Mel sick

Saturday, March 22, 2008
Yangshou, China
Kate - Mel woke up not well. She couldn't keep anything inside her – top or bottom!! When Nancy arrived at the hotel and saw Mel she was very worried so organised for an English-speaking doctor to come and see her. He came to the hotel with his very modern case!! For an English-speaking doctor, he was very hard to understand and spoke very little English.

He had to go back for his thermometer and a saline bottle . He decided to put Mel on a drip - with her still in bed in the hotel room!!!! A coat stand was found to hang the bottle onto. Mel was very brave as he put the needle in the back of her hand. The needle was hurting Mel's hand so he stuck a match between the back of her hand and the needle - it worked!!!! Dr Tan sat outside the room for the hour it took the drip to finish. He then shook out a few tablets from a bottle for Mel to take today and tomorrow – no label and no idea what they were. I gave Mel one dose but she has trouble swallowing tablets and threw them straight up. This was the last time she was sick. I never tried again as I was really unsure what the tablets were for and whether to trust them.

(I think Mel was just trying to out-do me for when I was sick in the Philippines at a similar age. The difference was that I was taken to a hospital to have the drip put in, then left the hospital to go to the next town where we were booked in to stay for the night as there were no hotels in the town the hospital was in . (I was only the second white person to use this hospital). I left the hospital whilst still having the drip in my hand. I arrived at the hotel still hooked up to the bottle)

I finally convinced Nana, Pa, Val and Keith to go out for the day after Dr Tan left - there was no use all of us sitting around. 

Mel spent the rest of the day sleeping while I kept washing and drying Mel’s clothes and undies ready for Mel to be sick or to poo on them again. A VERY horrible day. Nana felt really bad, as if it was her fault. Poor Mel was so so upset and frightened as was I.
I've never tried drying undies with a hairdryer before. I went over the road to buy some more knickers as we were fast running out - they sold me the most expensive, granny-like undies (bright red) I've ever seen. Mel has never worn them since!!

Nana and the others went and had dinner then, when they came back and looked after Mel, I went and got something to eat. Nana bought Mel some plain rice back to the hotel but she only managed a spoonful or two.
Other Entries

Comments

2025-02-15

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank