I just injected one-third of my last paycheck into my arm, and am about to spend a couple hundred more on antimalarial drugs, but none of those medicines will protect me from rabies... an outbreak of which has been going on in Bali for the last two years, resulting in over 100 human deaths (according to the CDC). So along with the sun and surf, watch out for foaming mammalian fangs!
Nurse Rhonda was the one who scared the shit out of me this afternoon. It makes sense, though, knowing her background. She got burned as a kid... a feral cat bit her brother and once her dad shot the cat dead they had it tested and it was rabid. All the kids living on and near her family farm then had to undergo a 14 day rabies treatment at the University of Illinois. But it's a good thing they did, because as Nurse Rhonda impressed upon me... you will die within 24 hours of being bitten without an antidote.
Why no protection from rabies when faced with this information? Because I'm a last-minute kind of girl and waited too long to go to the Adult Immunization & Travel Clinic. If you're going to an area where you'll be at risk, I would recommend leaving a buffer of four weeks to get protected.
Because of my attitude of deferring errands to later which I could have done today, I am also only 0% - 40% covered for Japanese Encephalitis, a mosquito-borne disease I just heard about today that can, in fact, "progress to paralysis, seizures, coma and death." (Again, thanks to the CDC.) There was no time for the second shot in the series before I go, and no one really knows for sure how effective just having one shot is.
Which leads me to the action item Rhonda recommended but in all phases of planning until now I have dismissed... Travel Health Insurance. Doesn't that sound expensive? She said I'll need it for the evacuation off Bali if/when I get bitten by a bat, dog, monkey, etc. to quickly get to Singapore, Bangkok or some other locale with "more advanced" health care.
Yeesh. This has seriously brought me back to reality, but has not yet killed off the significant excitement that's swirling around. Now I need to research two good travel insurance options I've heard about, EMF Insurance Agency and American Express. Let me know if you have any suggestions!
Yours in health,
Megan
Rhonda!!!! omg she scared the living shit out of me too! ha i cant believe we saw the same nurse. M - nothing to worry about really. those shots are way too expensive and as long as ur being safe. you will see, you guys will be totally fine. we are! for now at least....
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