Today brought more excitement than we have experienced so far this trip. Albeit to say I would rather have not done it at all. Samantha awoke with a 103 temperature and that was taken in the ear and just inconsolably upset. I am still not sold on that temp versus rectal but I am trying to justify it all the same. We called our facilitator, Dur, and he came down to check on her and he said we need to “go to hospital”. Well, we were rushed out the back door of the hotel and across the street to the local hospital, which looked more like a department store with sick people than it did a western hospital. Dur drug us around telling us when to come and where to stand. We first checked in then went up stairs, (escalator), to another check in place, then rushed up another escalator. During this time no one cares about the next person, the strongest wins, “if ya snooze ya loose” as the saying goes. There was even a room full of outpatients getting their doses of meds for the day. We then went down a long hall to a tiny room where a doctor sat. We were seen in 15 minutes from the time we crossed the street. She wrote a few things down and sent us to get blood work and come back. We did that in record time, and the doctor said she had an upper respiratory infection, (get out…I figured at least that) and didn’t seem too concerned. We went down to an injection room and they did a sensitivity test for Penicillin on her arm. It reacted in 20 minutes so we left. Dur then came back with a prescription for another antibiotic and an ancient Chinese herbal remedy. All in all, we were gone one hour and fifteen minutes. I just wish we were home. We were supposed to go on a trip to the country but I stayed back with Sam and sent Don since there was no good in both of us staying. The rest of the day was as tiring for us as it was for Samantha. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Talk to you all soon.
Luv
Karen, Don and Samantha
Local farming families
Worker in rice patties
Local child with pockets filled with candy we brought
