Day 50 - 53 - hospital Koh Samui

After a few days in the hospital on Koh Tao my temperature had come down a bit and I was getting restless. As it is only a small island, the facilities were not that great and I was left of my own for several hours after my painkillers had run out (longest was 8 ours when I couldn't get up). I quickly discovered that the only way to ensure I remained as pain free as possible was to monitor the timings myself. There was no call button and my room so every 4-5 hours I had to get up and walk my drip halfway down the corridor to the rather annoying steps that blocked my path (I couldn't lift the drip thing up the steps) ans shout for someone to come and give me more drugs.

As soon as I was fit enough to make the journey, I was transferred to Koh Samui - another island a couple of hours boat ride away. Dread loomed when I saw the same fateful boat that I had travelled on days earlier arrive in the port. I dosed up on as many travel sickness pills as they would let me have and tried to sleep. Luckily the crossing was fairly calm but I was exhausted by the time we landed. I hadn't realised quite how much the journey would take out of me or what a difference being off the drop for a few hours would make.

The next half an hour was a bit of a blur. I obviously didn't look well - as soon as I stepped off the boat I was supported down the pier by someone from Samui hospital and put straight into an ambulance. I was so grateful to be lying down but acutely aware that someone was about to start sticking needles in me again. For those of you who are not aware of my needle phobia, I flit at lightning pace from feral attack to crying like a baby. I have been known to recruit random nurses to hold my arm down in a vice like grip for fear of punching the nurse trying patiently to do their job.

Sure enough, the moment arrived and several nurses arrived to impale me with the shunt to restart my drip and attempt to take a blood sample. My body was not impressed and instantly sealed off my veins so even when they managed to get a needle in, nothing would come out! It took 40 minutes to get 5ml of blood at which point everyone gave up!

The hospital was much more like I would expect a hospital to be - I was hooked up to things that beeped! Having been fortunate enough to have a limited knowledge of hospitals I was sufficiently impressed and reassured by the beeps and was transferred to my 'room'. It was fab! It was bigger than the hotel room I am currently sat in and I had my own balcony!!

I was in the hospital in Samui for 4 days. My temperature had gone, but I was still suffering with the joint and muscle pain. I was walking like an old woman every time I tried to move and couldn't straighten my back. The nurses were great and so I didn't have to get up very often. We even managed to start having a laugh when they came to take blood. Some time around 6am I would be surrounded and frown my way through. By the last day I was pretty used to it and even managed to watch at one point. Wish I hadn't, but you live and learn!

On the last day, I was taken off the drip, although I asked for the shunt to remain for future blood tests. Ha! No more needles!!! I asked the doctor when he thought I would be able to fly and he suggested a couple of days later!!! FAB! I was desperate to get on.

The travel insurance people wanted to send me back to the UK but agreed to send me on to NZ as my trip was only just beginning. Perfect!

There was some confusion following my conversation with the doctor earlier. He discharged me as he had said I would be fit to fly in a couple of days. I assumed I would be staying in the hospital until my flight. Cue panic at 18.00 when the nurse came in to remove my shunt and give me my party bag (seriously! I Samui hospital party bag full of drugs! Lol!) I phoned the travel insurance people who instantly sent me a car and checked my into a spa hotel down the road. I had no complaints!

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