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 My Day in a Chilean HospitalBack to Rest and RecoveryBy Mike Beris - 2009-03-23
I crawl into back into my tent, which isn’t hard to do since the zipper doesn’t hold the door closed. Pre-dawn light creeps over the horizon, but I’m looking forward to a few more hours in my sleeping bag. This was the seventh trip behind the tree tonight, and I’m clueless as to what else could possibly be exiting my body with such urgency. The other guys wake up and pack up the gear, but I’m not moving. I take my temperature, but the thermometer only tells me degrees Celsius. Is 37. 8 too high? I’m burning up in my sleeping bag, but don’t feel like getting out. I can tell that the rain has stopped, but I somehow can’t enjoy the sun as it dries my tent. We are seven kilometers outside of the town of Cochrane, and we are out of water. I have two pieces of bread left, but I can’t bring myself to eat. I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, just that I’m weak and tired. Rather than ride into town, fetch water, then return to the campsite, we decide to make our way slowly into town altogether. I don’t even try to ride; I don’t trust my ability to dodge the ubiquitous rocks and potholes. The seven kilometers go by slowly, but we eventually walk down the main street and find our way to a pavilion with a bench. I lay there and think, while Daniel finds the health center. My body is weak and my emotions feel unstable, but my mind has a strange clarity, like I’ve had a few cups of coffee. This must be what fasting for a week feels like. Daniel and I sit in the health center. A girl is waiting there in the hallway and asks why we’re there. As it turns out, she drank the water in Tortel, the town we left two days ago, and had some of the same symptoms I’ve had. A young man walks in: unshaven, in a T-shirt and sneakers. It’s the doctor. Daniel helps me translate my symptoms. The doctor feels me up and tells us he thinks I’ve got some kind of parasite. He wants me to spend a few hours in a bed there so they can check out whatever comes out of me. The idea of spending an entire day in a hospital bed sounds like paradise right now, so I follow the nurse to my room.
Many cups of tea, bowls of soup, and a shot in the butt later, and I’m feeling a little better. Daniel hung out with me for a while, then switched off with Chris. I’m grateful for friends who can communicate with the nurse better than I can. Plus I have a bed underneath me for the first time in weeks. Life isn’t so bad. The doctor has given me five days worth of antibiotics and antiparasitic meds, plus nine hours hanging out in bed, all for free. The nurse told us that if she “registered” me, they’d have to charge us, so she didn’t. No complaints here.
The next day, we went to a church and met the pastor and his family. We spent the next week sleeping in the church basement, taking homemade meals with the family and talking for hours. It was the perfect way to recover from my sickness. I took my meds and my appetite returned, so I got to experience and appreciate each delicious Chilean meal prepared by Dona Eunice.
Peanut Gallery(No Subject)Anonymous 2009-03-23 14:36:51 UTC
That’s a rough time, Mike. I had that happen to me (dont know if it was a parasite) on the way home from Peru and I was miserably sick like that for several days and took me about 2 weeks to recover. I Hope you’re feeling better. (No Subject)Anonymous 2009-03-23 14:37:48 UTC
p.s.- I forgot to say from Nicole (Peru story) (No Subject)lins.esther 2009-03-23 15:18:52 UTC
Mike, So great to know things worked out well for you at the hospital and you were able to rest a bit. Thats awesome they didn’t charge you. what an answer to prayer. You sure have been through the blender. keep up all of your diligent work! parasite livingkrebstarxl 2009-03-23 16:54:03 UTC
You guys are my heroes. Glad you are feeling better Mike Beris. I got something like that in Milan once. Wiped me out for 3 days expelling it’s evil from both ends. I thought I was gonna die on the plane back to England. Fortunately your parasite was tame and did not turn you into a zombie, like some of the others. All I know is when the zombie horde comes…we all want Daniel by our sides "translating" with his modified HK 416. Who-yaah! Got you guys in my prayers. ~Charlie (No Subject)Anonymous 2009-03-23 17:29:26 UTC
Alright Mike. I am now officially putting you on my DAILY prayer log. Please try and have some fun over the next few days. Cousin John Temp.cwjet 2009-03-23 19:42:48 UTC
Is 37.8 too high? WowAnonymous 2009-03-23 20:30:50 UTC
While I know I’m not the first person to say "wow", the level of overwhelming intrigue and awestruck-edness that reading the chronicles of your journey has left me with cannot escape my mind in a more certain term than that. The fact that you’re going through it right now boggles my mind. It’s inspired me with desire for adventure the likes of which I had not dreamed could be real. (No Subject)2009-03-23 23:48:40 UTC
Michael, This does not sound like fun. Aunt Marge As Good As Your Philly Nurse?HeidiJanell 2009-03-24 00:50:02 UTC
How was the nurse’s technique with the injection? Glad you got free care and that you are doing better now. This nurse loves you, Heidi (No Subject)Anonymous 2009-03-24 17:25:43 UTC
Mike, Glad your feeling better and that you got good free care at the hospital. Praying you have a better week. Love you, Aunt Janis band of brotherscwjet 2009-03-25 02:52:23 UTC
Mike, we can see in Christ the unfathomable love He has for all of us and I see in you guys that same love as you care for each other. Our best is never revealed when times are good and the money flows, it is when fear rears its ugly head and loneliness and desperation creeps around us that we come to grips with who we are. You are truly a band of brothers and the trip you are taking cannot be purchased with money, it is a trip not only to another cosmos, but also a journey of the heart, stay in love Not badmike 2009-03-25 06:36:56 UTC
I think its a little over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Nothing a 7 km hike can’t fix. (No Subject)Anonymous 2009-03-25 16:23:05 UTC
Praying for you all. Daniel’s Mom NiceJebeans16 2009-03-25 23:44:25 UTC
That’s cool that they didn’t charge you. Very nice. Parasite- awesome. (No Subject)JamieCompos 2009-04-11 20:42:28 UTC
Yer doin it right. Hi Mike from HSTillgetyouredbaron 2009-05-22 06:20:48 UTC
Mike, This is Karen Schmehl, retired 3rd grade teacher from Harry S Truman. I was in hysterics watching the video of your visit to Julie’s classroom. Brought back many memories. You and your friends are in my prayers. |
