Beaver Fever
I haven't really liked to admit it to myself or online but amognst all the happy snaps and blog entries of late for most of our time in Peru I have been feeling sick as a dog, or, more accurately as I discovered yesterday...a Beaver.
After succumbing to yet another bout of vomiting, lethargy and other unspeakable problems that necessitate a lot of time in the bathroom I finally cracked and headed to the doctor. A peruvivan medical centre is an interesting place, rather complicated and involving lots of visits to different desks and windows to fill out lots of paperwork. After a few rounds of red tape I was finally assigned a doctor who looked about 18 whose name translates in English to Dr Shoe.
Dr Shoe poked and prodded and asked some questions which Ed and I answered in very rough Spanish. Ed told him I had been sick for 3 years instead of weeks and I did a lot of face pulling and pointing at my stomach. Dr Shoe nods, takes a lot of notes and then sends me to the laboratory for tests. The bossy laboratory lady produces a cup and points at the bathroom. Urine test? I ask hopefully. She shakes her head no................................oh my heart sinks. I will spare you the details but lets just say that later on trying to explain to Dr Shoe in my bad Espanol that I wasnt able to, well, produce anything was one of the less sparkling moments in my life.
Fortunately plan B was a blood test where it was ascertained that I am the lucky host of the Giardia virus, which I then discovered is also known as "Beaver Fever". For some reason having Beaver Fever sounds a hell of a lot more fun than giardia and I cheered up immediately - or maybe it is the motherload of drugs I've been put on......but what I want to know is where did I meet that mysterious Peruvian Beaver and why dont I remember it?
After succumbing to yet another bout of vomiting, lethargy and other unspeakable problems that necessitate a lot of time in the bathroom I finally cracked and headed to the doctor. A peruvivan medical centre is an interesting place, rather complicated and involving lots of visits to different desks and windows to fill out lots of paperwork. After a few rounds of red tape I was finally assigned a doctor who looked about 18 whose name translates in English to Dr Shoe.
Dr Shoe poked and prodded and asked some questions which Ed and I answered in very rough Spanish. Ed told him I had been sick for 3 years instead of weeks and I did a lot of face pulling and pointing at my stomach. Dr Shoe nods, takes a lot of notes and then sends me to the laboratory for tests. The bossy laboratory lady produces a cup and points at the bathroom. Urine test? I ask hopefully. She shakes her head no................................oh my heart sinks. I will spare you the details but lets just say that later on trying to explain to Dr Shoe in my bad Espanol that I wasnt able to, well, produce anything was one of the less sparkling moments in my life.
Fortunately plan B was a blood test where it was ascertained that I am the lucky host of the Giardia virus, which I then discovered is also known as "Beaver Fever". For some reason having Beaver Fever sounds a hell of a lot more fun than giardia and I cheered up immediately - or maybe it is the motherload of drugs I've been put on......but what I want to know is where did I meet that mysterious Peruvian Beaver and why dont I remember it?
posted by Kate Browne at 4:05 PM
1 Comments:
darling girl- know exactly how you feel after HK vrus hell. Well done on braving through it and get well soon!
xxx
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