I had a pretty crazy weekend in between India and Sri Lanka (from where I just returned!) I had plans to meet and pick up my friend who I visited in Beijing, Rebekah, at BKK airport and then to show her around on Saturday, December 15th. I also had plans to meet up with another Cornell friend, Max.
Well, my flight from India landed. Rebekah's flight from China landed about 5 minutes later. I checked what gate she was at and was able to pick her up! (I love picking people up from the airport :)) We stopped at the Thong Lo BTS stop for my favorite Pad See Ewe and passion fruit/ banana smoothie before heading down to Gracie's new hi-so apartment (where we were staying). I felt zero pain or warning signs at all. The three of us even had a glass of wine and gabbed for hours before I went to bed around 11:30pm with Gracie. All of the sudden, in my sleep, I started feeling like there was a little "battlefield" going on in my stomach. I got up and tried to throw up. I threw up a little bit and then BOOM. I couldn't stop heaving. I threw up everything. I think that passion fruit's little black seeds have now scarred me for life. Then I started to alternate between feeling really hot and really cold. It was absolute madness. Not to get too graphic, but then the diarrhea started. I've never before "peed" from that end. It was bad. Really really really bad. I knew that I had traveller's diarrhea at this point, so I whipped out the antibiotic my doctor from home had prescribe to me. I took the double-pill first dose, only to throw it up about 2 minutes later. I felt so so SO sick. This is when I knew that I needed to go to the hospital. I was dizzy, and really worried about not being able to keep that antibiotic down. Then my mind started wondering to parasites...yikes! I wanted to get checked out.
This whole time (between 3 and 5am) my friend Gracie was up and going through her medicine cabinet...looking for anti-vomiting medicine. With no wifi in her room, she took her computer down to the lobby to google side effects, etc. By the time she came back upstairs, I told her, "Gracie I need to go to the hospital." She agreed that it was a good idea. I told her that she didn't need to come with me (even though in my head I really felt like I needed her). We brought bags in the taxi ride, and I threw up in the back of that cab the whole way. I felt bad for the cab driver, but he handed me some tissues, too. My Mom, Dad, and sister didn't answer their phones :(
In the emergency room all I remember is wanting water. I showed up with a fever and low blood pressure. I was so dehydrated I don't even really remember the nurse putting an IV in my arm. I asked for some water, they gave it to me. I drank two little cup-fulls. Within minutes I threw up the water. It was scary. I remember a nurse patting me on the back while I was throwing up. Then I remember an administrator walking in and showing me a sheet with room rates (like I could think straight!) Soon, I was in my own, very nice, private hospital room being waited on hand and foot. A nurse helped me change into a hospital gown because I'd pooped in my pants (I guess that this has now happened twice this year). I was completely naked when she helped me change out of my old clothes and into my new ones. Hilariously, she made me a g-string type "pad" as a sort of diaper. Nurses are good people!
The hospital food was really tasty and it was served in chic white pots. I remember being really annoyed that I couldn't drink the soy milk that kept being served with my "soft diet." No fruit, veggies, or dairy. The IV felt so strange! (This was my first hospital experience). In the IV they had a liquid antibiotic, anti-nausea medicine, as well as anti-vomiting medicine and pain-killers. (The abdominal pain had been really painful). After a blood, stool, and urine test, the doctor told me that my body was infested with white blood cells (tackling a nasty bacteria). I am so glad that I went!
Everything happened so quickly, and before I knew it 29 hours had passed. I don't really know how I did it, but that night I made (barely!) my 8pm flight to Sri Lanka!
Gracie and Rebekah stopped by briefly to visit me. I don't have many pictures, but I do have some. Apparently I took a lot of pictures of my hand with the IV. I will always remember this weekend! Although, it really couldn't have happened at a more perfect time, if I was to get sick. I was in a city and hospital that I knew well, with my friend Gracie and an evening flight. It's just terrifying (and shocking) how there were no warning signs...It just happened so quickly!
I am now feeling SO grateful to be feeling healthy! I just came back from Sri Lanka (next post) and I am headed to Myanmar tomorrow!!! (My final travel leg before coming briefly back to Thailand and then to AMERICA!!!!!)
