Unforgettable - Part 1

               Since most of you know that our stay in China was unexpectedly prolonged, I’ve chosen to write about it in parts. In an attempt to whet your appetite, I’ll give you the “Hollywood preview” version of what’s to come. (Please read this in your head as the late Don Fontaine, the famous voice actor who did all of the previews before movies):

               In a world where the unexpected becomes expected; where husband and wife travel to the far reaches of the East in search of answers. Answers to questions like, “I wonder how good the healthcare is here.” “If I stare at a hospital ceiling long enough, will it make everything better?” And finally, “How can everything be so right, but so wrong?” [Insert in your mind, if you will, dramatic close ups of Hannah looking off into the distance, doctors in a huddle as the camera pans closer, and me eating a pile of disgusting food.] Expect the unexpected and un-expect the expected on the Lee’s grand adventure to the far East. Unforgettable – Nat King Cole has nothing on this.

               One of the most horrible and memorable parts of this trip was the midnight plane flight from Malaysia to China, or as I like to call it, the worst 6 hours of my existence to date. As Hannah and I were waiting for the plane, I felt myself getting more and more nauseous. (Hindsight being 20/20, I realized that drinking a Starbucks coffee AND a hot chocolate earlier that day was probably not the best thing for an already upset stomach. But hey, it makes for an interesting story. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this right now, so stop judging me and just enjoy.) In Singapore, I had been able to conquer the nausea by walking around, but that turned out to be just about as useful as an excuse for a dumb decision. My body rejected it as soon as it saw the idea forming in my head. Once on the plane, I spent about an hour in my seat while half-watching an in-flight movie. Then commenced the 5 hours of pacing the plane and dry heaving into the plane bathrooms. (I also tried to steal an empty seat in economy plus, but I was soon found out and kicked back.)

               After making it off the plane, I would have kissed the ground if I didn’t think it would make me even more sick. As we were going through immigration, I had a few moments where I was sure that the cookies I hadn’t eaten were about to be tossed. However, I did my best to control the urge to pull out my plastic bag and dry heave because (as Hannah reminded me) there’s a chance that they won’t let us in the country if I’m sick. As much as I love quarantine, I would still prefer a hotel room. There were some unexpected delays in the immigration process as we waded through the bureaucracy cesspool, but we eventually made it out and into a taxi to our hotel. Having not slept for over a day at this point, I welcomed the sleep/escape from nausea I enjoyed on the cab ride to the hotel. Once we arrived, Hannah and I agreed that we would sleep first. Hopefully, I would feel much better and be well enough to go about my day and get some food down me. 3 hours later, I woke up feeling even worse than when I went to sleep, and I realized that it was time to give the hospitals in Beijing a try.

               Apparently (and please read that with all the sarcasm you can muster) we were lucky because our hotel was next to “one of the best hospitals in Beijing. And they speak English.” Awesome! (See previous reading instructions.) We got there and realized that the English part was probably true for one of the patients who happened to live and study in America. Not so true for the staff and doctors. After being shown what felt like 40 different places to go, we finally made it to the international ward where I was seen by a doctor. I had to write down most of my symptoms because her listening skills were not quite up to snuff (which I’m sure she wouldn’t condone being a doctor). Thankfully (to be read with no sarcasm) she gave me some IV fluids because I hadn’t drank anything in a long while. I also had my first ultrasound, and it was a boy! But, I guess that news is 27 years old now. After the thoughtful diagnosis of “Nothing is wrong with you. Go see a doctor in your home country.” We went back to the hotel and tried to sleep.

               As I was drifting off, I had the vain hope that everything would be better in the morning. After all, how long can a sickness last? Vacations are all about the memories you make, and I was ready to make some by touring the Great Wall. Within 24 hours, I’d be back to my normal self. And here’s where part 2 comes in.