E. Coli!

(Caution: This post is from Ryan and NOT for the weak of stomach!)

After a relatively smooth month and a half in country, things took a turn for the worse for me this past week. Abby blogged about our wonderful experience cooking lu, it has some very, very unfortunate side effects for me! Having been extremely dehydrated and queasy all week, I felt good enough to indulge in our lunch feast of lu on Thursday. The bad news was that something I ate must of had the e. coli bacteria in it.  The good news was that it was only me who must have had it. On Thursday night, I went to bed early feeling sick and woke up around 10. At that point my insides exploded and I had uncontrollable diarrhea and was puking my guts out. This was maybe the most miserably uncomfortable I have ever been due to the violent nature of my condition and the fact I was in a tiny bathroom with a toilet that barely works. After consulting our medical handbook, I attempted to drink rehydration salts but they kept coming up. I won't go into too many specifics, but suffice to say there was puke and diarrhea everywhere in the house and the yard--after the toilet stopped working altogether. It was incredibly humiliating and uncomfortable.

At about 12:00am the Peace Corps doctor finally came and got me from the bathroom. After a 30 minute car ride to Nuku'alofa (the capital) we got to the peace Corps medical office for treatment. What complicated this situation is that our regular Peace Corps doctor is off doing a 2 week stint in Cambodia, so we have a doctor from the Peace Corps medical office in DC subbing for him. While she is an amazing woman, she hadn't yet been inside the treatment facility so things were a bit scattered to say the least! We couldn't find any supplies and my condition had not stabilized at all. Thankfully, the doctor had Nurse Abby at her service and we were able to cobble together enough equipment to get fluid and emergency antibiotics into my system. The only hiccup in this was the fact the doctor had not put an IV in for several years and after her repeated attempts we got to add blood to the list of things that were coming out of my body. While I barely stayed conscious both Abby and the doctor fought the urge to pass out from the blood, smell and general unpleasantness that was emanating from me. 

MacGyver's greatest work yet!

After a day in bed I got to move to the chair in the medical apartment. This is me trying to express happiness.

Abby's greatest contribution was no doubt the IV holder she rigged when we figured out Tonga's old IV bags have no clip to hang them from. She used used bungee cords, a weaved, hanging pink and yellow party favor and an old tube sock to rig the IV. It was truly health coverage one could only get in Peace Corps Tonga. She truly is MacGyver!

It is important to know that everyone in the Peace Corps staff and in our village was incredibly kind, helpful and supportive. Our Peace Corps driver raced to get me in the car, helped me up the stairs after my treatment and then slept in the PC car that night just in case I had to be taken to the hospital. The doctor  monitored me around the clock. The villagers in Lavengatonga all came over to our homestay house worried as can be when they didn't see Abby and I out for our usual morning run on Friday. Each one of the PC staff has all come to see me this past weekend and brought food and supplies. The outpouring of support has truly has been amazing.

There are not many Country Directors who would bring over homemade chicken soup for  a sick trainee.  I got to have broth with crackers!

At this point I feel almost 100% and am ready to get back to training. Abby and I had a relaxing weekend in the Peace Corps medical apartment and even got to enjoy a warm shower and homemade chicken noodle soup cooked by our Country Director herself. The other good thing is that the Dr. said I probably could never ever get another strain of e. coli like this after my body has had it once and I am finally hydrated after 6 bags of fluid. Of course, Abby insists that this incident counts as her one time too :)