Sampling the medical care of SE Asia

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  Pakse, Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Tuesday, April 25, 2006

I had originally come to Pakse merely to get some more cash, extend my visa, and spend the night before heading off down to the reknowned 4,000 Islands. The fates, however, had something else in mind for me. First of all, I was told that all the banks had closed, as it was a Saturday, and I'd have to wait until Monday to be able to withdraw any money. Since I had to extend my visa for a minimum of seven days, I wasn't too worried about spending the extra time in Pakse. It seemed like a cute little town and the hostel was cheap and nice. And then I noticed that the stings or bites or whatever they were on the right side of my chest had now irrupted into a full scale, very itchy, rash covering my entire chest. I went to a pharmecist who gave me some ointment for the equivalent of 50 cents. I figured it was nothing, just an allergic reaction or something. And then I saw Anna and Cheecho. Anna was sick with an upset stomach and fever, and had gone to the hospital earlier that day where they had told it was as a reaction to something she had eaten on the trek. When I showed them my rash they told me to get myself to the doctor. I decided that I'd go on Monday once I had replenished my funds, and then hopefully go to the islands. I had already missed out on the "blissed out nothingness" of Phu Quoc in Vietnam due to sickness and I was not about to let the same happen again! But it hadn't rained in Pakse for some time, and that meant that it was hot, really hot. We're talking August in DC hot, but without the respite of air conditioning. Laying in bed, sweating and itching, I prayed for the rain that would break the heat. I was just so sick of being hot! By Monday the rash had spread up my neck and onto my face, making me look like a big tomato. It was time to sample the medical care of yet another SE Asain country.

As soon as I walked in the door of the big modern-looking building I wanted to cry. After going to the out patient area and being told in broken english to go back and get some sort of book, and then getting lost, going to the wrong window, and finally pushing my way through the crowd to the right window to get the mysterious book, I just wanted to walk out. It was the swollen face that kept me going. Eventually I was directed to a waiting room where the men leaned against the wall and the women sat on benches. Everyone was staring at me, but at least I knew that it was because I was the only falang in sight and not because of my altered features. I still didn't know what was going on, and the itchiness was unbearable, but a nice Lao woman sat next to me and asked in English if I was alright. I wanted to hug her! She asked if I knew any Laos and I said "Sabaidy" and "Cup jai" were about as good as it got. Laughing a little, she said that she would translate for me if I needed her help. I will always remember her kindness, probably the only thing keeping me from tears at that moment. Finally my name was called, my blood pressure and weight marked down by a nurse, and taken to a doctor. My nice lady had disappeared, but the doctor could speak enough English for me to communicate what was wrong. He seemed like he knew what he was doing and my confidence was rising a bit. But when I took off my t-shirt so that he could examine the rash more thoroughly than pulling down my collar would allow, he totally flipped out and told me to put it back on. As he hastily wrote out a prescription and told me to come back once I had gotten it filled so that he could explain what I should do, I wondered how he could be so sure of his diagnosis when he had only caught a glimse of the rash itself. I pushed the thought out of my head as I tried to navigate through the crowds of people around the pharmacy. When I finally jabbed my way to the window, the women told me to go across the street as they were out of the medicine I needed. Was anything going to go right today?! Twenty minutes later, with little baggies of unidentified pills and a tube of anti-itch cream in hand, I was back in the doctor's office. I was to take one of the pills and apply the ointment three times a day while taking another type of pill that he had produced from his desk drawer twice a day. The whole thing cost $2. I figured I would either be rash-free within a few days, or dead. I hoped it wasn't the latter, but I knew one thing was for sure, there would be no islands for me. The heat is unbearable and after my hospital experiences I just dodn't feel like chilling out on some remote island with no electricity. I've decided that I'm off for Bangkok tomorrow in search of a/c and comfort. I've loved Laos, and will miss its beautiful people, laidback attitude, and magnificant vistas. I've been here almost a month and haven't seen or experienced half of what I wish I could have, but I know I'll be back...hopefully not to its hospitals.

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