Most recent round of medications
Sometimes, every day life steps in and forces you to slow down or even take a few steps backwards. Nothing more so than being sick away from home. These last 5 weeks have been a battle off and on with colds, bronchitis and fevers forcing us to stay put far longer than we would have liked. It has made us forego activities we had really looked forward to – such as trekking to Machu Picchu (we took the bus). Unfortunately, when your body says no, it’s best to listen and we have done our best to follow suit.
Puno medical clinic
In the last three Peruvian cities we’ve visited – Cusco, Arequipa and Puno – we’ve been forced to seek medical attention. I’m happy to say the overall experiences were positive in all three cities. Largely, wait times were non-existent, the doctors were attentive and thorough and the treatments prescribed seemed appropriate.
In city number two, we both visited Clinica Arequipa for our horrid bronchitis – mine acute and Kenny’s still lingering from Cusco and getting worse. The fabulous 102.2ºF (39°C) fever I’d had for 72 hours was what really forced the issue. That, and the fact I had looked bad enough to our hostel’s owners that they intervened on my behalf with some natural remedies to try to help me sleep through the night.
Roy woke up early at 6am to make us banana pancakes the morning we left Arequipa
One thing I’ve discovered about being sick in a hostel is, by and large, people have been extremely willing to go out of their way, unsolicited, to try and help. We’ve been given honey/lemon syrups, coca teas, freshly gathered herbal teas, had chicken broth made for us and breathed secret family recipes all administered by friendly concerned hostel staff turned surrogate parents. The most interesting remedy was the concoction of burning coca leaves and sugar, which was to be breathed in, followed by some other sort of smoke blown into my jacket and hat. Though I can’t comment on the medicinal benefits, I can say I slept through that night, which in itself was a great help.
Homemade saline breathing treatment – steam me up, Scotty!
Currently, we are sitting put in Puno waiting to be healthy enough to push on towards Bolivia. Happily, Kenny is pretty much well again though I am still working on getting healthy. In addition to the antibiotics, mucolytics, cough syrup and endless supply of hot teas, I particularly enjoy the 3-4 saline steam baths my airways get throughout the day.
Though being ill away from home is never fun, having absolute strangers genuinely care about your well being and treat you almost like family definitely takes away some of the sting.
Hey guys. Sorry to hear you’ve been under the weather. Sam was ill through the trek and I’m amazed she made it. Could have gone wrong though had she got worse!
Look after yourselves!
Thanks JP.
We’ll make it through one way or the other. We’re contemplating just moving on to lower elevation to see if that helps. I can’t imagine being ill while doing a major trek. Mad props to Sam!
Yep she was under the weather. But over the clouds. Boom boom
Laura and Kenny,
This could sound mean, but I in no way am wanting this to sound hateful. I know how bad it must be to be away from home with strangers, and feeling like complete and utter crapola! However with that being said …..I still LOVE the freakin pictures and in my crazee mind , am jealous….LOL. Laura with the towel over your head and I’m sure feeling like death…..I’m thinking what am I missing in this crazee NEW spa treatment…should Payton and I try? Blahahahah……The young gentelman up early to make a send off breakfast for you and kenny……hello I will be right over
hahahahahah and finally really the CLINIC…..its absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! The color is wonderful and makes me think that really ….how could the natives ever be in a bad mood. Your story’s/adventures and pictures make me smile everytime them pop up in my email.
Toodles until the next adventure is posted!!
AND I DO HOPE YOU BOTH FEEL BETTER SOON!!!!!
Colette… you are awesome.
For your personal at home spa treatment, I recommend one teaspoon of table salt per liter of boiling water. If you want to make it a little extra special, add a few dried eucalyptus leaves to the water. Throw your head under a towel with a nice drape around the pot and breath in the heaven. You’ll end up with a wet, dewey face, dripping bangs and very happy lungs.
Hang in there guys. You’ll be racing llamas any day. Just stay away from from the native home brews!
Thanks, Marshall! We’re finally feeling better and on the move. We’ll keep an eye out for those racing llamas.
My mom sent me an email about persistent coughs a couple of weeks ago and generally I would not forward these types of things…because she isn’t very good about checking ‘internet rumors’ before hitting the forward button. Well, my uncle tried it last week and swore by it..and his wife noticed his cough disappeared too. I went to snopes.com and this is the link I will share with you. Put Vick’s VaporRub generously on the soles of your feet at bedtime and night time coughing will stop for hours. (Maybe they sell Vick’s somewhere you are at?)http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/vaporub.asp
Here’s looking forward to your next blog and feel better!
Mick, thanks for the thoughtful suggestion.
The owner of our last hostel actually brought some Vick’s to our room to help with the cough so they must sell it around here somewhere. 
Our coughs have finally started to go away but next time, you can be sure we’ll try this trick!
I know you guys are feeling better and moving forward in your travels. I just wanted to say hi and let you know that we are thinking about you and wishing you the best everyday for the rest of your adventures! Miles continues to include you guys in his prayers every night so maybe that will help you rest easier! Take care! Love and miss you both!
Shari, you are so sweet.
Tell Miles to keep on praying. We count on his prayers to cover us when we make riskier decisions. 😉 Miss and love you guys!
Took me a while to catch up on all your stories but glad to know that you made it through your illnesses. Once Mike stepped on a sea urchin in the Sea of Cortez and we had to go to a small Mexican clinic what barely had any drugs. They removed the spines that they could and then took a wooden baseball bat and hit the bottom of his foot and said it would break up the spines and his body would absorb them. When we got back to California, he went to the doctor there to have his foot checked out. The doctor had never heard of that treatment but said that it made sense and he never had a problem afterwards. Trust those medicine men who can affect cures without an arsenal of drugs and machines…they have learned through experience and not textbooks!
Judy, I love this story about Mike and the sea urchin. I stepped on one myself when we were learning to surf but was lucky enough to be able to get out all the spines… no baseball bat! The bat makes it a much better story. 😉