I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve ever seen a doctor in high heels. And a mini skirt. Her open white medical jacket goes past her skirt, giving her that look that from the back makes you ask “wait, does she have nothing under that!?”

Try taking those multiple times a day and smiling about it

Ecuador, sorry, but you’re killing me. Slowly. For over a week my stomach has been, let’s say, less than ideal, and since this past Monday, I’ve developed a “gripe” aka the flu. And I’m not the only one. A large percentage of the American students have been/are sick in some way, be it stomach or flu or both. The food in Ecuador is great, but it’s different, and in some minor ways we are coming into contact with new microbes from the tap water, even though we obviously don’t drink it directly. But when you go to a restaurant, what water are they washing the plates in??

So that explains stomach problems. For flu symptoms just consider the weather. It is completely irrational here. I wear a fleece and a sweatshirt everyday to school because it’s so damn cold. Once in a blue moon it’s warm. But it rains all the time. And there is no heating in any of the buildings. The temperature just varies when it wants to.

Anyway, a normal looking doctor attended to me and luckily the language barrier didn’t create an issue aside from a couple of “I’m sorry what?”’s. I just cashed in my prescription: two pills for flu symptoms and 2 for stomach issues. I get to drink a bottle of “resistant Bacillus clausii” spores before each meal to help my digestion!

Did you know you can’t get ANY medication for the flu here without a prescription? Like I mean you can’t get Sudafed without getting doctor approval. I’ve been told it’s due to the H1 scare so people don’t go crazy and self-medicate for no reason. The clinic visit was $25 and I’m gonna send in the receipt to Georgetown to get reimbursed with insurance. Hopefully that goes smooth. And hopefully I’m not gonna be a walking incarnation of death next week in the rain forest!