Traveller's be warned, we know the feeling and try so hard to be careful but it got me and got me good this time. Food posioning is one thing and you can figure it out by the sudden onset of pain and discomfort, add to that you can usually figure it will be done with within a day, unless very severe. But this time the symptoms did not match the physical actions.

         I guess this all started about 36 hours prior to our departure from Cambodia. That final day and night I could not leave the hotel room, I became very concerned. Having ruled out food posioning and the possibility that it was Cholera (no headache, anxiety, or vomiting) I looked to the possibility of an intestinal bug (virus).

         Cholera is very common place in Asia, during my health classes I had my students do a lot of research about it and other infectious diseases, what symptoms to look for, what to do if infection is suspected and how to stop the spread.

         Go to the doctor is what most would think to be the best action, but this is not UK, or the US. Here you have to weigh up the hygene habits and available treatments. Do you want to get stuck with a needle that has probably been used on someone else?

         We have medical supplies with us including needles and limited medications for use in emergency situations. I knew also that if this sickness continued untreated I could end up in hospital on the other end of a drip.
      
         Because we were due to leave Cambodia I decided to fill myself up with plenty of bottled water, rehydration packs, including electrolites, and imodium pills. Not the perfect solution, or the cure but it did get me through the flight to Kuala Lumpur and from there the flight to Tawau.  

        At our destination of Semporna the problems continued which meant we could not book to go diving, in fact I didn't venture out from the hotel until the second day when we found a doctor. She did mention hospitalization but took into consideration that I was doing the right thing by taking plenty of fluids and rehydration packs. She prescribed an antibiotic, a stronger form of imodium and gave me some additional rehydration packs.

       It was day five before this all kicked into place, by this time Rita had suggested that we travel North to see the Orang Utans while I recouperate as there was no way I could dive yet. So here we are in Borneo, one of the reconized best diving locations in the world and we have yet to get our feet into the water.

      It's at times like these, when I was in need and felt as weak as a kitten that the true value of Rita's love for me shone, throughout this ordeal she was vigilant and caring. Took the lead and made the decisions as needed,
we are a team.