Hello, hello

[brigdh]

Internet! Oh, internet! This is the first I've had access to it in weeks. Even this is only enough to check email and make this post- and that only with a great deal of patience- but it's still very exciting, when it's the only internet you've had in weeks.

The reason I've had no internet is that I was sick. At first it was a cold, then a flu- nothing serious, but enough that I was always too tired to join others in going to an internet cafe- and then I deigned to go to a doctor, who informed me that I had pnuemonia and sent me to the hospital. Where I've been for the last six days, and will continue to be for, probably, two more, as they're currently telling me I can't leave until the course of antibiotics have finished. I would very much like to leave, as I share a room with five other beds and whoever happens to be visiting the people in those beds at the moment, and it's all very noisy and active and annoying.

So, yeah. I am writing you this from a hospital bed. In Oman. I think I'm the only foreigner to ever stay at this hospital, as random people frequently come by to stare at me and ask me things in Arabic that I don't understand. This afternoon I managed to have a conversation of a few sentences with a woman- how are you, what's your name, you are sick, how many days have you been here- but then she said something about my not wearing a headscarf (everyone else here is, even the people who can't get out of their beds without assitance and wear oxygen masks all day long), but I couldn't understand what the context of the statement was- if she was saying that's why I caught cold, or was telling me I should, or if she was just commenting on it, like one comments on the weather.

As people keep telling me, at least this wlll make an awesome story at some point.

Comments

[rm.livejournal.com]

Baby!

I am trying to call you but your phone is having none of it!

[eibii.livejournal.com]

Aaaagh! Get well soon.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[keelieinblack.livejournal.com]

Eeek! I am so sorry that you've been ill--"sick in a foreign country" is never fun, no matter how interesting a story it makes later.

Take care--hopefully they will let you out soon, and let you finish out the rest of the dig!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

And I did get to stay in Oman, so that was great!

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Prayers.
Peace and Love!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And that would suck! At least my foreign hospital was not overcrowded.

Hugs for all!

[ranalore.livejournal.com]

Yikes, hon! I hope the antibiotics work and you're out of there soon!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It took longer than I expected (6 days), but could have been worse.

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. Pneumonia strikes at inopportune times! I am glad that you are on the mend, and I hope you'll be feeling even better soon.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Yeah, really does. One of the nurses told me it was because I was not used to the climate in Oman. Because clearly, the cold and damp of the desert (as compared to NYC) was just too much for my delicate constitution.

And I am better, thank you!

[b-hallward.livejournal.com]

I hope you feel better soon--hospitals are awful at the best of times and I imagine being stuck in a foreign hospital does not qualify as the best of times.

But it is so lovely to hear from you!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It could be worse- foreign hospitals at least make for better stories, afterward.

[sykii.livejournal.com]

Hi! Good to see you posting here. Keep healing!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[theotoky.livejournal.com]

oh hello! heal well and quickly!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

Total strangers across the world from you wish you well!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[pindrops.livejournal.com]

I am writing you this from a hospital bed. In Oman.

Yes, I think this will make an awesome story as soon as you feel better.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah.

[kessie.livejournal.com]

I've been following Racheline's posts, but it's good to see you posting. I'm really glad that you've improved and continue to, and I hope you get to finish the dig.

Yeah, mostly I'm just glad that you're okay! And, yes, it will make a great story.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you! That means a lot.

[askeladden.livejournal.com]

Hi! In the pharmacy class I've been transcribing, they just did a section on pneumonia, and when they said the bit about "people who are young and not immunocompromised generally bounce back very quickly after a course of antibiotics" I made a little silent cheering noise in your honor.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hee! Thanks.

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

A note from a stranger:
It's good to read you. I'm glad you're on the mend.
*hug*

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you. That means a lot.

[coyotegoth.livejournal.com]

Hope you feel better soon!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Oh honey! *Hugs you so much* I am so sorry that you're going through this, and I'm sending many good thoughts that you will be better soon and that will be the end of it. *More hugs*

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I really do appreciate it.

[p-zeitgeist.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it will make an awesome story. But how nice it would be if just for once, the universe allowed you to have a life a bit less burdened with awesome stories. I'm relieved and glad to hear that at least they're going to let you out soon.

I suppose they have good reasons for keeping you -- either they're worried about contagion or they don't have good compliance with treatment in outpatients in general, or they're giving you the antibiotics via IV. But. But. What a pain. Especially given the five roommates and their families, with all the attendant lack of privacy and endless noise.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

It was the third option- I'd had a reaction to the pill antibiotics, so they'd switched to IV (though I'm of the opinion they could have switched back and let me leave without a problem; I think it was the amount of drugs they had me on the first day, rather than the delivery method). I was even in long enough that they had to switch hands for the IV, as the original one started to cause me pain. Which probably sounds more impressive to me than to you, since I've never had to stay in a hospital before, which I'm sure warped my impression of the whole thing. I keep thinking, 'they wouldn't do this in an American hospital!', but I eventually realized that my entire idea of American hospitals is from TV and movies, and thus probably has very little to do with reality.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Feeling good enough to be on the internets = a huge step in recovery. :-)

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Ha! I have to agree.

[tommx.livejournal.com]

Hope you get well soon!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

It's good to see you on the intertubes. Feel better soon!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[weirdquark]

A family friend of mine went to Japan and had to go to the hospital because he broke his arm, and then went to Europe for his honeymoon got sick, and had to go to the hospital there too. I don't think he's given up traveling to other countries, but he should probably consider it. ::g::

Glad you're doing better -- hospitals suck enough when you don't have trouble with the language.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Heh. At least this is my first visit to a foreign hospital.

And thanks!

[chiasmus.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's so good to see a post from you. I'm glad you're on the mend, and I hope you feel completely well soon!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[graene.livejournal.com]

Hope you finish healing quickly and well!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[threewalls]

I'm glad you have internet and are on the mend. Get well soon.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you!