Hospital

This blog contains scenes of graphic imagery, not for the faint hearted. If you read on, you may not be able to look at me in the same way again so read on at your own peril!

So we got back to Rurre after our intrepid pampas tour and had our first shower in a week! Euk. Had a nice afternoon/evening. We met up with crazy Sue and her group for some drinks and dinner and off to bed. Woke up and realised it had now been a week since loo loo!
After breakfast in a delicious French patisserie (random) and a laxative later, all was not well with my stomach. Thank goodness we had opted for the 45min plane journey rather than the 18hr plus bus journey. Having said that, the 18 seater plane did little for my nerves, nor stomach as we flew THROUGH the moutains rather than over them.

Finally we landed in La Paz, F & I, Sue and Cato (from Sues group) made our way to a hotel as a treat, seeing as I wasnt in a good state and they were pretty knackered from the tour. A nice bedroom for 4 with a TV! F and I spent the rest of the afternoon watching TV and then F,S and C went out for dinner. This was when I realised all was not well (clue being I rang mum and dad). Dad told me to pop another laxative and mum, to call the doctor. I did both. The doctor told me I had an intestine infection (looking pretty preggers at this point) and it was necessary to go to hospital. WHAT? OK don´t freak out Becky, all part of the experience. Please bear in mind the only times I have been in hospital for myself was 1. When I was born and 2. When I twisted my ankle (mentioned in previous blog). Instead of freaking out I packed myself an over night bag and in that time, thankfully, F returned - so she came to hospital with me. By this point I was in so much pain that I couldnt even sit down in the car!

15mins later we arrived. Straight into one of those bum-showing-hospital-garments (yuck), in a wheel chair, down to be x-rayed and first blood test. No hanging around, back upstairs and the first of many many drips shoved into my left wrist (2 weeks on, its still bruised). By this point I feel like I am in ER! A flippin´drip, I only need a poo...? The Doc comes in and shows me the xray. Oh dear. My intestine is really quite swollen and there was a lot of trapped gas. On the upside I have a pretty hot spine and hip bone! Other than that I realise that I really am not well.

A nurse comes in, thinking she has come to change my drip, which I am really nervous about as the first one bloody hurt, I was quite surprised as to why she wanted me to turn on my side. Without any warning, she shoves a tube up my bottom right up into my intestine?! F***. (Please note that this is a) The most tragic thing b) The most excruciating c)The most embarrasing thing to have ever happened to me, all whitnessed by Flo - poor sod). The nurse then proceeds to quirt 1.5lr of water up the tube. OUCH!!!

So yes, as my wonderful friend Dev put it... i`ve been "bum pumped!" AND WITHOUT SEDATION! I thought my life was over, but then I went to the loo (for an hour) and thank goodness most of it was out! Ill tell ya, that thing could have made it into the guiness world records. (Sorry family, disgusting). 3am finally to sleep, cannot WAIT to get out of here tomorrow. How wrong could I be?

3 days later, soaring temperature and several hundered drips later (3 at once), the work out that something must be up. No Dur! After various tests and more injections I now have Salmonella. Great!

I cant tell you how many drips or injections or embarrasing moments I had in those 5 days, but I was certainly put in enough pain to last a few centuries. The hospital itself was amazing, my room great and Flo looked after me SO well, but it was seriously depressing. All I wanted was my mummy and daddy.

Anyway, I made it out alive. The day I did finally make it out, I made my way to our hostel, straight to the bar and ordered 20 mal lights, a lighter, a coca tea and bit bottle of water and all was right with the world. F had gone on the worlds most dangerous rd, which I was really miffed I didnt get to go on, but I really couldnt have in my state. She had a great time and it was great to be together outside my hospital room. Its taken a while to get fully better, and im not so sure I am there yet...

ps. Dad thanks for passing on your weak stomach!
pps. Jen, I would just like to point out I wasnt sitting on my arse all day, rather lying on my side!