The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of Southeast Asia MedicalCare-Part II
The sad...sick...saga...continues...
Luang Prabang, Laos (July 7-11)
Once our boat docked in Luang Prabang, Marco, Suzie and I temporarily parted ways as I had booked my own accommodation at the Muonglao Riverside Guesthouse via www.booking.com. It was a bit costly ($25 per night) but I figured that my poor battered body needed a few days of extra comfort. Plus! It had a balcony and I am a total sucker for balconies! We all agreed to meet up the following evening for dinner once I had had a chance to get some medical attention. I discovered that the Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital was actually a considerable ways from the center of town so I was, instead, brought to a clinic that was known to have a doctor who spoke English. This doctor, who proudly informed me that he had received his medical training in China (err...so?), also happened to be the Deputy Director at the aforementioned Provincial Hospital, so I figured I was in the best medical hands within a 500-kilometer radius. The doctor examined me much more thoroughly than that hungry quack in Chiang Rai. For example, he listened to me breathe with an actual stethoscope, took a blood test to check the level of my white blood cells and gave me a steroid injection. Further drugs were prescribed and I left the clinic skipping and humming a merry Disney tune, feeling utterly hopeful for the first time in yonks (That's "ages" in British speak).
So much for my recovery. Sigh.
The steroid injection did seem to provide me temporary relief. So much so that the following day I decided I was up to joining Marco and Suzie on an excursion to the magnificent Kuang Si Waterfalls, some 29k south of the city. These multiple-level falls are incredibly breathtaking (and I say this as someone who is rather difficult to impress having seen dozens of waterfalls on this RTW trip) and one is able to bathe in certain pools if so inclined. Which I wasn't. The three of us hiked all the way up to the top of the falls with me coughing and wheezing at the rear. Looking back now, I cannot believe how unbelievably reckless I was being, pushing my body to the extreme like that. In my defense, I guess I just didn't realize how sick I truly was.
The next day I returned to my bed for the majority of the day, only meekly venturing forth in the late afternoon to meet Marco & Suzie for dinner and goodbyes (as they were hopping on a night bus to the capital city of Vientiane) followed by a brief walk through the impressive night market in order to purchase a gift or two.
By morning? My body had finally had enough and was in extreme revolt. So I took a tuk-tuk out to the Provincial Hospital and this, folks, is where my experience took a turn towards the down n' dirty & despicable! For the next 24+ hours, I lay lumplike on a hospital bed hooked up to an IV, on oxygen support, and sweating miserably as my room did not have A/C. But that was not the worst of it, oh no sirree. What tipped the miserability scales towards HELL ON EARTH was the fact that I was not fed during the entire time I lay there, nor was I given any soap to wash my hands/face AND the toilet I was forced to use was appalling. Its floor was covered with a thin layer of dirty water which I was forced to wade through barefoot and there was no toilet paper, let alone a wash basin! Hygienic shmenic! God only knows what sort of additional beastly germs I was picking up every time I ventured down the hall to do my "business." So there I was, in the "best" hospital Laos could offer outside of those in the capital city- dirty, starving and lying in an accumulating pool of my own sweat. Wearing dirty underwear besides!! I have never ever felt more disgusting in all my 45 years of life.
So what good came of my day and a half in a third-world Laotian hospital? Well...firstly, my oh-so-proud Chinese-trained doctor took an x-ray of my chest which clearly showed abnormalities in my lungs. Secondly, he contacted my insurance company and told them that he strongly recommended that I be medivacked to Bangkok Hospital in Thailand (with which my insurance company finally agreed the following morning ). The fact that he advocated such a bold move on my behalf is something for which I will eternally remain grateful!
An antiquated ambulance transported me from the hospital to the airport the next morning once I had paid off my hospital bill (roughly $100), and I boarded a Bangkok Airways plane around noon. During the flight I was fed a cup of veggie noodles which was my first meal in nearly 30 hours (Hallelujah!), plus they served me a generous glass of red wine, which never tasted so smooth to my palate. Upon my arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, I was met by Bangkok Hospital medical staff with a plush wheelchair and was escorted speedily through customs & baggage claim as if I was foreign royalty or an aging rock star. Once we collected my backpack from the luggage carousel, they took me out to a waiting ambulance which whisked me off to the hospital.
Which brings me to the here and now...
