Being sick abroad

There are some serious problems when it comes to being ill in another country... For one, there's not necessarily someone who will just automatically take care of you like a parent, a significant other, or a friend. I have been lucky in that my roommates are super caring about me as I seem to spiral downward more and more into sinus misery. I haven't been this sick in a few years, so I am sure it's because it's a bug from a different country and my body doesn't really know what to do about it. There are a lot of volunteers having the same symptoms as myself, some not quite as extreme and others just as bad.

Then there's the problem of what drugs to take. Some of the brands are the same, some of the names in Portuguese are close enough to figure out what they are, but without spending a lot of time researching and figuring out exactly what is going to make you better then there's going to be a lot of time wasted on the pharmacy. Brazilians love their pharmacies, too, they are everywhere and they are pretty much the go-to for anything related to health and hygiene. The pharmacists only speak Portuguese in my experience though, so unless you know exactly how to explain your symptoms in their language you will have a tough time figuring out what you need.

Finally, there is the hospital. There's a better chance of getting exactly what you need if you go there, but be prepared to wait in line and the entire trip to take 4-6 hours of your already precious and limited travel time. You will be looked at by an actual doctor, for free, but when I say "looked at" that's literally what I mean. There will be no examination, no blood tests, no nothing unless you show very specific symptoms of something like zika virus. They will look at you while you explain your symptoms, hear your croaky voice, and possibly look down your throat using the flashlight on their iPhone, but that's about it. Maybe that's all it takes and American doctors are just over cautious with these kinds of things.

The worst part of it all is that I SPECIFICALLY got every single vaccine available to me and brought tons of vitamins that I've been taking religiously every single day in order to avoid being sick while I'm here. I spent all that time and all that money and I've STILL contracted something. Maybe it would have been worse if I hadn't done all of that but honestly, this is pretty horrible. I can't really imagine what it would be like to feel any worse; I would probably wind up blacking out from the pain and horror.

Anyway, I need to figure out what is wrong with me and get some medicine that is actually going to help me get better. Or at least get me decongested so that I can breathe again! 

Jackie