's the same stomach thing as last week so don't worry
Me: I'm pretty sure it's not because why would my symptoms come back 10 times stronger after 6 days of antibiotics?
Dr 3: HHmmm

Ok so I was not happy with any of this but having been treated back home for a few things I can't sat at all that this type of thing does not happen in our hospitals, at least here I had doctors come see me and I didn't have to spend 10 hours in a waiting room.

3 days of treatment and I'm sent back home.

Still feeling very weak and throwing up, I did my own internet and Meggi's mom from germany did a little research (danke Mama Meggi) and I have gastritis. So I went back to see Dr Benja with very little patience told him how his staff told me yes typhoid, no malaria, yes malaria, take your pills no don't take because we will inject....oh and the classic are you sure you're not pregnant!!!!! Because of course a woman feeling like shit can only mean she's pregnant! Not to mention one living with sisters??? and where am I suppose to get pregnant???? Anyhow, he apologized for my being unhappy with the service at his clinic and listened to everything I had to say and started me on a new treatment and every since I've been doing much better.

I could have done without this little episode but I guess I can say I lived every experience possible here and I am a live relieved that being sick doesn't mean I have to rush home, that there are ways of getting better here

Comments

  1. Ça c'est plate...
    Mais j'imagine que ça fait parti des voyages d'aventure!
    Repose toi et tiens nous au courant de ton évolution.

    If you need help, write me!
    Seb x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bin la, ca va faire crisse...je pars te chercher demain stie :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hope you feel better soon... I'll call you on your cell today (when it's the right time for you locally.) I really suck at this time difference thing. bbb I miss you... J'taime.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi chickie! It's good to read that you are dong better!! Please take care of yourself, I know that sometimes you think pain is not pain pain! I miss you lots, and I got your very sweet email. I will be thinking of you on Saturday! I hope you feel well enough to enjoy the rest of your time there:) btw did you received the invitation and birthday cards from us??? Steve misses you too:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. hey
    I'm really sorry u got sick ... but things seem to be getting better, and that relieves me a bit ... so :D get well :*
    Cassi , RO

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello all,
    thank you for your kind words. I am doing much
    I've started drinking coffee again without any
    problems (everyone is happy about that...i'm not all
    that nice in the morning without Mr cafeine).
    Liz, no i haven't gotten any mail from you guys
    everything else seems to have made it.... maybe it was
    an address problem but no worries I know you didn'yt forget
    my b-day and that I was invited to your wedding.
    Frank I'm still waiting for you to come get me STI!
    Seb, merci mais je vais beaucoup mieux.
    Ange I love you and time differences.....
    Cassa thank you for worrying :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts