Sick in South America

That's right...I am very sick. Not just a 24 hour bug, allergies or the flu. At first I thought it was strep because I usually get that a couple times a year. Now I am pretty sure it is mono.

I went to the doctor on Tuesday. Kendall was a dear and went around with me. The healthcare system is much different here. I sat down with a receptionist to tell her what was wrong with me and then she called the doctor in. I told him I just needed antibiotics. Apparently he studied medicine in Galveston, Texas. Too bad he could speak next to no English. He perscribed me two random drugs which I walked to pick up at a certain pharmacy. The antibiotic has caffeine in it and the other one who knows. Neither of them are helping me at all.

I randomly got a cell phone after that. It was only 475 pesos (about $20) for a phone without a contract with 200 texts and I don't even know how many minutes.

Yesterday I stayed in bed literally all day. I dozed in and out and felt completeley useless. I now have not been to my internship for two days. Until I know what I have for sure I don't want to be getting other people sick if I can help it.

Last night my mom called me at about 2 a.m. on my cell phone and we talked for about an hour. After that I would wake up every hour or so crying because I was in so much pain. It is awful being so sick in a foreign country! This morning I had Jasmine look at my throat and she thinks I don't have strep. Then I talked to Kendall and thought about it, and I think I have mono. The first sings of being sick I had was having swollen lymph nodes a couple weeks ago. She said my throat looked much worse than strep. Don't worry, I won't go into details...

Most of my friends here are going on a night stayover trip to Colonia Saturday night with La Morocha, the place where we take dance lessons. I will probably just go. I don't want to miss out, even if I am dying. I am not sure if I will go to the place tonight because I need to save up my strength. I am not even sure if I will go to my internship today. All I do know is that the honeymoon stage of my culture shock is over and my health is suffering for it. Pray for my health!