Tragedy in Tasmania: Revenge of the Sand Fly

I had big plans for Tasmania — I was going to hang out for several days hiking and biking the idyllic countryside. Alas, my Tassie plans hit a snag in the form of the nasty 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.