Sick

[brinker]

I'm starting day 3 of what's been a ~102+ (ranging between 102 and 102.6... (39.0 & 39.2 C).  I broke down and went to the doctor on day 2 because there have been typhoid outbreaks, including one of my housemates, which made me particularly nervous.*  No typhoid (or malaria).  They couldn't find anything wrong with me, so gave me a bunch of liquids

Comments

[brinker]

Thanks, and yeah, I'm hoping it gets figured out, or at least cured, quickly. Still not yet, though...

[brinker]

Thanks. And if they don't kick in soon, I get admitted to the clinic. Fun fun.... :(

[leidhen]

I'm sorry to hear you've been feeling so badly. :/ Fever can be so exhausting.

Try to eat something while you're taking the antibiotics, though. They're usually not gentle on the stomach.

And get better soon! :)

[brinker]

Yeah, definitely know to eat with the antibiotics. Much as I try to avoid taking them, I do know how to follow all the proper rules and such.

Thanks for sympathies.

[colonelperry42n]

you should contact the embassy so you can find equipment to diagnose you!! I know the American military base would have something. . .

When I was teaching in Korea, many doctors wouldn't diagnose white people, because our bodies were too different for them. They would do similar things, like just give random medicine for what they thought was wrong with me (without having actually checked us out) This happened to me, and I ended up talking to another foreigner who had similar symptoms who found out she had a sinus infection. I went back to the doctor and offered the possible diagnosis; he gave me the medicine and I got better(!!)

That was one of the worse experiences in my life. . .it felt like someone was clawing out my throat with knives. I was also hallucinating from the amount of medicine they gave me (and the fact I was trying to self-medicate with alcohol. . .not so smart on my part) Anyhow, that was one of the most horrible points in my life, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Get help!!

[brinker]

Does sound rough, and too bad about the difficulties getting diagnosed.

The military undoubtedly does have doctors and equipment that could diagnose stuff, but it's not available to non-military. It may be just a war zone thing, but the military has pretty much absolutely nothing to do with non-military.

The clinic I'm going to is run by westerners, though, so that helps at least.

[colonelperry42n]

ugh. . .that's horrible! And you can't call the embassy for any help?

[brinker]

Definitely not. That's not the kind of thing they do, at least here. Here they're too busy with a war and security threats and stuff to worry about sick people.

If people get really sick and need more than can be done here, they get medivacked to Dubai. It's happened to an average of 2-3 faculty a year here at the university. Usually for stuff like pneumonia that wasn't caught early enough that it's become life threatening (remember, even though it's easily treatable, it's also highly dangerous and definitely can kill people.) Sometimes for minor cuts that got infected. (When I say minor, I mean small enough that they didn't need stitches. The air here is so bad that infection is a serious danger, and blood poisoning is life threatening, too.) Stuff like that.