I Will See You Soon

Unfortunately, I have experienced some health problems that mean I need to cut my stay in Peru short. While I was running last weekend, I started to feel pain in my left side. It wasn't as if it was debilitating, drop-to-the-ground pain, but it did take my breath away. I immediately came home, and the next day, I scheduled a doctor's appointment.

At the doctor's office, I learned I have multiple cysts in both of my ovaries. Ovarian cysts are fairly common, and many, many women have them. Unfortunately, I have quite a few. The reason I experienced pain on my run was because one of my cysts ruptured. I also had leftover "liquido libre" (free liquid) in my body that was irritating to my insides. The doctor tossed around a syndrome or two that might be causing these problems. She also gave me medication to help me heal and, hopefully, to reduce the number of cysts I have.

From my doctor experience in Slovakia, I have learned the hard way that you should always check foreign doctor's prescriptions. When I arrived home, I checked the internet and I learned that the medication I had been given was not approved in the US because it's pretty tough on the body. After talking with a friend in pharmacy school and a pharmacist, we decided that a month's worth of medication would not be enough to cause serious problems. However, I do need to have more appropriate medication. I also need to have some tests done to figure out what the underlying issue that causing the cysts is. Even more than that, there is a small chance that another cyst will rupture. Not all cyst ruptures are as complication-free as what I experienced. Health care in Peru is challenging, and in many places it is sub-standard. I have no desire to have complications from a cyst rupture and need a Peruvian hospital visit or even an operation.

While I need to stress that this is in no way an emergency, this is something that I need to have taken care of sooner rather than later. After talking with my parents and with Eric, we decided that it was better for my health to come home. This was a not an easy decision; however, I do think that it is the best one for me.

I have one more week left in Peru, and I will add to this blog before I leave. Please come back and check my entries - hopefully, I can share more with you about the people I have come to love.

I am both happy and sad to say that I will see all of you very soon.