"New, Single-Use Needle?!?"

Although Greg does a great job with his various 'phrase books' (carting them around, practicing phrases, interpreting, teaching the kids new words), it became apparent with our brief encounter with the Laos Medical system that there was a significant missing question we needed to ask in Laos that wasn't in our phrase book: "is that a new, single use needle?"

We are all well and 'back in the saddle again' now, but we did have about 6 days of medical bumps-in-the-road which set us back a bit and had us re-adjust our Southern Laos village homestay plans.

Apart from the traffic risks, the only other thing that makes parents uneasy about travelling with young children in this part of the world, is the unknown and unfamiliar medical issues. New rashes, drinking water diligence, different tummy aches, dehydration, weird looking bug bites, bedding you don't want to look at...... All in all, the benefits far outweigh the risks, it is just the unfamiliarity and the element of the unknown and the unpredictable that makes a parent always a wee bit uneasy.

Our medical kit from home is enormous and we also have a great India/Asia medical book. We were doing really well but then Colby was affected by something that we could not get ahead of. It started with a sore tummy and general malaise, then a rash on her lower legs, then a fever. Her fever would spike but we were able to lower it with Advil, then we were confused if she was motion sick, or stomach sick. It was when she couldn't keep water or Advil down and when her fever was an impressive 39 degrees C (104 F) that we were thinking Malaria (you can get Malaria even if you are taking pills) or Dengue Fever and headed for medical help.

We were just getting off a night bus that had us arrive in Pakse, Southern Laos. Had the great fortune to get the most gentle and smiley-eyed tuk-tuk driver who also spoke almost passable English. It made me think that if my Dad was a tuk-tuk driver in Laos, he would be just like Mr. Chompit. He helped us find a guest house to drop off our stuff and then took us to a Medical Clinic. It was 7:00 a.m.

The Doctor in the medical clinic was very good. He assessed Colby, and then said that he needed to start blood tests to rule out Malaria. Mamma-bear threw the Doctor off a bit by insisting to see the disposable needle system and by asking so many questions. The Doctor asked me if I was a nurse and wanted to know how I knew so much.

Within 15 minutes he had her blood test back and there was no Malaria, but a significant infection which he identified as being respiratory. He gave us some antibiotics and told us to come back if she started to throw up again.

Our friendly tuk-tuk driver drove us home and within 90 minutes we were calling him back to get him to take us to the hospital. Her fever was 39+ degrees and she was dry heaving and complaining that her kidneys hurt.

We were seen almost immediately in the hospital. There was about 8 nurses happy to help us as soon as we got there. Even they were impressed with Colby's fever and returned to our observation room with a needle that they indicated through sign language that they would need to give her in her bottom.

Mamma-bear is in full force by this time and Greg is looking at flights to get us back to Bangkok.

No one speaks English in the hospital at a level that is of any comfort to me. I have to tell you that it is a beautiful thing when your own sick little girl can translate and communicate with the Doctors and nurses in French. Their French was better than their English, but the gaps in communication were not calming. Greg called our tuk-tuk driver into the hospital (In Laos, life is very slow. The tuk-tuk drivers wait for you to finish your errand so that they can drive you both ways; it seems like the 'value of time' is almost non-existent.) and he was our little angel who sat with us the entire time and translated for us in Laos.

Within 2 hours, Colby had an ultrasound, new blood tests (an event all in themselves as these are a prick to the finger and then just dripping blood straight on to microscope slides as they analyze), a shot, and a new prescription. She needed the shot in the bum to lower her fever (something she is not going to be happy to find out is written in the blog). Again, the Doctors indicated that Colby had a respiratory infection and assured us that her kidneys were fine.

We felt better knowing that two doctors had the same diagnosis, and that we could rule-out Malaria. Her fever lowered, we were able to start her on her medication, and with some slow days resting in the guesthouse, she turned the corner after 2 days and we went out to celebrate by walking 2 blocks to go out for dinner.

******

Dinner was great, a guide-book recommended restaurant, lots of tourists there. East-Indian food. Colby basically ate Naan bread, Greg and I enjoyed several dishes, Levi and Quinn both had a chicken rotis-- Levi didn't eat his because he saw a piece of onion; Quinn enjoyed it very much and ate the whole thing while I picked at Levi's as it was so tasty.

About 2:00 a.m. I woke with a rumbling tummy; a rumble that after spending a lot of time in Asia is easy to recognize, just hard to acknowledge -- this was an intestinal rumble -- somewhere along the line my food was contaminated, there was feces in my diet. At 3:00 a.m. Quinn was wide awake and scared as she too had 'the rumble' although more like a Tsunami. We instantly knew it was the chicken since I had a sliver of the food she ate and a sliver of the effects.

So, we just got one kid on the road to recovery, and then WHAM! Quinn is down and she is down hard. Poor kid. Food poisoning is horrid for anyone but it is really rotten for a little kid. Greg and I are more confident about this one as we know exactly what it is and we have the only remedy -- time.

So, two more days in the guest house room. Greg and I continuing to take shifts with the sick-kid while the other parent gets out with the remaining kids to continue to explore.

Our village homestay plans in Southern Laos will need to wait for 'next time' but all else worked out well in the end. Colby did end up getting a chest cough a couple of days later so that comforted us again about her diagnosis and treatment, Quinn is up and at it again but puts her fingers in her ears if anyone mentions the word 'rotis'.

On the bright side, a trip to Asia helps kids understand why their parents keep telling them things at home like, 'wash your hands after you go to the bathroom or you will get sick', and 'brush your teeth or they will rot and fall out'. Actually getting sick from improper hygiene methods will have this lesson (fortunately and unfortunately) embedded in their minds forever and I have to say that it is totally funny watching Levi look at people's teeth here. It is a rare thing to see someone with healthy looking teeth. When Levi plays with little kids here, he actually looks in their mouths at the cavities and missing holes. It makes me smile when at night he runs to me after he brushes his teeth and asks, "Mom, can you check my teeth for cavity bugs one more time".

Lana