Accident Prone

Just a brief update today, as I'm busy washing, ironing, and packing for our trip to Japan. If you have read my blog at roamingbrit.com, you will be well aware of my accident-prone nature. Despite never breaking a bone in my body, I have done everything else but! It isn't too long now before we leave for Osaka, and I was confident that this time would be different. I can hear most of you thinking — what on earth is he talking about? So allow me to explain. 

The last three times I have been away on holiday, I have either had an accident and ended up in hospital or contracted some pernicious condition on my return from Asia. In Vietnam and Taiwan, I contracted Staphylococcus aureus. In fact, it was so bad when I returned from Vietnam, that I ended up in Midland Hospital here in Australia, on an antibiotic drip for a week. I had contracted a penicillin-resistant strain of this potentially deadly disease and was suffering from cellulitis. Again, on my return from another recent trip, I caught yet another staph infection and had to have an operation to remove an infected node from under my arm. Later in Thailand and Singapore, I fell over on a boat, cutting my arm open. This time, I ended up at Raffles Hospital in Singapore, undergoing treatment for yet another infection.

It seemed never-ending. After each trip, I said, 'never again'. Yet here we are, travelling to Japan — only this time I have caused a problem before we even leave the country. I suppose, looking honestly, my health anxiety has a lot to answer for. My over-cautious disposition has once again left me nursing another injury —  just before we get on a plane.

This week I have been suffering from back pain, so I bought some heat patches to put on the affected area. All well and good, I hear you say — well, under normal circumstances, yes. For me, however, it has turned into a mad dash to urgent care before our departure. The heat patch burnt my skin, causing an open wound, which for me could be a real difficulty, after contracting Staphylococcus aureus on two separate occasions. On Wednesday morning, I rushed to urgent care to have the area looked at by a doctor. He said I should keep a close eye on it over the coming days, keep the wound moist and clean, and hopefully, it will be fine before we leave. If not, it looks like this will be another trip full of medication and plasters.

So far, the area is looking OK, and I remain hopeful it will heal in time. Occasionally, my own prudent temperament towards matters of health could well be my downfall. Yes, I had a bad back, but did I really need to use a heat patch? I've used them before, without any concern at all, but this time it just wasn't meant to be. Since suffering from skin infections, something I have never had before, my skin appears to be more sensitive and prone to complications. 

This isn't an ideal situation, but I will be going on this holiday no matter what. I am keeping everything crossed for a positive outcome and hope I remain infection-free — of course, only time will tell.