Pitufa.at

We didn’t want to worry anybody while we were in the middle of it, but the last week wasn’t funny at all. Christian and I both got 40C fever on Tuesday, together with thundering headaches, backache and pain behind the eyes all seemed to point to Dengue. I searched the internet for emergency numbers (only took me 1/2 an hour to find out that SAMU means emergency number, from then on it was easy…), because with Dengue you always have the potential threat of inner bleedings if it’s a severe case. I called the medical centre in Uturoa (main town of the bigger island) and was reassured that the medical on Tahaa (where we were) had emergency transport. Ooof. OK. Fortunately it wasn’t necessary to call and we just spent our days lying, sweating and eating loads of Paracetamol (painkillers). At some point the batteries of our thermometer gave up and then we ran out of Paracetamol, but each time friendly cruiser neighbours helped us out–I only got suspicious looks when approaching charter boats. We were really glad when our friends Lisa and Charly on SY Bomika came to our help, bringing Paracetamol and provisioning and cooking soup and rice for us
After 3 days the fever got slightly down, but then Christian got diarrhea and I a painful, burning rash, so it seemed to be something else than dengue after all. When I couldn’t stand the rash anymore I called the medical centre in Tahaa for transport but they knew nothing of it, so I had to hitch-hike the 10 km there, not so easy in my shaky condition. The people there were really nice though and my rash got better after two anti-allergic, anti-toxicologic injections.

Today (day we were finally fit enough to get out of bed and sail down to the hospital in Raiatea (slightly ironic, isn’t it?). The doctor was very thorough collecting the details of our story and tomorrow we have an appointment for a blood analysis to find out what was actually wrong with us. If it was dengue we have to be extra careful from now on (the second time would be dangerous), if it was something bacterial we may still have to take antibiotics. We’ll see and let you know.

Leeloo was uncommonly calm and patient during all that time, not molesting us with cry-attacks, just snuggling up with us during the night

Today we felt finally fit enoug