hail all,

her’s a tale! After e-mailing two days ago me hands turned from inflated into large hams with sausages sticking out. Also so tight it felt like the skin was going to burst, not making for a pleasent nights sleep!After twitching a bit, trying to think of anything but the hands, i felt a slight itching on my eye. YYYY GODS i squeack as what had been my eye is now a puffy lump any boxer would have been proud of! Proding geoff awake, he starts leaping around the room looking in the quite frankly useless medi pak and his frirst aid book as well as the homeopathic stuff for anything that might help. Nothing of use was found.

We assume it’s an insect that has followed me from Pai. decise to wait until morning to see if it gets any better or else go to the doctor. didn’t sleep a wink and at the crack of dawn geoff doea an inspection and tells me that the puffiness had spread to the other eye. Cor weasels i groan! Looks like i’ve been punched by lenox lewis he said! Can barely open my eyes but when i do it’s like looking through slits. Not feeling too good either so we head to the hospital. More likely to speak english aparently. Tuk tuk driver tried to take advantage of the situation and tried to chage us double but geoff is firm with him. I stumble out of the bedroom into a viewing gallary!!! Every one stops and stares at the strange phanomenon! Most embarassing.

Hospital fairly pristine. get weighed, pulse and blood pressure taken. Doc reckons it’s anaphalectic shock. Probably caused by an insect bite which i was allergic to. Geoff, sure him, seems to be imune!!! Only joking, it wa good to have him looking after me. Aparently am dehydrated, and if it got any worse it could have ineterfeared with my breathiing. Covered in red blotches on my head arms and legs. Makes my look like Worf from star trek ( geoff just corected my spelling on that – as if anyone else is going to know how it’s spelt!). With his inflated forehead.
Here again medi pak superfluous as they produce exactly the same stuff all steryle and unused as one would expect, but probably in better condition as it hasn’t been lugged round for three months. I suppose the main purpose of these is to have them whan there are no good facilities around.

They cram a needle into my arm and put me on a seline drip – much pain!!!!! I am then weeled of to the ward on my bed feeling like an extra in casualty! Having been asked what room i’d like geoff does a quike calculation. Estimating costs won’t get to our 50 mquide ins. eccess we ops for the cheap ward, which is in fact fine. Many other patients in bed, all wired up to thei drips which seems to be standard practice around here. Just as i am nodding of for a quick bit of healing sleep a nurse looms with aneedle for taking blood -again much pain. ( i’m o+ if anyone is interested!) Then she inserts some anti inflametories into the drip in my arm. Much tingling in my hands as if the infection and the injection are doing battle!

During the day all fo the insanely itchy red blobs disapere and i get some much needed sleep. poor old geoff gets a boney stool for the day with only his guide book to read – oh the exitment. Most reasuring for me to have him there though!

Food here fairly sloppy but undoubtably better than the uk if reputations are anything to go by! Nurse reapears to stick another needle into my arm with some anti allergy grubinge. Sleep all afternoon,and upon awakening, all red blobs gone!!! Only hands still tingling and eyes not fully de-puffed yet. Feeling much better though. We make a tentative enquiry into the cost – 3000B so far. WHAT, AROUND 50 QUIDE squeaks geoff, grabbihg the stoole and gasping for oxigen!!!!!! Curses, whats the point of this insurence lark he thinks! Doc sais he frequently sees this reaction in tourists – something to so with not being used to the local fauna!
After bod has slurped up all the seline, they plug me into another bag which contains sugar this time. thgis means an overnight stay. As the insurence is paying we demand the best room on the premasis with all mod cons!!!! Sleep fine apart from a couple of checks and insertions of anti puff stuff. Geoff has a plastic sofa to sleep on! Oh well,into each life some rain must fall!!!!

In the morning they are mighty keen to get the money out of me, unplugging me and rushing me of before i have time to shower or change. infairness to them they must have a few foreigners whio try to do a runner a it is r=fairly open here and would not be difficult.

Now all better and heading into town to get a boiler suit and some industrial strength insect killer which i shall not be oarted form for the rest of the tirp!!!

Feeling fine and of for some fodder,

lots of love
Tanya