Days 7 & 8 / Learning about Thai Hospitals

8:31 AM Edit This 2 Comments »
I woke up Sunday morning clearly not well. After tossing and turning all night I realized that I was not a little bit sick but a lot a bit sick. I went through my first aid kit, found my thermometer and realized I had a really high fever. I waited til a normal hour, found my professor and then we went to Chiang Mai Ram Hospital where I was soon admitted and told I would have to stay overnight...

While I probably should have been freaking out at the idea of staying in a foreign hospital, I was more interested in seeing what my experience would be like. All-in-all I would say that it was good.

After being told I would have to stay (after no wait, literally no wait) I went up to my new room which was NICER than my HOTEL ROOM. I had a full kitchen, bath, coach, lounge, a karoke machine, and a great view of the city because I was on the tenth floor.

I spent the day pretty much passed out as they pumped antibiotics into me via IV. I also got to have american food again which, surprsingly, I realized I had really missed. Club sandwhiches are delicious even when they are made with a fried egg. ( you should try it out).

The best part was all the people who came to visit and the overwhelming kindness from both my friends, the nursing staff, and my professor/translator Carol. She brought me a stuffed animal dog so that I wouldn't be alone. I named him "Sou! Sou!" after a Thai expression which means "Lets go / You can do it! / We will perservere!"

Then a group of American students came to visit. They didn't stay very long but were in awe of my kickin accomadations and very jealous of my dinner (chicken breast with a mashroom glaze -- fancy, right?). After that my Thai friend Nat came to see me and told me about my group's progress during the day and said some sort of Thai goodluck / get well thing to me. Then Julie and Ally came to visit.

After, I went to bed. When I woke up in the morning I still had a fever so I had to stay later and therefore missed our class fieldtrip to see the historic temples in Chiang Mai. Nat said she would take me some day instead of going to class (haha). I stayed in the hospital until about 7:00 this evening and was really ready to go by the time I got discharged.

After getting discharged, I went out to dinner with some friends to celebrate my recovery and had a hearty meal of noodle soup. After that, we went to the Shang-ri-la (?) hotel/bar which was incredibly ritzy for drinks and to say goodbye to Carol. I was particularlly sad to see her go after all she had done for me.

That pretty brings me right up to this moment. Tomorrow I am going on a very touristy excursion but that's ok. I didn't have the energy to plan anything for myself. I am going to visit to a village where woman have the long-necks, to swim in a waterfall, to ride an elephant, and to whitewater raft. I may skip the rafting depending on how I am feeling but probably not I hear its a pretty low-key rapid and I love rafting!

ok well goodnight / goodmorning / don't worry I am better now!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well....glad that you are better but do not make a haibt of visitng every hospital in every contry you travel to. I can't handle it! Keep your chin up and take things sllloooowww until you are 100%...you have a long trip ahead of you. Love and kisses, Mom :)

Anonymous said...

Hey Sass! I'm glad your ok. I couldn't believe your Mom telling me you were in the hospital. Only our Sarah!! Or my Matt!!!! Stay well and out of hospitals. Keep blogging...I love to read them. I love you and I'm glad to know you were discharged. Now stay healthy and well. Love, Tia