so, the last couple days I'd been feeling tired, had a headache, sore throat, etc. I chalked it up to girl time of the month, as I usually get minor flu-like symptoms pre-period (sorry if this is too graphic for some readers) but yesterday afternoon, after spending the day drawing at the temples (which was so great...don't know the last time I spent the entire day drawing in my sketchbook...makes me completely happy), I knew I was full-on sick. son of a b. luckily I bought a mag light for the journey (though I thought I'd be using it to explore remote laotian caves and not the interior of my mouth) and saw that I indeed had blisters in my throat. this meant two things: they were serious about not licking the ancient temples, and I had strep throat.
digression: they're playing garth brook's "if tomorrow never comes" here at the internet cafe. it's one of my favorite guilty pleasure country songs. I love cambodia.
but I digress. luckily, the pharmacy here sells antibiotics for cheap. no need to see a doctor, I could make an educated guess about what illness I had (I did study biology in 10th grade, so I know things.) Augmentin. 500mg. 3x a day. done and done.
I woke up this morning feeling so shitty that I knew I could do nothing but take my meds, sleep, and eat a grilled cheese (rice does not cure what ails you like a g.c. does.) I did have to make travel arrangements for the next leg of my tour, so I ventured out to a travel agency to buy my plane ticket to vientiane (laos' capital city) and get passport photos for the visa. it must have been 100 degrees, and with a fever, I felt like death. I'm talking seventh ring of hell. you should see the photo for my visa. I look like tina yothers, if she died and they took a passport picture of her. quite unflattering.
anyway, I staggered back to the guesthouse, sweating like a fool, and collapsed onto my bed and slept for four hours. I awoke a little bit ago, feeling 100% better. my fever's gone and I'm sure I won't sound like bea arthur for very much longer.
time for another grilled cheese...and a whiskey.
tomorrow morning I'm laos bound. very exciting.
4 comments:
Oh, Patty, maybe this is just the beginning of "spiritual fever" and those pustles in the back of your throat are actually the buds of enlightenment. Maybe?
Maybe you owe it to yourself to find a lavish hotel in one of these place where you can soak up the A/C under a down comforter and sketch pictures of a bidet.
Thinking of you and enjoying your posts,
Jill
Hm. I can't decide if your southeast asian strep is worse than my italian bloody UT infection. That's what I get for trying to fuck a gondola. We're antibiotic twins!
500 mg of ciproxina compresse's 2xday.
Hooray?
I'm very jealous! Your description of sketching Buddhist and Hindu temples sounds so utterly peaceful while at the same time part of a terrifically exciting adventure. What a bummer that strep throat had to get in the way of it.
Feel better soon, Patty. And if that Augmentin doesn't work out, try Zithromax 250 mg 1xday for 6 days. (Trust me, I've been watching a lot of "House, M.D.")
Can't wait to hear about Laos!
something to look forward to on your return: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/dining/03chee.html?em&ex=1191643200&en=e5980f7090bd4fb4&ei=5087%0A
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