Bangkok Hospital (July 12-24)
What can I tell you about this hospital? Well, I am happy to report that I received 3 square meals a day (which sadly were quite bland and whose vegetarian options overly relied on bean curd and mushrooms) and that each day I was allowed to leave my room (escorted) and go downstairs to the Starbucks for a venti skinny latte. Also, I had my very own private room on the 16th floor with a fabulous view of Bangkok, replete with cable TV and unlimited WiFi access. Finally, my attending physician, Dr. Samsuk, was a delightfully cheery fellow and every time he came to check up on my progress, we took turns making each other giggle.
So what exactly was the diagnosis then, hmmm??? Well, apparently my x- ray and further bloodwork revealed that I was suffering from an acute mycloplasma infection, aka "walking pneumonia," and this was actually my second time being exposed to it (the first being when I was still in South Africa). In addition to this pneumonia, the muscles in my shoulders and neck started locking up upon my arrival at the Luang Prabang Hospital, so that I could barely raise my arms without experiencing incredible pain. The antibiotics and nebulizer I received at Bangkok Hospital cleared up my pneumonia after about a week but the incredible muscle tension/pain was more resistant to treatment. They gave me ultrasound and applied a heat pad twice daily and I also had acupuncture in the left shoulder which, contrary to popular belief, DOES HURT!! The muscle tension ever so s...l...o...w...l...y responded to this treatment but it has not completely dissipated, even after my release from hospital. Thankfully, my international medical insurance carrier, Seven Corners, has been an absolute Godsend throughout the ordeal. I spoke to them daily and they were, not only agreeable, but also sympathetic. Who knew that insurance companies could behave like human beings?!?
At long, long last I was discharged from the hospital on July 24 after a 12-day stay. The final bill was roughly $9,600 of which I only had to pay $250 as a co-payment. I am currently taking a number of medications to help ease the pain lingering in my shoulders/neck as well as using an inhaler once a day to help my still somewhat shaky lungs do what they're supposed to do, i.e. BREATHE.
To be frank, never in my life have I felt so weak physically and I truly feel humbled by this ordeal. I have learned the sad fact that I am not, in fact, invincible, and that my body is merely a breakable shell that I must cradle with care. But does this mean that I plan to slow down and forsake the thrill of trying new & daring things??? Hell no!!! But I will henceforth do so with a new appreciation of the fragility of my existence. My days on this planet are, indeed, numbered, and EACH...DAY...MUST...COUNT!!
Luang Prabang, Laos (July 7-11)
Once our boat docked in Luang Prabang, Marco, Suzie and I temporarily parted ways as I had booked my own accommodation at the Muonglao Riverside Guesthouse via www.booking.com. It was a bit costly ($25 per night) but I figured that my poor battered body needed a few days of extra comfort. Plus! It had a balcony and I am a total sucker for balconies! We all agreed to meet up the following evening for dinner once I had had a chance to get some medical attention. I discovered that the Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital was actually a considerable ways from the center of town so I was, instead, brought to a clinic that was known to have a doctor who spoke English. This doctor, who proudly informed me that he had received his medical training in China (err...so?), also happened to be the Deputy Director at the aforementioned Provincial Hospital, so I figured I was in the best medical hands within a 500-kilometer radius. The doctor examined me much more thoroughly than that hungry quack in Chiang Rai. For example, he listened to me breathe with an actual stethoscope, took a blood test to check the level of my white blood cells and gave me a steroid injection. Further drugs were prescribed and I left the clinic skipping and humming a merry Disney tune, feeling utterly hopeful for the first time in yonks (That's "ages" in British speak).
So much for my recovery. Sigh.
The steroid injection did seem to provide me temporary relief. So much so that the following day I decided I was up to joining Marco and Suzie on an excursion to the magnificent Kuang Si Waterfalls, some 29k south of the city. These multiple-level falls are incredibly breathtaking (and I say this as someone who is rather difficult to impress having seen dozens of waterfalls on this RTW trip) and one is able to bathe in certain pools if so inclined. Which I wasn't. The three of us hiked all the way up to the top of the falls with me coughing and wheezing at the rear. Looking back now, I cannot believe how unbelievably reckless I was being, pushing my body to the extreme like that. In my defense, I guess I just didn't realize how sick I truly was.
The next day I returned to my bed for the majority of the day, only meekly venturing forth in the late afternoon to meet Marco & Suzie for dinner and goodbyes (as they were hopping on a night bus to the capital city of Vientiane) followed by a brief walk through the impressive night market in order to purchase a gift or two.
