I just happened to get really really sick in a place other than America. I have been holed up in bed almost since my last entry with a horrible kidney infection. I won't get into all the details but I had a few straight days of fever even the bed and clothing made my pain worse. Today is the first day I'm really able to walk around again. There is good news and bad news. I'm told that if I were home days like this would have been passed in a hospital with I.V. antibiotics and whatnot costing a girl with no American health insurance thousands, instead the grand total in here: $60. So that's the good news. It was also possible when I was in the worst state of my agony to have a doctor come to my room in a matter of minutes. She thought I had Dengue fever, which would have sounded a lot cooler, but no it is just something I could have ended up with in any old place. I receive now daily injections of an antibiotic in my rear and try not to look around the dirty room they give it to me in. I clench my hands while there, touch nothing, and then take off my clothes and scrub down as soon as I return. In lieu of actual I.V. I drink a concoction called "Suero" I don't know what it is but it's flavored like coconut Tropical brand sun tan lotion and makes me wretch so now I put it in twice the amount of water that's recommended. The doctor said no more tylenol, and lo and behold the miracle drug "product of Guatemala" cured my previously immovable fever. That's when the rest of my pain subsided and I could finally say ah yes, those are my aching kidneys, they are right indeed. My appetite has just returned although I've forced myself to eat, and it also helps I found a place here that makes a fresh croissant, anything other than rice and beans.
I got a chance to talk with my family on skype today and it turns out my little brother Joey, 9, was worried about me. Chris said to him, she was brave wasn't she? To which he replied "Brave, no she's got to accept the consequences of going to this country".
On an up note a little dream came true with the purchase of my very first surf board. I met a really cool young American couple who opened a bakery in this town. Eric and Stephanie tinted the windows of their Jeep Cherokee black, got a new suspension and then drove it down from Chicago. They helped get me in touch with a trustworthy guy who led a surfing outing and sold me my board. We went out about with 11 guys and myself, all from around the world on a little handmade pontoon like boat to a deserted beach unreachable by truck. I'd like to point out that not even the 4 pasty white German guys got so much as tinted pink, me, I now look like a lizard with a horrible peeling sun burnt face. They threw my board over first and I jumped off into the water and caught a wave on my belly into the shore, the first one to reached the untouched beach.
I know there are all sorts of gaps so far, where do I live? what's it actually like here? Uh hem, Katherine, what do you do? and I will fill them in next time I promise. My energy is lagging and need to leave enough to charge through 90 degrees and make it back to my bed.
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