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Stuck in Saigon
Entry 33 of 62 | show all | print this entry |
My first full day in Vietnam I spent in a hospital. I had come across the border in a share taxi with a German couple with an attitude problem and I had stomach pains. In Chau Doc, I was convinced by worried parents that I should not go to the little island paradise of Phu Quoc and head straight to HCMC (Saigon) and to a doctor. So, I somehow communicated to the non-English speaking woman who owned the guesthouse about my change in plans and everything was set. The next day I had the honor of being not only the only whitey, but also the only English speaking person, on the minibus crammed full with thirteen people for the seven hour drive. It rained. I felt carsick. My stomach hurt. I was by myself. I didn't know what was going on most of the time. Needless to say, it was a low point. In my terrible mood and with a sore stomach I managed to find a guesthouse and fall asleep, awaking only to sample some of the pho from a vender nearby. The next day, feeling somewhat better, but still feeling very sorry for myself, I made my way to a medical center where they spoke English. After asking me endless questions and poking and prodding my stomach, the French doctor who was very nice but whose English could use some improvement said that he suspected that I had appendicitis. He gave me the address of a hospital and the name of a specialist, and off I was to the other side of the city. Once there, it seemed that everyone had been notified of my arrival. I was immediately put on bed, got my blood taken, and hooked up to an IV to wait for the results. About an hour later I was told I was being taken for an ecogram. The Vietnamese doctor was very nice, but seemed very nervous, which was not comforting. He kept asking me where it hurt and I'd point to the spot and he'd go press into it with his ecogram wand thingy. And the more it hurt the more he would twist and turn and press to "make sure he wasn't missing anything". And then I looked at his face and I was sure that not only would I have to get my appendix removed, but that I had some other horrible disease as well. So by the end of the examination I no longer knew if I was in pain because of all the prodding or if it was actually appendicitis and I was convinced I was going to die. And then, to add to the torture, they handed me a pee cup and asked me to give them a sample. Now, remember, I'm still hooked up to the IV and they didn't give me a stand for it or anything. So there I was squatting over the toilet trying to hold up the IV bag and my skirt with one hand while the other tried to "get a sample" while a woman who was convinced the bathroom was empty rattled the doorknob and banged on the door. This did not help my mood. Waiting another hour on my bed and contemplating the piece of dust hanging from the air vent above, the doctor finally came in. They couldn't find anything wrong except that there was something about the proteins in my blood that made him worry. He gave me some medicine and told me to stay in Saigon for at least two more days to make sure that I didn't actually have appendicitis that hadn't shown up yet. So there it was, all day spent in the hospital and they didn't know what was wrong with me, perhaps it was just bad fruit or irritated bowels or some other random thing. So now is my last mandatory day in Saigon and I've thoroughly explored the two blocks surrounding my guesthouse because I don't feel up to going anywhere else. And it's too bad because I'm sure that this is a great city, lots of fun if you're staying in a hostel that isn't just Japanese people and you're not sick and sleep deprived from the bar across the street playing remixes of "Hotel California" or Grease and Beach Boys songs all night long. So how do I like Vietnam so far? Not so much. But really, what can I expect when my first day here I spent in a hospital?
Latest Comments (2)
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roller coaster (reply)
Mar 17, 2006 08:46 EST by dadofdivaboots
lacey
I just finished reading your last three entries. Splendid descriptions with such great imagery and sensitivity and humor and feelings and... Well, this last entry about your 'wonderful' experience in HCMC reminded me that life on the road as a back packer is some times like a roller coaster ride filled with all sorts of twists and turns and ups and downs...sounds like you are ready to fo... show all
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