Sorry that I have not posted in a while. After arriving in Nepal it was only a matter of days before I got ill the first time.
We had been snacking outside of the house on the weekend and M, his parents and sister had taken me out for some food locally at the start of the week. Although, the food was absolutely delicious – If there is one thing that I love more than Nepali food, it is Nepali snacks… pakoda, momo, masala cashews..etc –my tummy did not quite agree.
Prior to my travels, I have been warned about the infamous Delhi belly and shock to the digestive system. And of course, the golden rule in Nepal – do not drink the water. Luckily I had packed some medicine in my luggage, took some tablets and I was all good in a couple of days.
Two days later, we went to restaurant that we were originally meant to go to first. Yet, my Fil had asked us to meet him elsewhere as he was working late. This time it was just M, Mamu and his sister and we tucked into a huge plate of traditional food and rice beer. The next day M and I managed to sneak away for the night and had booked a five star hotel to dine in. With my trustee tourist book I had checked over all the places and looked for other foreigners eating before going inside. But after a lovely Nepali meal at the restaurant I started getting ill again. We had plans to watch the sunrise in the morning but everything was ruined by me running to the toilet continuously.
soo yummy, a sample of Nepali daily food
I had taken my faithful medicine from home that had worked so well before, but this time it had no effect. After four days of constant illness the second time with excruciating stomach cramps and nausea, M took me to a local hospital to get checked over. When I arrived, I was immediately surrounded be a group of student doctors staring at me whilst I was creased over. I was panicking about being in the hospital in the first place and could not even talk. M was luckily with me and was able to tell them everything on my behalf. One of the doctors asked me to lie down whilst he pushed his body weight into my stomach, only to have another doctor telling me not to tense grabbing my leg and pushing it around. I was so overwhelmed and panicked that I started crying causing the doctors that had been so quick to surround me to disperse and flee as quickly.
They were convinced that I needed a pregnancy test no matter how many times I told them I didn’t. Then they argued with M about keeping me in the hospital on a drip, which he outright refused. We managed to leave the hospital shortly but not before they had prescribed me six medicines for all sorts of weird and wonderful things. More than anything I just wanted to be back in England with the healthcare that I have grown to trust. I knew I did not want or need all these medicines but they were not listening to me.
My first set of prescriptions
M later explained the problem with health care in Nepal. There are private hospitals which will request you to take a blood test, urine test, stool test and more each at an additional cost as well as the check-up, prescription and any other fee that they can get away with charging you for. Then there are government run hospitals which are really low quality and do not feel much like hospitals at all. With all hospitals there are no nurses to give you food and look after you, instead a member from the family has to stay by your side and care for all your needs.
Luckily I had escaped the hospital and was being fed concoction of medicines that I had been prescribed by M. I managed to rest for the day as it was a public holiday in Nepal everyone was around the house. But my cramps were getting worse and I could not leave the bed as they hit me like contractions. Toward the end of the day I was still in tears from the pain and was feeling really drugged on top of the nausea. I was not able to eat anything which made the cramps even worse. The medicine the hospital had prescribed had caused my lips and mouth to dry out so that I could not even swallow. M sat next to me trying to feed me but I could not swallow the food and the pain was too bad to try.
My FiL decided to take me to another hospital, a better one that is reputed among Nepalis. The care was much better in the second hospital and it actually looked like a hospital somewhere I could trust more. I was seen quickly and had bloods taken and antibiotics prescribed so I could go home and rest. The doctor warned me that in Kathmandu it is best to eat inside the house as even the five star hotels cannot be trusted.
I am still awaiting my blood results but it is looking likely that I contracted Giardiasis, which are parasites in the stomach due to consuming food or water that has been contaminated by animal waste. But this hospital trip was still without some drama, as they charged me over four times the price to be seen than what they would charge a Nepali. M had told me later on that he had to go down to the desk and complained asking them to sort out the price. He explained that I was his budhi (literally meaning old woman – used for the word wife) and they gave me a reduced cost.
I am so thankful for the support that M had given me; he did not leave my side once whilst I was ill. His parents have been nothing but nice to me and helped me with all costs and taking me to the nice hospital and back. Although I am still not better, I am recovering slowly and after a week and a half of being ill I am looking forward to taking my Nepali classes and getting out of the house again.
It definitely pains me to say this, but I have learnt my lesson now and will not be eating outside of the house. Bye bye momos.
