Leaving Gayle's and James goes to the Hospital!

Thursday February 9

The stars at Gayle's are amazing!!

We got up early to leave by 6:30 am so we can travel down through the construction zone before they close the road. It was a four-wheeler bumpy dusty crazy road for about an hour and a half, then we passed the construction area and drove another hour mostly on cement.

It is amazing to think that cement roads are still bad in rainy season. They say there is just so much mud and it runs across the cement, which makes the cement slick as can be.

After stopping to eat breakfast, we went back to Sunshine Orchard to get the luggage we left there and Jonathan. He was going to ride the other motorbike back to Sunshine Orchard.

As we began our travels to Mae Sot, James began feeling much worse. His stomach was cramping and his arms were hurting bad. We keep wondering if he should go to the hospital. Gayle had some medicine to stop the cramping and he was able to rest for a while before it got worse again. We stopped at the first big town for some ORS (oral rehydration solution), which is like Gatorade only not sweet. James and Mary Ann describe it as salty orange drink.

It took about 2 hours to get to Mae Sot. Gayle took us to a guest house and we unloaded ourselves and all the luggage. We checked in to rooms there. Then Gayle took us to a really good restaurant that served spaghetti for the same price as Thai food. And Sarah got a black bean quesadilla. Happy Kids!

Natalie had stayed at the guest house with James. She called before the food was ready to say that James was hurting worse. Gayle left without eating to take him to the International Hospital ER. They had him take an oral antibiotic, then Gayle talked to the doctor and the doctor gave him an IV.

Gayle came back to the restaurant to pick the rest of the group up. She took us to Tesco Lotus, which is like Walmart here, then back to the guest house.

James' temp went up after he was at the hospital for an hour, so they gave him a tepid bath to help bring it back down again.

Jon went with Gayle and Blet Jhaw to the Hospital to be with James and Natalie. Gayle and Blet Jhaw said goodbye and had to drive back to Sunshine Orchard. After about 3 1/2 hours, James' IV was finished and the doctor released him. He was given what appears to be something similar to pepto bismol, an anti-nausea med, an anti-diarrhea med, more ORS, an antibiotic, and an order to rest for two days and come back if he wasn't better the next day. The total price for his 4 hour stay in ER, doctors' attention, meds, etc., was less than $65.00! God is good!

We spent the night not knowing if we would or wouldn't be traveling to Bangkok on Friday. Also, praying James would be better so he wouldn't have to go back to the hospital.