By morning? My body had finally had enough and was in extreme revolt. So I took a tuk-tuk out to the Provincial Hospital and this, folks, is where my experience took a turn towards the down n' dirty & despicable! For the next 24+ hours, I lay lumplike on a hospital bed hooked up to an IV, on oxygen support, and sweating miserably as my room did not have A/C. But that was not the worst of it, oh no sirree. What tipped the miserability scales towards HELL ON EARTH was the fact that I was not fed during the entire time I lay there, nor was I given any soap to wash my hands/face AND the toilet I was forced to use was appalling. Its floor was covered with a thin layer of dirty water which I was forced to wade through barefoot and there was no toilet paper, let alone a wash basin! Hygienic shmenic! God only knows what sort of additional beastly germs I was picking up every time I ventured down the hall to do my "business." So there I was, in the "best" hospital Laos could offer outside of those in the capital city- dirty, starving and lying in an accumulating pool of my own sweat. Wearing dirty underwear besides!! I have never ever felt more disgusting in all my 45 years of life.
So what good came of my day and a half in a third-world Laotian hospital? Well...firstly, my oh-so-proud Chinese-trained doctor took an x-ray of my chest which clearly showed abnormalities in my lungs. Secondly, he contacted my insurance company and told them that he strongly recommended that I be medivacked to Bangkok Hospital in Thailand (with which my insurance company finally agreed the following morning ). The fact that he advocated such a bold move on my behalf is something for which I will eternally remain grateful!
An antiquated ambulance transported me from the hospital to the airport the next morning once I had paid off my hospital bill (roughly $100), and I boarded a Bangkok Airways plane around noon. During the flight I was fed a cup of veggie noodles which was my first meal in nearly 30 hours (Hallelujah!), plus they served me a generous glass of red wine, which never tasted so smooth to my palate. Upon my arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, I was met by Bangkok Hospital medical staff with a plush wheelchair and was escorted speedily through customs & baggage claim as if I was foreign royalty or an aging rock star. Once we collected my backpack from the luggage carousel, they took me out to a waiting ambulance which whisked me off to the hospital.
Which brings me to the here and now...
Bangkok Hospital (July 12-24)
What can I tell you about this hospital? Well, I am happy to report that I received 3 square meals a day (which sadly were quite bland and whose vegetarian options overly relied on bean curd and mushrooms) and that each day I was allowed to leave my room (escorted) and go downstairs to the Starbucks for a venti skinny latte. Also, I had my very own private room on the 16th floor with a fabulous view of Bangkok, replete with cable TV and unlimited WiFi access. Finally, my attending physician, Dr. Samsuk, was a delightfully cheery fellow and every time he came to check up on my progress, we took turns making each other giggle.
So what exactly was the diagnosis then, hmmm??? Well, apparently my x- ray and further bloodwork revealed that I was suffering from an acute mycloplasma infection, aka "walking pneumonia," and this was actually my second time being exposed to it (the first being when I was still in South Africa). In addition to this pneumonia, the muscles in my shoulders and neck started locking up upon my arrival at the Luang Prabang Hospital, so that I could barely raise my arms without experiencing incredible pain. The antibiotics and nebulizer I received at Bangkok Hospital cleared up my pneumonia after about a week but the incredible muscle tension/pain was more resistant to treatment. They gave me ultrasound and applied a heat pad twice daily and I also had acupuncture in the left shoulder which, contrary to popular belief, DOES HURT!! The muscle tension ever so s...l...o...w...l...y responded to this treatment but it has not completely dissipated, even after my release from hospital. Thankfully, my international medical insurance carrier, Seven Corners, has been an absolute Godsend throughout the ordeal. I spoke to them daily and they were, not only agreeable, but also sympathetic. Who knew that insurance companies could behave like human beings?!?
At long, long last I was discharged from the hospital on July 24 after a 12-day stay. The final bill was roughly $9,600 of which I only had to pay $250 as a co-payment. I am currently taking a number of medications to help ease the pain lingering in my shoulders/neck as well as using an inhaler once a day to help my still somewhat shaky lungs do what they're supposed to do, i.e. BREATHE.
To be frank, never in my life have I felt so weak physically and I truly feel humbled by this ordeal. I have learned the sad fact that I am not, in fact, invincible, and that my body is merely a breakable shell that I must cradle with care. But does this mean that I plan to slow down and forsake the thrill of trying new & daring things??? Hell no!!! But I will henceforth do so with a new appreciation of the fragility of my existence. My days on this planet are, indeed, numbered, and EACH...DAY...MUST...COUNT!!
Comments
Post a Comment