Tragedy in Tasmania: Revenge of the Sand Fly

I was attacked by sand flies while camping and kayaking in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park. For a little insight on one of my biggest adventures ever read: Why & How to Wear a Face Net.
Well, long story short, I ended up in a Tasmanian hospital emergency room suffering for a severe allergic reaction to the sand fly bites. My feet became inflamed and covered in blisters. So gross.
Revenge of the Sand Fly
I suffered the “revenge of the sand fly” for more than a day of unbearable itching and mounting hideousness before I sought help. I had to wait because I was in transit: an 11-hour bus ride from Te Anau, a 6 hour layover in Christchurch, followed by a 4 hour flight to Melbourne.
Finally, once I arrived in Melbourne’s city center, I talked to a pharmacist that gave me some medicine, then 6 hours later I consulted another pharmacist, who sent me to the emergency room in Melbourne.
Unfortunately, the wait in Melbourne was too long and I was going to miss my scheduled night-time ferry to Tasmania, so the ER nurse advised me to board the ferry, consult the ship doctor, then go to the emergency room in Tasmania when I arrived the next morning. Which is what I did.
Doc Chris on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry was great! He took one look at my swollen tootsies, gave me some pain medication and an upgraded me to a single cabin so I could shower and sleep in privacy. So Nice!
Finally Medical Attention!
I then had to take a 1 hour bus ride to Launceston, cab it to the hospital and finally see a doctor. They saw me immediately and within an hour they had drained my blisters, bandaged my feet and given me some pretty powerful meds, including:
- · 3 day dose of extra strength Prednisone steroids to fight my allergic reaction
- · 10 day dose of Amoxicillin to fight off infection
- · Limited supply of Paracetamol for pain and discomfort
The doctor’s orders were to:
- · Stay out of the sun
- · Stay off my feet
- · Rest so I could fight the resulting flu
My first “F*** the Budget” Day
Since I’d obviously been having a fairly rough time of it, I decided I was due my first “F*** The Budget” Day. This nomad survival secret was passed along to me by my French Canadian friend Guy, whom I met in Fiji.
Basically, once a month you grant yourself a reprieve of sorts, setting the budget aside and pampering yourself a little. I elected to check out of my fairly nasty hostel (note NO MORE HOSTELS!), upgrading to a 4-star hotel, where for the next 3 days I soaked in bubble baths, watched the Australian Open tennis, and ordered room service.
Ahhhhhh….Just what the doctor ordered!
Foot Fetish
I’m happy to report that within 24-hours I was on the mend and my feet had almost returned to their normal size. This attack on my feet was particularly upsetting for me since I consider my feet my best feature. No, really.
I don’t have a foot fetish, but people who do enjoy feet often approach me to comment on my beauties. In fact, because of this fawning attention, I made a foot calendar once. Hahahahaha! Here’s a sample of the month of June.
Finally, I’m happy to report that after my much-deserved sojourn, I’m back on my feet again. Literally!
Tags: F*** the Budget Day, Fiordland National Park, Sand Flies, Tasmania
This entry was posted on Sunday, January 23rd, 2011 and is filed under Asia Pacific.
Any secrets to avoiding the sand flies or is it inevitable?
Keep covered – including face and hands. I bought a face net in NZ, that packs smaller than my palm. Here’s a post on How and Why to Wear a Face Net: http://www.goeringo.com/2011/01/19/why-a-how-to-wear-a-face-net-2/
You cannot avoid them, but you can avoid getting bitten by covering up. Also, at first I didn’t realize I was having an allergic reaction and I should’ve taken a Benedryl earlier so the blisters didn’t have a chance to form. Hindsight: 20/20!
That’s quite a reaction. Good thing you pampered yourself – you deserved it.
I couldn’t agree with you more Sue!