Guess that diagnosis explains a few things.
Like the cough, the sweats, the ineffective Rx's, my mental confusion.
Still in Chiang Rai on 1/11, arrived here on 1/2 from Mae Sai after the week in Myanmar. After two earlier visits to the Hospital and being given a handful of Rx that seemed to do little to help my symptoms, I finally made the third trip to the hospital yesterday, 1/10.
Told the nice, young, fluent in English female MD that "I do not have a cold." She told me I had pneumonia and recommended admission. What ever it takes, I said. So I self admitted with the help of Jiab and Waew yesterday.
Still have month left to travel before returning to the wet, cold and dark of PDX, so need to get healthy again.
Went through the admission process, took a chest X-ray that showed the right lung worse than expected. Then to the "pick a room type book."
Choices were: Shared room with 4 beds, shared w/3, shared w/2 - basic or deluxe, then to the private rooms - private basic, private standard, private superior, private exceptional. Chose the Private Superior w/ 27" flat screen, cable, sofa, chair, all Nursing services, 3 meals. $47.00/ day, inclusive.
Cheaper than a night at a Best Western Hotel or a Motel 6 in the U.S. When was last time you stayed in a $47.00 hotel in the US ??
Settled in, got out the iPod and the speaker, put some tunes on, watched tennis on the TV. Had a few antibiotic IV drips, a nebulizer treatment every 4 hours, slept soundly all night.
This AM the Doc visited and recommended another night. "What ever it takes and whatever you recommend" was my reply.
In the afternoon Waew stopped by with some fresh fruit - which has been about 80% of my diet the last 10 days. Thank goodness she stopped by with the fruit, as the hospital food is, well, hospital food and I cannot eat it.
Out of the bed most of the day, sitting on the sofa. Pacing the room, prisoner style, to get some exercise.
Around 6 PM my aquaintences/new friends - also from PDX- Rondi & Andy - stopped by and we talked for an hour. They are leaving 1/13 to head to the the Lao border for a night then to take a 2 day slow boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang on 1/14.
The Doc earlier approved my release from the hospital tomorrow and an OK to resume traveling, so am attempting a reservation on the boat Rondi and Andy are taking. Hopefully there will be an open slot for me to travel with them for several days to Luang Prabang.
Have IV drip needle in the hand, taking a few pills. It is not that bad. Not all all that different than the room at Jiab's and Waew' Janispur Guest House, except the bed is worse and much harder and I have Nurses taking care of me.
Some of the Nurses are as mesmerizing as the Asian flight attendants were on the flight over. I just cannot stop myself from staring at them.
No worries, just a schedule modification. Get cleaned out, dosed up, get packed, get moving to Laos, Luang Prabang and the Plain Of Jars in a few days, hopefully. Then get down to Angkor. Travel is all about new experiences. Take them as you can, where you can, when you can, if you can. Seek the positives in all situations.
All good here. I would like to return next winter to escape the PDX rain again. Nice place, Chiang Rai.
Staring at the Asian nurse beauties.....you're going to make them blush and giggle-you naughty boy......you are obviously not that sick or you under their spell!!!!!!
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