The Recovery

My last post ends on a cliff hanger, will I make it back to Manila without any misfortune?

We pull out of the gates of the estate and make our way to the Manila turn off however Jun drives past it because we need petrol.  We head in the opposite direction which adds about 10-15 minutes to our journey and this makes me really worried.  Every minute is precious and each minute I am away from the bathroom, the likelihood of a mishap increases! I try to keep relaxed, close my eyes, rest my head and hope for the best. I’m reasonably comfortable during the journey until the smog hits my nostrils. I start to feel queasy which stresses me out, am I going to make it?! Jun puts the vents on to inside air and I can start to relax as the smell dissipates.

We’re nearing BF Homes, we’re nearly there!  I can see Jun’s street, I cannot tell you how relieved I am feeling, only 1 more minute and I will be inside the house, safe and close to the loo…. I made it. No adult nappy necessary.  Thank you God for watching over me, sparing me from what could have been a humiliating experience. 

Jun is so exhausted from 3 days of lack of sleep, having to clean up by himself and drive me back home. We decide I can wait til morning to have tests done. One reason that I am telling this story is because of the next part, this would never happen in Australia.

Jun’s friend works in a hospital as a nurse. She trained as a doctor but never registered as one can earn more money overseas as a nurse than a doctor. She gives Jun two sample bottles for me so I don’t have to leave the house to have tests done. Jun takes the samples to her and she takes it to the lab for testing. Once the results are in, she consults with a doctor as to what medication I need and texts Jun the names of the medications so he can buy them straight away and I can start to get better.

No doctor’s appointment, no prescription. Here in the Philippines you just need the name of the medicine and then you go to the pharmacy to buy it. I am starting my 2 different antibiotics and I didn’t even have to leave the house to be diagnosed or obtain a prescription! Later that night, Jun’s friend drops off the medical results in the letter box with a more detailed description of when to take medicines etc.  The diagnosis… Amebiasis.  I had never heard of it but it is a bacterial infection which I most likely caught by swimming in the pool. I did accidentally swallow some of the water…. 

 Jun is so organised, he has the medicines lines up with a post it note above each one with instructions on when and how many to be taken and the times they have been taken. I am lucky that I have someone who takes good care of me.

Within a few days I start to feel better yet I am still so fatigued, a side effect of one of the antibiotics. I just can’t wait to feel normal again.  Three weeks in the Philippines and quite ill for 2.5 weeks of that. I am convinced that I am allergic to the Philippines. It’s either that or the country is rejecting me. I start to eat “normal” foods but my stomach can’t handle it and I am forced back to a diet of apples, bananas and crackers. I dread eating. I’ve never dreaded eating. Food is usually my friend but now I just don’t want to face it. There is one thing that I could eat, one thing I would always have when I was sick back home… Vegemite on toast. Why didn’t I bring Vegemite with me?! Because REX airline (Mount Gambier to Adelaide) has such a low baggage limit that I couldn’t possibly fit it in! Damn!

And so begins The Great Vegemite Hunt….