In Reply to: Medical Question posted by Lois G on Monday, 12. April 1999 at 03:41 Bali Time:
Lois, I have been to Bali I think now 15 times and have never been sick. Due to business I had cause to go there about 7 times in the last eighteen months.
After a short trip last March 98 I got dreadful gut aches and gas and I let it go for about six weeks until I could stand the pain no longer. I took myself to hospital and I was found to have a perforated bowel. Now it was pretty nasty and I was dreadfully sick and spent 7 days in there getting Flagyl intravaenously. Could not eat or drink for that time so I lost a power of weight (that was the only bonus).
Test after test revealed that I got a strain of gardia/amebi or whatever the doctors said and it was alive and attached itself to the bowell wall finally causing micro perforations. In any case they could not identify exactly the strain and the moral to this is that had I gone to the doctor earlier and correct test done I would not have ended up as sick. I do not mean to panic you but just get the tests done and discount any minor illnesses before they end up major like mine.
Having said all this I love Bali and going back next month and will go back at any chance I get. Also I am extremely careful with hygine...you just never know.
By the way I am as fit as a fiddle now!
I hope this helps
PAUL