I arrived in the DR on Dec 14th 2006. I will give you a quick synopsis of what I did from this day until the 25th which is when something really awful began to happen to me and I want you all to know about it.
From the 14th through the 25th I partied hard (going to Zoom, Dolce and other lounges in Santiago), went to Sosua (my favorite beach) about 5 times, had dinner with friends and family etc.
On the 25th the family decided to spend the day in Sosua (as per my request). We went in a 3 car caravan. As you know there are countless spots along the beach in Sosua where you can rent chairs and these spots offer food. My family, friends and I have been going to the very same spot over the past 5 years. The plan was to eat something light in the afternoon as we were going to have dinner in Maimon. So we ordered some "chicharon de pollo sin huesos, croquetas de pescado and chicaron de pescado" not sure wha the english translation would be for the food. It was all accompanied by tostones and salad. We left sosua and went straight to Santiago. We didn't stop in Maimom. At home I ate baked chicken at night. The following day I woke up and my body felt tired and kind of numb. I had real bad diarreah and a slight fever. I figured that something I ate the day before didn't do me well. I called up the pharmacy and they sent over some meds with their motorcycle delivery guy. I took the meds mid morning and I felt better by late afternoon. This was the 26th.
Fast forward to the morning of the 29th and I was still battling with the diarreah and the slight fever that kept coming back. The fever never went above 39. Normal is 37. The morning of the 29th at 4 am my body woke me up and it was cold and numb. I measured the pressure and it was 70 over 40. REALLY low for me. My norm is 120 over 60. Went to the Materno in Santiago and the emergency doctor said I was just simply dehydrated. Put on some IV with something called "destroza" and after two hours sent me home. I felt a little better but from the day before I figured there was something really wrong with me. Now, I should make the point that I have NEVER been hospitalized in my life and I can count with one hand the times I have been to an emergency room. VERY RARE. I am a very healthy individual.
The afternoon of the 29th the fever came back with avengence and reached 40. I also started to delveop a dry cough. I called a friend who's brother is a doctor at the Materno. Went by around 4ish, had some bloodwork done and waited around. Bloodwork came back two hours later and the doc said "I am surprised you have not gone into some kind of shock". I do not know medical terms well but I'll try to describe what he noticed. Something about the red T cells being way too high. Norm is 9,000 mine were 20,000. Something called eritro was algo high. Norm for a male is around 30 mine were 87. Also said something about GKP and some other things being EXTREMELY high. He told me he needed to admit me to the hospital right then and there. I said let me go back home and park my rental and I'll come back in a taxi. He said "hell no, you are staying right here".
I don't want to make this too long. Let me see how I can slice this and make it simple. I was admitted the afternoon of the 29th. Later on that night I was admitted to the intensive care unit because I could not breath. Not even with oxygen on. At this point the doc didn't know what was wrong but had a suspicion. He asked me something which a doc had never asked and immediately I knew I was in the DR. He asked if money was an issue because he could try and treat me with lower cost antiboitics or the good stuff. I told him immediately MONEY IS NOT AN ISSUE PUMP ME THE BEST STUFF YOU GOT. The following morning my stomach was hard as a rock and I showed an intestinal infection and chronic pneumonia. I was being administered antiboitics and all kinds of meds every 4 hours. I was also being put on the fibulator(sp)???. That's the machine that blows steam into your lungs. That day, on the 30th, they had to make a decision on wether or not they would open up a hole on my throat and put me on the ventilator and open up a whole in my lungs to drain out liquid. My doc decided to wait a little longer to see if I would respond well to the meds. In the night time came time for them to decide and my doc made his observation. I was responding really well and my breathing had improved but it was not normal. Again, I was being pumped with meds every 4 hours and I was on IV all along. In the morning of the 31st came time for the nurses to switch. Night staff leaves morning staff comes on board. There was this one young kid. About 21 or so that was on dutty that morning. The F*****G bastard almost killed me. One of the meds they were adminestering needed to be diluted with some of the liquid from the IV because it was too strong. This kid put half a seringe straight to my vains. I had a negative reaction to it and started vomitting and coughin profusely. And I could not breath for a good minute or two. When the head nurse noticed this she came running and asked what happened. She yelled at him on the spot and called him stupid and explained how the med needed to be administered. A few hours later my doc came by. I told him of the incident and said if he would have administered the whole seringe I could have died. The kid was sent home and was suspended from work for two weeks. I kinda felt bad but then again the bastard could have killed me.
Throughout the 31st I showed really great progress. The liquid in my lungs was coming out and my stomach was not hard as a rock anymore. And the infection seemed to be going down. I had hopes of getting out the 31st as I had VIP tickets to a rave in Cabarete. But, what I had was really bad and I needed to be in observation etc. And even if I got out I would not be able to go anywhere. I was taken out of the ICU on the 1st. Boy what a way to spend new years eve. It was the nurse, a 16 year old boy with dengue, a lady with bronchitis and me. I spent new years eve watching movies on my portalble DVD player. The nurse joined me from time to time.
I was dismissed from the hospital on the 2nd in the morning and went home to get better. The following day I had a follow up with my doc and to get the results for a very vital test. They did not perform this test in Santiago as I was told by him and he needed to send it to Santo Domingo and we would get the results on the 3rd. They drew the blood for this test on the 29th. The result came back and it was positive. Whatever food I ate on the 25th developed leptospirosis in my body. This was the suspicion the doctor had and treated me as if I had this. HE was right and I thank him for that. I was put on antiboitics after I left the hospital and the treatment lasted until yesterday. I have a feeling that it was the fish I ate in Sosua that caused all this. So does my doc.
I got back to the US on the 7th and on the 8th I went to my doctor here in NY. I explained to him with great detail what had happened to me in the DR. Showed him the meds I was administered in the hospital, the x-rays, ALL. He drew blood and sent them to a lab. I went back on wednesday the 10th to get the results and all is OK. I am 100% healthy. And I am alive for SOME reason. What that reason might be??? I don't know
The following days after my dismisal from the hospital were spent at home recovering. Only EXCITING thing I did after that was go to la linea to eat chivo asado (I asked my doc if I could do this first of course).
One very important thing I would like to say to you all is the following. I'm not sure if you all know this but...
If you get sick outside the US bring back all your medical bills and a reference letter from the doctor who treated you and your insurance company should fully reimburse you as you used a "outside of network" doctor. I filed my claim and I am waiting for the check in the mail. Aetna said they will fully reimburse me.
I feel I left some things out. If there are any wholes or questions please let me know.
How did I do for my first trip report???
My first trip report...
El Tigre I have a feeling that it was the fish I ate in Sosua that caused all this. So does my doc
