This is not a post I ever wanted to write...so much so that it has taken me nearly two MONTHS to get the courage to get this out. On August 20th, sick and sad in Suva, I bought a plane ticket from Fiji back to the States. It took many teary skype calls with my parents and two rounds of antibiotics for me to reach this decision. After 48 hours of difficult travel, I arrived in Columbus, exhausted and nearly unable to walk under the weight of my (not at all heavy) luggage. My mom met me at the security checkpoint with the most welcome hug I have ever received, and she held my hand as I slumped towards baggage claim. I visited the doctor that same day and the ER two days later. At the end of all things, I had been diagnosed with and treated for: strep throat, a staph infection, a sinus infection, and a urinary tract infection/kidney infection. I hadn't gotten better in Suva, even though I had visited two doctors, and although I seriously considered flying to Australia to recover, I ultimately decided to go home. At this point, I was unable to properly care for myself, and I knew I needed care that extended beyond my immediate recovery. Various bouts of sickness throughout my two months of travel had shown me that I was not strong enough for long-term budget travel at this point in my life. This was an enormously challenging reality to face, but based on my final laundry list of diagnoses, I know that I was right to put my health first.
It took approximately three weeks for me to feel back to my normal self. At this point, I was starting to get the itch -- I was ready to get back on the road. But, I knew I had a lot of work to do before I could feel confident about my health. I resumed the gluten-free diet I had struggled to maintain in Fiji and started feeling better overall; I had fewer headaches (I suffer from chronic migraines), my stomach felt more settled, and my skin began to heal (I had an eczema flair). I had heard about a doctor at The Ohio State University Center for Integrative Medicine who helps patients like me; people who simply don't feel well on a regular basis and cannot for the life of them figure out why. A week ago, I went to a seminar to hear this doctor speak about his practice. At the end, I felt ready to make an appointment and start turning my health around. Heavy rain was falling outside, so I decided to run from his office to my car, which was parked around the corner in another lot. As I ran, my shoe buckled under me mid-step, and I fell. Hard. My right shoe skipped across the pavement, and my water bottle split apart and spun away. The rain was pounding, my right foot was throbbing, and sharp pain was radiating from my left shoulder. As quickly as I could, I collected my belongings and hobbled to my car, soaked through with water. I immediately knew that my foot was at least sprained, if not broken, and I worried that my shoulder was dislocated. Somehow, I managed to drive myself home, where my mom took over and drove me to the ER (second time in 1.5 months!). After an intensely painful transition from my sopping clothes to a hospital gown, I got x-rays of my injuries. The foot was broken, but the shoulder was not. Still, crutches weren't an option, so I went home with a sling, a walking boot, and pain meds.
It's a week later now, and I am sitting here waiting around for my appointment with an orthopedist this afternoon. My foot seems to be healing well, but I am nervous about my shoulder. I have been gaining range of motion for the past few days, but when I move the wrong way, MAN does it hurt. I am extremely hopeful that the doctor will diagnose me with a sprain...if it turns out to be something more serious, the possibility of surgery becomes very real. I am way past ready to get back on the horse and resume my trip, but there are obviously still obstacles standing in my way. Despite this, I am moving forward with plans to visit Asia this winter; first Taiwan to see my best friend from home, then Japan with my parents, then Vietnam with my Pop. Yesterday, I got the amazing news that my travel insurance company has decided to reimburse my trip cancellation costs (whew!!!). This means that I am in a great financial spot to take my winter trip....now I just need to work on getting a clean bill of health. Wish me luck! Pictures of Australia and Fiji are up on Picasa if you're interested! As always, thanks for sticking with me. Stay tuned for a Fiji post.
