Bedrest in Bangladesh

I got into the back of the ambulance and was told to lay down on the gurney. An extreme exaggeration but my muscle relaxants were making me loopy so I complied. Let me tell you. Bangladesh, from the back of an ambulance, while tripping on muscle relaxants, is craaaaazzzzy.

I was escorted by 5 men including Brian. We sat in the waiting room for two hours. Brian and I tried to amuse ourselves sketching people and playing on his iPhone. I was a little too amused at everything in general.

There was a crying baby in front of us who was extremely malnourished. Her head was propped up because her stick body couldn’t support it. She was crying but not with any strength. It sounded painful.

I was led into the neurologist’s office and there were 10 people in there staring at me and waiting for their turn. So much for patient confidentiality. They told me to raise my arms. “Higher, higher, raise them!” they yelled. I was in a lot of pain. “I KNOW I CAN’T!” Sheesh.

I told them the doctor in the US diagnosed me with a herniated disk. The doctor laughed at me and the US. I went for x-rays (which I plan on hanging up as wall art) and the doctor believes me to have a pinched nerve that has been exacerbated and has spread to restricted movement in the top half of my body (arms, jaw, throat, back and neck.) He gave me a bunch of Bangladeshi medication, and told me to take those instead of the US medication. I am ordered to bed rest for seven days.

Of course I researched them all. Interesting one of the pills is actually a psychoanaleptic used as an anti-depressant and mild sedative. I will not be taking this drug.

So here I am. Feeling loopy in rural Bangladesh, confined to the bed for seven days. I have a circle around me of my book, my work, Bengali workbook, and guitar. Although just looking at my hands is amusing these days.

Asalam Walaikum,

Chelsea