THAILAND

I am finally in Thailand and what a difference this place is from Vietnam. It is clean, quiet, food is delicious and beautiful. Hot as hell, but this is the time of year for heat! I went straight to the hospital the day after I arrived. What a waste of time. The hospital staff could not understand me and the doctors did not even look at my documentation, sonograms and cat scan that I had brought with me. I even had to see a surgeon in order to just get the same antibiotics I was getting intravenously in pill form. The surgeon seemed right out of college. I took the oral antibiotics and waited for a couple of days before going to another hospital. I needed to get myself ready for another hospital experience. This time it was great. I saw a doctor and again a surgeon and they stated that I could wait until I get home to have another look see at my appendix and that any surgery that I may need would now be elective. The surgeon also stated that I could stop taking the antibiotics. Yeeepeeeee. The antibiotics were making me feel real bad.

I am now feeling better and really enjoying Thailand. I am in Chiang Mai, a wonderful place. We went to an elephant camp where we sat with elephants, fed them, walked with them to a river and bathed them. It was such a great experience being in the water with the elephants. They played and allowed us to brush them and hold them. It was a magical experience.

I have gone to see temples, which are magnificent. Really beautiful and pristine. I hiked up a waterfall. I have eaten really good food. I am with a group of people that I really care for. And I have seen friends that have come to Thailand from my other groups I had been with. All in all this has been marvelous! Well worth the heat.

I have had my health issues here and I have come to Thailand with my own health issues. But I am still living a full and complete life that I would not miss for the world. Do the same, enjoy every day to the fullest! Live every day as if it was your last, do something that makes you smile!! You may be ill, but until they put you in the ground, you are alive and live!!!

Life is not merely surviving!!!!!