Hua Hin #2

Last weekend, I returned to Hua Hin for a relaxing time with one of the other U of M Lertlah teachers.  We stayed at a different hotel, one with a rooftop pool and comfortable beds, which was very nice.  I do not have a lot to report about the weekend because we didn’t really do much of anything.  It is now the off-season for tourism in Thailand, so I think that some of the beach activities the town may have at busier times were not available.  I ended up relaxing on the beach one morning, spending an afternoon by the pool, and enjoying another Thai massage.  Hua Hin also houses many tailoring shops, and I decided to have a dress custom made.  It was fun to pick out my own design and have the dress fit me perfectly, but in the end it did not turn out as the spectacular creation I had envisioned.  I am still happy with it though.  In the evening, the two of us wandered around in the night market once again. 

The ocean view from our rooftop pool at the hotel.

I should report, however, that the whole weekend in Hua Hin I was sick with terrible abdomen pains.  It felt as though my stomach was in a vice, and it got to the point that I had trouble walking.  I spent a lot more time in the hotel room because of my abdomen pain than I would have liked.  When we returned to Bangkok Sunday night, I went to the emergency room at the hospital across the street from our apartments.  I got a huge shock when the nurse felt around on my stomach and said she suspected appendicitis.  I had to take a blood test and a urine test, and all the while the orderlies were wheeling me around in a wheel chair so I wouldn’t have to walk.  I had to wait half an hour for the results, and spent the whole time trying to calm myself down and keep from crying over the surgery and recovery time I expected.  Luckily for me, the blood work ruled out appendicitis, and I was told I probably just had very bad intestinal cramping.  I was given four different pills to take at every meal of the day.  The whole excursion, meds included, cost me about $45.  Further, I was only at the hospital for a little over an hour. 

Hydro in Thailand.

The next day, I already felt a bit better, and saw a surgeon for a follow-up consultation.  He examined my stomach and said I may have had a bacterial infection from something I ate.  My visit with him only cost $2.66 Canadian.  Overall, I was happy with the health care system in Thailand, and even happier I didn’t have to undergo emergency surgery. 

(Update: It is now a week later and I am completely back to normal)

A gem I found in a Hua Hin bookstore.