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This post is to let you all know that my trip was cut a bit short and I'm back in North Carolina.

I was finally hospitalized after passing out in the mall. Luckily, I was blessed to meet some very kind people through this experience that helped out in a very big way! After the mall security revived me, a very nice lady drove me in her car to the hospital. First, I was admitted to the public hospital Groote Schuur. That was quite the horrifying experience. People were laying everywhere, the medical student didn't sterilize the catheter that he stabbed me with 6 times. I finally was moved to the UCT private hospital next door after the lady called the doctor I had seen earlier. I stayed in the hospital 3 days. Treatment is not how we Americans know it. I am just thankful to be alive after all that went on in those 3 long days.

My dad then got in contact with the "angel family." He happened to be at a business meeting Thursday and a client knew a neighbor who's brother lives in Cape Town. The brother, Leo, and his family were my angels. They are honestly the nicest people I have ever been blessed to meet. They took me home from the hospital Friday night and helped arrange a place for my dad and I to stay on Saturday when he arrived.

We stayed at the Highlands B&B until Tuesday, when we flew out. 30 hours later, we arrived safe and sound in Asheboro. I have visited the doctor, had more x-rays and blood work done. The final verdict seems to be: mold led to allergies that caused fluid to build up in my lungs that got infected and caused pneumonia, asthma developed for the first time and was aggravated by the pneumonia, the over-dose I received in the hospital and the high-steroid doses have led to acid reflux that has worn away at my ulva a little and makes sleeping extremely difficult.

I am now on the road to recovery, no coffee, and apartment searching....
Wish me luck!

Sniff Sniff

Modeling my new hair & humidifier that I realized must be returned because it is the opposite of what I need to solve my mold problem. The lady at the store told me it would "capture mold spores in the air" :(

Third time's a charm

This morning I called a cab to get my antibiotic prescription from the hospital filled. When I got to the pharmacy, I made sure to double-check the prescription after all the mistakes the doctor had made last night. The antibiotics he wrote were for UTIs. UGH!

I then decided to try the UCT hospital. They are supposed to be closed on the weekend, but luckily the receptionist could see how hard it was for me to breathe and asked a very kind doctor to help me. He ran an X-ray and some blood work. I will hear about the blood test on Tuesday when the office opens back up (Monday is Women's Day - a national holiday). He gave me antibiotics for my bronchitis, a steroid-spray to kick the inflamation in my lungs and a liquid cough supressant. I also now have to take pills and a nasal spray to help combat my allergy sensitivity (5 things in all).

I am feeling much better now! I still have a few days before I'll be back in action, but I'm so happy to finally get some relief from my asthma attacks and cough-spasms.
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Interesting factoid I found while looking up air purifiers:

In The News

It is estimated that around 2,000 children die annually in South Africa as a result of respiratory infections caused by air pollution, making it the sixth largest killer of children under the age of 4.

Furthermore, levels of carbon monoxide in Johannesburg have been shown to exceed hourly WHO guidelines during winter.

(As reported in the Star Newspaper dated 19/09/98)

Hospital Visit

Well today I will be trying out the South African medical services for the first time. I have had immense fluid in my lungs for the past three days and have been wheezing/coughing my head off. I can't lie flat at night without feeling as if I'm drowning. Don't think I can tought this one out.

Luckily I have a good international insurance provider, HTH worldwide. I used the HTH website to get a list of recommended hospital/clinics. I'm going to Claremont Life Hospital. It's about 10 minutes from my house by car. Wish me luck.
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Janina and I just got back from Consteintiaberg Hospital. She was so very nice and took such good care of me. First we tried the Claremont Life Hospital, but for some odd reason they only had one doctor on call in the ER Unit and he had just gotten sick and left. So they sent us to another hospital....it took us about 30 minutes to find it. Being sent to the other hospital was a blessing in disguise because it was a much better facility that the previous one. I was diagnosed with a lung infection and asthma. All of the smog and cigarette smoke around the area has caused my lungs to be inflamed and my throat to swell, trapping the mucous in my lungs. I was given two breathing treatments with antibiotics and an inflamation reducer to open my airway (pic curteousy of Janina's phone) and a prescription for more allergy medication, an inhaler and heart burn medicine (heart burn can often worsen respiratory allergies). Overall, it cost me R638 for the hospital visit and R324 for the medicine (approx. $120). I am so so so thankful to have insurance. Otherwise, I would have been turned away like so many poor people in this country. The health care system is in vast need of supporting more of its people.


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I had to make a second visit because I couldn't catch my breath and the inhaler was of no use. The doctor on duty was not so good. He didn't examine me since I had been in before. He just gave me another nebulizer treatment, let me sit for over an hour without coming back and tried to give me a prescription for penicillin (ON MY CHART). Please pray pray pray I don't get sick anymore while in South Africa.