Getting sick
Posted on: Mon, 2007-08-20 17:14
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Getting sick
I've been seeing doctors and dentists for about a month now, and the post in the Asia forum about bird flu made me realize that, although we should get all are shots and be careful, in all my years and years of travel, I've only caught something exotic twice. But I've been sick a lot.
The things that go wrong when we travel usually aren't that much different than the things that go wrong when we are at home. That appplies to health, too. I'm in Malaysia, and I think my abcessed tooth and bronchitis are sort of typical of the problems that we have to deal with when we are away.
I've had a sinus infection in Hong Kong, and tonsillitis in Bukit Tinggi, Sumatra. I broke a tooth in India, and sprained my ankle in South Africa. The only times these are problems is if you are somewhere so remote that there aren't adequate facilities. For most of the problems, while it is nice to have a good doctor, a nurse or a pharmacist is going to be able to help you.
So, while I'm big on preventative innoculations and things like taking anti-malarials, it is probably more important to pay attention to things like vitamins, diet, exercise, and being appropriately dressed for the climate and activity.
I've got a bug that is resistant to all the oral antibiotics, so in a few hours I'll be checking in for an overnight hospital stay, where I'll get my anitbiotics by IV. If I have no negative reactions, I'll get out the next day and make twice daily trips to the hospital for another five days. I'd really rather not be a medical tourist...
the flu has hit Australia hard this year even the horses have it. few weeks ago i got really sick, couldn't go to work or anything, took a week off work.
It's a shame you were so sick. I read today that the horse flu epidemic was cause by inadequate quarantine of the first cases.
I'm out of the hospital and going in twice a day for the IV antibiotic, which seems to be working well.
I was in a very good hospital, but they obviously don't believe in spending money on new equipment when they have stuff that works. They have the new cardiac CT scanner, the new cardiac MRI, and are very up to date. But if there is no medical advantage, the old stuff stays around. Crank hospital beds, in the wards at least, and some of the oldest blood pressure monitors I've ever seen. You don't get gowns, or towels, or much of anything. On the other hand, there is more than adequate nursing staff, meds and meals all come on time, and the staff is cheerful. This is in contrast to the US, where there is a major nursing shortage, the nurses are overworked, things don't happen on time, and the nurses get cranky at the end of their double shifts.
I was only in overnight, so now I spend more than my daily budget just getting to and from the hospital morning and evening, since it isn't on a bus line. Most of the people who go there have private medical insurance through their employers, good jobs, and cars. It's been an interesting experience, and the nurses like to chat when there are no other patients in the accident and emergency unit.
One of the interesting things is that my doctor told me the other day that I could have gone to the government hospital and the care would have been cheaper and just as good. I like him a lot because he takes the time not only to discuss things but to explain why and how things interact. I feel as if I'm being treated as a person, not a specific body part or disease.
Hope you guys get so well and enjoy traveling. Good thing I'm energetic and can easily adapt with their environment, only minor scratch and allergies came to me. I just always keep first aid on my pocket and couple of bottle of vitamins.
Speaking of sick I hate being sick when traveling specially in a not so familiar territory. Fortunately I only got sick once while traveling and it messed up my plans and everything.
So now, I always try to get enough sleep and rest a week before so my body would be near perfect condition when I travel.