Well, my flight from India landed. Rebekah's flight from China landed about 5 minutes later. I checked what gate she was at and was able to pick her up! (I love picking people up from the airport :)) We stopped at the Thong Lo BTS stop for my favorite Pad See Ewe and passion fruit/ banana smoothie before heading down to Gracie's new hi-so apartment (where we were staying). I felt zero pain or warning signs at all. The three of us even had a glass of wine and gabbed for hours before I went to bed around 11:30pm with Gracie. All of the sudden, in my sleep, I started feeling like there was a little "battlefield" going on in my stomach. I got up and tried to throw up. I threw up a little bit and then BOOM. I couldn't stop heaving. I threw up everything. I think that passion fruit's little black seeds have now scarred me for life. Then I started to alternate between feeling really hot and really cold. It was absolute madness. Not to get too graphic, but then the diarrhea started. I've never before "peed" from that end. It was bad. Really really really bad. I knew that I had traveller's diarrhea at this point, so I whipped out the antibiotic my doctor from home had prescribe to me. I took the double-pill first dose, only to throw it up about 2 minutes later. I felt so so SO sick. This is when I knew that I needed to go to the hospital. I was dizzy, and really worried about not being able to keep that antibiotic down. Then my mind started wondering to parasites...yikes! I wanted to get checked out.
This whole time (between 3 and 5am) my friend Gracie was up and going through her medicine cabinet...looking for anti-vomiting medicine. With no wifi in her room, she took her computer down to the lobby to google side effects, etc. By the time she came back upstairs, I told her, "Gracie I need to go to the hospital." She agreed that it was a good idea. I told her that she didn't need to come with me (even though in my head I really felt like I needed her). We brought bags in the taxi ride, and I threw up in the back of that cab the whole way. I felt bad for the cab driver, but he handed me some tissues, too. My Mom, Dad, and sister didn't answer their phones :(
In the emergency room all I remember is wanting water. I showed up with a fever and low blood pressure. I was so dehydrated I don't even really remember the nurse putting an IV in my arm. I asked for some water, they gave it to me. I drank two little cup-fulls. Within minutes I threw up the water. It was scary. I remember a nurse patting me on the back while I was throwing up. Then I remember an administrator walking in and showing me a sheet with room rates (like I could think straight!) Soon, I was in my own, very nice, private hospital room being waited on hand and foot. A nurse helped me change into a hospital gown because I'd pooped in my pants (I guess that this has now happened twice this year). I was completely naked when she helped me change out of my old clothes and into my new ones. Hilariously, she made me a g-string type "pad" as a sort of diaper. Nurses are good people!
The hospital food was really tasty and it was served in chic white pots. I remember being really annoyed that I couldn't drink the soy milk that kept being served with my "soft diet." No fruit, veggies, or dairy. The IV felt so strange! (This was my first hospital experience). In the IV they had a liquid antibiotic, anti-nausea medicine, as well as anti-vomiting medicine and pain-killers. (The abdominal pain had been really painful). After a blood, stool, and urine test, the doctor told me that my body was infested with white blood cells (tackling a nasty bacteria). I am so glad that I went!
Everything happened so quickly, and before I knew it 29 hours had passed. I don't really know how I did it, but that night I made (barely!) my 8pm flight to Sri Lanka!
Gracie and Rebekah stopped by briefly to visit me. I don't have many pictures, but I do have some. Apparently I took a lot of pictures of my hand with the IV. I will always remember this weekend! Although, it really couldn't have happened at a more perfect time, if I was to get sick. I was in a city and hospital that I knew well, with my friend Gracie and an evening flight. It's just terrifying (and shocking) how there were no warning signs...It just happened so quickly!
I am now feeling SO grateful to be feeling healthy! I just came back from Sri Lanka (next post) and I am headed to Myanmar tomorrow!!! (My final travel leg before coming briefly back to Thailand and then to AMERICA!!!!!)
My hospital room! Aren't the white pots so nice?
I ate a lot of soft noodles :)
I like the orchid flower hanging!
My cool hand with my cool IV
Dazed and out of it with THIS girl who I love :)
GRACIE!
You can't take Thailand out us :)
I am LOOPY!
Proof that Rebekah was in Thailand...
(Inappropriately joking about playing "Slap the Bag" with my IV)
ROFL you MUST post that picture of us on FB!
ReplyDelete-Rebekah