How many countries hospitals can you see in 30 days?

As many of you have heard I suffered from a medical trauma while in Phuket, Thailand. I was initially diagnosed with the bends since I had gone diving that day (disappointing because that was day 1 of my 5 day diving vacation) and went to the great Bangkok International Hospital in Phuket for Emergency Treatment since I was suffering from mind blowing headaches and electrical headaches along with a deviated tongue.

I had an amazing doctor in Phuket but unfortunately the decompression chamber did not provide any relief to the symptoms that I was suffering from and I felt no relief. The irony to this is that they showed the movie "The Abyss" while I was in the decompression chamber for a little over 5 hours.

After consulting Turkmenistan medical unit, I moved on to Bangkok to see the Medical Officer there. I could not fly back to Bangkok so I had to endure the bumpy and extremely loud 14 hour bus ride to Bangkok. The bus was comfortable but bumpy and so loud I had to wrap the blanket around my head for a little relief.

I arrived in Bangkok and stumped the neurologist and physicians there as well.....more focus on the scuba diving then on the symptoms. I am a medical anomaly! I want to be pain free but it is not happening. More MRI's and more exams and still no relief. Maybe it is temporary is the answer I receive and you are finally free to fly after 11 days of seeing doctors with no diagnosis or prognosis. Maybe a stoke was one comment from the worst ENT physician you can ever imagine......scuba diving and the bends.....etc.

I was lucky in one aspect because I received an email from J-P, we were in Peace Corps Armenia together, that he was in Bangkok and could I come to Thailand. Little surprise for him....I am here! J-P was my miracle at the time because this was the worst moment of my life and helped me not focus on the negative and explore Bangkok when I was up for it.

I finally got the clearance to return to Turkmenistan and within a week we were preparing me for medevac to London. I left for London and within two days of arriving I was diagnosed and receiving treatment! I do not have the bends but instead a fluke occurred that my carotid artery was torn and that is what is causing all of the pain and the nerve palsy in my tongue. Whew! Good news is that it will heal within three months but the bad news is that I am not able to return to Turkmenistan due to the lack of medical facilities.

I am heading to America to recuperate! See you all soon!