Since Tuesday afternoon I've been checked into the Clinica Abreu, one of the good hospitals down here. I never told my family, so we'll see how long it takes for me to get a phone call after they read this.
The day after I posted last, when I was feeling fine, I woke up with a fever of 102. I had to go to the lab for some blood tests, and when I got back to the hostel I basically just slept most of the day so that it would go away. It never did, and around 1 pm I called the doctor and she told me she would come visit me. When she came and visited she told me that she had arranged a room at the hospital and that a driver would be coming to get me soon. I was thrilled!
So just to ease all you worries, the doctor even told me, that what I had isn't something that they would probably ever hospitalize me for in the U.S., it's just that it's easier and more comfortable on my part for me to be there (they have cable tv, air, hot water showers, and free wifi!). Also, I wouldn't have to be taking taxis back and forth from the hostel and the lab. So they were doing hemograms every day, sometimes twice a day, and I was hooked up to an IV with fluids to keep me hydrated.
After completing a multitude of tests, all of them came back negative, so no cool tropical sounding disease like malaria or dengue (or thanks to Natania...the dandy fever...I knew I wasn't feeling that dandy). I just had some other weird unnamed tropical disease.
Now I don't want to jinx it like I did last time, but I'm feeling completely fine, and they told me all of my blood levels are really good, and it's been two days since I've felt fine. To celebrate, I'm planning on going to the only Wendy's here in the DR with some friends. Hopefully it doesn't land me back in here with a myocardial infarction or something, because man, after all this hospital food, you know I'm getting a feast.
Apparently though I need to spend a few more days in the capital which I'm not happy about...I'm really ready to get out of here. I had planned a night at the Hub in Santiago with some friends to cook a big dinner this Saturday, but it looks like I probably won't be making it. Sad day. To add to all this, I need to be back in the capital a month from now for another week of language training, which we need since we're at the 6 month volunteer mark. Whatever...the life of a PCV. Well at least I have a good story about being in a hospital in a 3rd world country that I can tell the kids I'm never having someday.
So it's official...I'm leaving the hospital right now!
Things I've done while in the hospital:
1. Become efficient at surfing the internet again. I am not back up to my pre DR efficiency, but it was getting up there.
2. Become acquainted with all the bad reality shows I hate to love, including but not limited to: Next, Made and the Girls Next Door.
3. Watch reruns of old TV shows, including but not limited to: Saved by the Bell, The Fresh Prince, Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond.
4. Watch the Chicago WGN channel 9 news at 9 for the past 3 nights
5. Eaten really crappy food, except for one morning when I got frosted flakes
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Glad you're feeling better again, Kev! And btw, you're missing a truly bad reality show right now called "Farmer Wants a Wife." Sadly, I think you'd love it.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you've made it out of the hospital. Yay, no dengue.
ReplyDeleteFarmer wants a wife!! I just started busting out laughing. Yeah they have real world hollywood and real housewives of new york or something like that. What a joke.
ReplyDeleteHell yeah channel 9 news. Tom Skilling is my homeboy. Not that Im ever home to watch the news anymore. I get my fill with the 2-3 papers I read at work everyday.
Im sure the hospital was nice as hell for a "third world country" that has wifi on the beach, cuban cigars, cable tv and an apple retailer :)
ReplyDeleteBet it didnt beat Northwestern though. Im pretty sure that can't be beat. View of the lake in the neurology waiting room. mmmhmm.