Coughs and Sneezes and Tropical Diseases

Monday 11th October 2010

We'd already heard Cambodia can be hard work, and after our already hellish border crossing, night bus journey to the Capital - Phnom Peng - and having not exactly fallen head-over-heels for the place, there was nothing much happening to dispel this train of thought...so begin the night of the 11th October!

From 7pm onwards, James was in pretty bad way.... Stomach Cramps, severe diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, a fever so high i could have literally fried breakfast on his chest....and between 1-4am, he was an out-of-it-delirious, rambling mess, in utter turmoil! By 5am, he didnt know which end to put over the toilet....and lets just say, any conceivable 'best-toilet-behaviour-Fitz' that existed before this episode, was, for this evening at least, placed, 'on hold'....

From 5.30am he began experiencing excruciating jolts of pain in his wrists, knees, hips and back - I start to panick as I start to by-pass the Lonely Planet "Traveller's Diarrhea" write-up, in favour of the more sinister "Dengue Fever".....(flash back to Siem Reap sign "WARNING:HIGH DENGUE FEVER EPIDEMIC"...gulp)

10am the next morning, odd-bod-UN-expat Doc Scott did indeed suspect Dengue - he did indeed also fleece us out of $160 dollars for the privilege....O how we all take the NHS for granted!

On the plus side, our $160, did buy us (aside from the blood tests of course) some highly amusing "Doc Scott" quotes:

Me: (attempts to close consultation room door)

Doc Scott: O no, you can leave that open...that way I can actually see what they're [the Cambodian Staff] stealing



Doc Scott: [looking at James medical forms] Ahh, "James Fitzpatrick"....i'd say you look more like a ...a Scandinavian, or Swede....or French. Any ancestory?

James: Yes, possibly Norway I think, somewhere Scandinavian

Doc Scott: Ahh, yes...well that makes perfect sense then...Blond hair....Blue eyes....big nose

Me: [falls about laughing]

James: [even cracks a smile in his feeble state]


And another memorable one having been dropped off back at the guest house by our tuk-tuk driver - who to be fair did wait patiently for us outside the medical place, and did seem genuinely concerned about the state of James health...

Tuk-Tuk Driver: [to James] You get better soon my friend, I see [looking towards James arms] you have strong power...get strong [pats James shoulder].....POW POW [punches air] !!

Us: Laugh

Tuk-Tuk Driver: Erm...So...you need Tuk-tuk tomorrow?

Bloody Typical!! But Nice guy :)



(no picture for this one...seriously - you sick people!)