Game Over

Hey guys...

My Big Trek has taken a bit of a dramatic turn these last three weeks, as you might have guessed by my blogging-absence and the comments PapaPew left in the previous post. I will try to write this blogpost in one haul so I can publish it today, but my body is resisting any attempt of alertness on my part. I appologize if it comes across a bit incoherent.

I was on a massive high the day of my birthday, what with all the volcano joy, but woke up the next day feeling extremely depressed. I know I'm prone to serious seratonin-level swings, but in general, I manage to keep it under some level of control untill it passes. This time around, it had an intensity I hadn't felt since I was mid-puberty, with not just feeling depressed but suicidal. It scared me rather a lot, so I decided to leave Pucon (in case it was my surroundings that triggered this) and booked myself a bus to Argentina. Once there, however, things went from bad to worse. Complete lethargy set in and within a few days I had developed a fever of 39-40 degrees.

By the third day of fever, I went to see a doctor at the private hospital. He was shocked that I was out of bed at all, diagnosed me as having a severe case of tonsilitis and sent me away with antibiotics. A day after, things only got worse. I dragged myself out of bed and onto the computer to look for another diagnosis. After about an hour, I had self-diagnosed myself as having mononucleosis. I had all the symptoms: depression, massively swollen glands all over my body, persistent high fevers, spots on my throat, ...

The hostel-owner, who'd gotten worried that I might have something infectious that might contaminate the other lodgers, offered to drive me to another hospital to see if we could get a second opinion and put me up in a room to myself. In the week that followed, I saw three different doctors, none of whom spoke any english and all of whom persisted with the tonsilitis diagnosis, despite my suggestion that it might be mono.

My health just kept deteriorating and after 10-days of persistent 39 degree fever, I finally shouted at a doctor, insisting she take a bloodtest for mono. She gave in, but said: "It'll be negative, it's definitely not mono." When the test came back an hour later, it was a clear POSITIVE for mono. She just shrugged and said: "Well, ok. Rest and water then."

Thankfully, I am insured with Europe Assistance and once the diagnosis was confirmed, they flew over a nurse from Belgium, who then accompanied me on the two long flights back home. I was glad for it because, although they'd booked us comfortable bussiness-class tickets, the nurse needed to intervene with injections of painkillers several times over on the journey. I could not have gotten home of my own esteem. When we arrived in Paris, an ambulance-taxi came to pick me up and drove me to my mum's house in Belgium. An hour after arriving home, I was hospitalised.

I underwent extensive testing and was told I have one of the most aggressive acute forms of mono my doctor's come across in years. I spent several days on an IV-drip and painkillers, and things have since improved dramatically. I can speak again, albeit it in squeaky voice. I can eat soft solids again, albeit it in midget-sized portions. I have lost 4 kgs, but from a woman's perspective, that can only be a good thing ;-)

So... I guess my trip is over. I only got as far as halfway through, but it was a fantastic 3 months. I'm sure other stuff will come up. One door never closes without another opening, so I'm trying to be philosophical about it all. I'm home for christmas and while I won't be able to parttake in the festivities, I'm safe and being looked after properly.

In the last few weeks, I have repeatedly made the decision to stop writing the blog. For several different reasons. But as I can't be sure whether this decision would now be taken because of the depression-side of mono, I will hold off said decision for a few more weeks, until this thing is completely out of my system.

I owe a great deal to my family for making things easier. PapaPew, thanks for commenting on the blog and for keeping my spirits up text-wise, despite having had a busy & stressfull time yourself. And MamaPew, thanks for being such a wonderfully efficient individual, arranging both the repatriation, wrangling me a refund on my RTW-ticket despite it being non-refundable, and for sitting next to me in hospital through the long waits and the more painful patches.

PS: I would like to state that while mono is indeed the "kissing disease", as PapaPew so cheekily pointed out, I rather believe I contracted it by being forced to abide by latin-american etiquette. This means, NOT turning down an offer to take a sip from the communal mate, which is generally passed around between everyone present. I would prefer to believe that Karma is not the bitch it is claimed to be, and that the ONE time in my life that I've indulged in innocent flings, went by unpunished.