Second Opinion Saves Life (Contracted with Chinese ‘Snake’ Virus)

My suspicion was right; the first doctor did not know what disease I had and simply asked me tried something. Maybe he was too young and inexperience for such virus infection.

 

Today, I went to Klinik Singapore for second opinion on my skin disease because I suspected that the first doctor gave me the wrong medicine - the disease started spreading to other parts of my body (hand and back).

 

This clinic was never on my preferred list because it looked like a clinic that did those illegal practices. Compared to the first clinic, this one looked like an abandoned building!

 

Never judge a book by it’s cover! The middle-aged Chinese doctor that examined me was superbly good! He identified the disease as Herpes Zoster Virus or local Chinese called it ‘Growing Snake’. The doctor’s description matched with what I was having – burning sensation as well as virus multiplied and moved along the vein of the skin, shaping lines of painful rashes. Look at my eyes, could you see the lines?

 How about my hand?

 The ones at my back were less obvious but looked disgusting.

I was given more medicine this time but I was pretty sure that they were the right medicine for me.

 

Because the virus was highly contagious, I was given 4 days medical leaves just to rest at home, so that I could not mix with others. First time I heard doctors asking me to be anti-social…sigh! So, no more happy volleyball games, and no more birthday celebration for someone. This is going to be a boring week!

 

It was widely believed among the Chinese communities that ‘snake’ virus could kill someone when the rashes formed a circle along your waist. Maybe when this happened it meant that the virus had successfully multiplied to all the vein of the body?  I was not sure about this, but when I told my colleagues about me contracting this virus, I could swear that if there was any broom around, everyone might be chasing me out of the building! But some colleagues did request me to shake hands with the bosses!

 

When I told my mum and dad about this, my mum panicked and went gathering information from everyone at the airport (they just came down from Genting and planned to fly back to Kuching). She then called me back saying a Penangite told her that there was some local Penang method to cure the virus and she forced me to ask around instead.

 

Seing Cath online, I asked Cath and in turned she called up her Mum. Cath relayed her mum’s advice to me: 

Problem was, I just had McDonald’s for lunch (Spicy Chicken McDeluxe), bought one dozen of fresh eggs, and bought chicken rice for dinner. The stray dogs around my neighborhood would be benefited from this. L

I was really grateful for auntie’s advice and I was then touched by her worries because she made 2 more calls and then another one through Cath:

2^nd Phone call:  “Do not get wet by the rain, the rain drop is poisonous!”

3^rd Phone call: “Just try eating those canned vegetable (‘Choy Sam’) and porridge!”

4^th Phone call (through Cath just now): ”No bathing, water will increase the spreading! No chicken and egg! Porridge and ‘Choy Sam’ only.” Aunty also recommended a Chinese Physician who could stop the disease from spreading.

Gee, that was really advice from the heart!

At 9pm, I received a call from Cath that her mum was picking up medicine from a Chinese Pharmacy. I felt really guilty for bothering her so much as well as her worries towards my disease. Thanks Aunty! I shall visit you and thank you personally when I recover (if you know who I am)!

By the way, realizing the seriousness, I did some research and it seemed that vitamin C could cure this too!