October 5, 2016

I got worms. There. I wrote it. It’s out there in cyber space and I cannot take it back. You didn’t really think this was just a story about biking did you? More so…you didn’t think I could really make it through India without something? The way I look at it, by the time I get

through this experience, I will have bike packed my way through both Africa and India, the 2 largest petri dishes in the world. There are things happening here that scientists don’t even know about, and if they do, they don’t even have names for them yet. Upon completion, my immune system should allow me to put my tongue on any handrail in the New York subway with no ill effects (not that I would, mind you, but I could).

How did I know I had a worm you ask? Well, after battling 2 rounds of a very clingy giardia parasite from Madagascar, I came home to Colorado and promptly earned the affectionate nickname “Jerry-ardia”. My friends really are the most compassionate. Fortunately the symptoms were quite mild. Mainly a grossly distended stomach, but the smell…wow. That was the ringer. Best I can describe it is…imagine if road kill had baked on the highway in Alabama for 3 days in July, then crawled into your small intestines to fester and make a home. That’s it. You were warned.

I woke up with another distended stomach and I immediately feared giardia round 3…kinda like Rocky III and this giardia was Clubber Lang (played by Mr. T). Fortunately, I’m in Manali, the launching pad for all things adventurous (ie. heavily populated by western adventurists and thus has a good medical facility). I pedaled down to the clinic at 730a.m. Unfortunately they did not open until 9 a.m. but I was told I could go to the ER. The ER cost would be Rs500 ($7.50) or I could wait until 9 a.m. for a regular consult for Rs50 ($0.75). I didn’t feel that my situation justified occupying the ER team, so I waited until 9 a.m and put myself on the list. At 9 a.m. I was promptly called into the doctor’s office where I met my doctor. He was an Indian man, approximately 35 and spoke excellent English. His office was just through the main door. He sat behind a desk and in front was a wooden stool for the patients. The people waiting for their consultation stood in line, 2 feet behind the stool, until it was their turn. Then, you simply took 1 step forward and sat down. I guess HIPAA is not an issue in India. When it was my turn, I took a seat, explained my symptoms and shared with him what antibiotics I have since taken. I also told him that I had read about Albendazone as a possible alternative. “Yes, yes. We have this medication. Let’s get a sample first,” he responded.

I went to the front desk, picked up my sample cup, the size of a shot glass, and went to the sample room. It is a steel box, marked “gents” and was simply a squat toilet. However, there was only a tiny window, no other light, and a bucket to wash with. I went back to the front desk and asked for some paper. The lady sighed and came back with 4 squares. Four squares?!? I won’t go into detail of how I filled my cup, but let’s just say my aim in a dark steel box was the stuff of legend. I took my sample cup to the front desk (mind you there was no plastic bag to put it in) and was told to come back in 45 minutes. I did this same test in Colorado and it took 3 days.

Forty minutes later (they were early) I was called in to talk to the doctor again. Ascariasis…aka round worm, very common in India. The prescription? Albendazone. The same med my doctor in Colorado suggested. I went across the courtyard, picked up my prescription and was on my way.

• Total time spent from consult to departure: 90 minutes
• Total cost: Less than $4.00. Rs50 ($0.75) consult. Rs190 lab work ($2.87). Albendazone. Rs30 ($0.45). The following day, I stopped at a pharmacy in another town and bought 2 more pills for Rs18 ($0.27) however the pharmacist only charged me Rs10 ($0.15) because he didn’t have change for Rs20.

Lesson learned from this: If you’re going to get sick, do it in India (it’s inevitable anyway). If you can stand the sample room, then it’s a win. I’m not quite sure I understand the American medical system, even after having seen it first hand for 10 years. Anyway, tomorrow I’m back on the road, thankful for the Indian health care system.

The line at the pharmacy

The clinic

View from the clinic

Sample room

Entering the sample room

Went for a nice hike after my consult