>Juan Carlos<

"Juan Carlos" - also known as the name that I have given the parasite who is residing in my stomach. I have decided, 100% this time, that Costa Rican health care is nothing more than mediocre. They treat the symptoms, not the sickness. Yesterday, I laid in a hospital bed for an hour with an IV in my hand (I have no visible veins in my arms...) and was injected with pain killers, stomach relaxers, antibiotics, everything known to man... except what it takes to kill the parasite that I had been diagnosed as to have. Hm. How peculiar.

I swallowed a big gulp of water at the Montezuma waterfalls, and have been stomach-sick ever since. Every time I eat, about 20 minutes later, I can't stand up or sit properly because the pains in my stomach are so debilitating. Diarrhea is an every day occurrence and sometimes with blood (I know, kinda serious, right?), and I don't think that a belt will help keep my pants up after another week of this. I am not with fever, I don't feel sickly or dizzy or weak, I just have the worse stomach pains after I eat. And that's the thing. Because I don't look like I'm dying on the outside, who cares about what's going on inside, nobody takes me seriously. I officially hate Danilo because he is convinced it's a hangover. Sorry for you jerk, but I don't think drinking a week ago would give me a hangover or this kind of pain. I can't talk to anyone about it here, because no one can feel what is going on inside of my stomach. No one understands the hunger I have but the fear that comes in hand and hand knowing that I will not be able to talk because of the pain. And sure, I'm exaggerating a little bit for dramatic effect, but still!

And of course, the rains are getting heavier, I have a cold, I have presentations almost every day now, and so nothing seems to be going well. In all that darkness, I still have my friends. I think what frightens me the most about one month from today is not being able to see their faces, hear their voices whenever I want. Oh sure, internet and cell phones have bridged the geographical gap, but technology will never replace a hug or a kiss.

Sigh...