TravelinGirl

Ahoy! (Apparently this is a Czech greeting. Not sure it's spelled right, but that's how it sounds.)

Yippee! I have a new and exciting experience to add to the list of things I've done while traveling - gone to a hospital/clinic in the Czech Republic! After 3 days of stomach cramps, intestinal issues involving finding a restroom every hour or two, and either chills or fever, I decided I should find out what the hell was wrong with me, and could I take anything for it. They diagnosed me with gastroenteritis. Basically, I had to pay for an x-ray and a sonogram to find out that all I can do is ride it out, try to get enough fluids, and not get to see the one city I really wanted to see on this tour. (Me, bitter? Nah, bitter is for wimps...) I'm going to whine a tiny bit more - I went on the walk yesterday of the other half of the city (the 1/2 w/out the castles) and was miserable for 3 hours but stuck it out (with a well-plotted potty break in the middle where the guide had to wait for me. yeesh.) I REALLY wanted to go on the castle-section of the walking tour that they did as a group this morning, but went to the doctor instead to basically be told to eat bread, drink lots. Wooo.

Ok, to counter the bad karma of bitching, here's the stuff I'm thankful for - much time to try to wade through Foucault's Pendulum. Maybe I'll finish it on this trip.... My roommate who helps me when she can (even though she's afraid to be anywhere near me given that she's afraid she'll catch what I've got). The folks on the tour for being so helpful and solicitous (even though it makes me feel like an ass for making them worry and or being the center of attention for something I don't want to talk about.) That I got to see anything of Prague, even if it's not as much as I would have liked. Cheers to Christoph (who's a photographer in his spare time) for taking photos with my camera while he was out this morning so that even if I didn't see it, I can have some sense for the other 1/2 of the city. Ed. Note: Good news, lost weight.

Now, to the description of the hospital/clinic thing. That was pretty surreal. You have to realize that I went there at 9 in the morning. All I"d eaten the day before was 4 pieces of toast (nothing before going to the clinic). Of course the writing is all in Czech, so I can't even sorta make it out the way I usually can in other languages. I gave the front desk lady my passport and she filled out some paperwork. I talked with Christoph, our co-guide. A grumpy Czech doctor who sorta spoke English and a nurse who obviously didn't speak any (but she was kind of grandmotherly looking, tried to help me out with expressions and sign language) brought me to an examination room. I told the doctor what my symptoms were. He palpated my stomach/intestinal areas (weird, slightly painful, had to pull the shirt up and the pants down a bit further than I was comfortable with, but the nurse was there). The room looked like a mish-mash of old stuff and new stuff (Betadine bottle next to some glass bottles with cut glass tops that reminded me of my chemistry class in high school). Everything was kind of crumbling and seedy, but also obviously clean and the best they had to work with.

An intern guy put me in a wheelchair (how humiliating) and wheeled me up this ramp to the Xray and sonogram areas. On the side of the ramp were all these empty gurneys - they looked like 50s versions of gurneys (as did the wheelchair they put me in). Then the xray and sonogram equipment was all new. The sonogram operator spoke English - she had lived for a year in Hillsborough working as a nanny. She was a burst of cheerfulness in an otherwise dreary place. (Sonogram goo is icky - cold, messy, got everywhere. I thought she was trying to break my ribs on the right side looking for something... ow...) She told me should couldn't find anything wrong (duh). Back into the wheelchair, down the ramp and back to the doc to basically be brusquely told that I had gastroenteritis (no explanation), and to drink lots. I had to ask if I could take anything (no), what I could try to eat (bread), and was dismissed. This whole thing took about an hour and a half (not bad on a Saturday - but then again we were the only ones going in), and cost probably $120(?). Not bad. Very surreal. Annoying that I can't do anything to either feel better or speed things along.

How sad is it that my one ray of sunshine today was getting on line? Oh well. Tomorrow should be interesting. We take the bus to Cesky Krumlov, walk around, and don't get to go to the hotels til late afternoon. Apparently I'm going to have to ride it out tomorrow - there's no way to get me to the hotel early due to logistics, so I'm stuck with the group. I'll have to manage food/drink/potty breaks carefully.

Ok, while things are ok with my tummy, I'm off in search of food that will be soothing (and near my hotel as there's no restaurant here). I probably won't be able to post again for a few days, but will check in again maybe in Vienna. Ciao! (Apparently the Czechs also use this one...)

posted by Shelly @ 8:29 AM