Traveller's paradise becomes dengue nightmare in Thailand
A 32-year-old traveller from Colorado, Paisley Peach, experienced the tragic effects of dengue while travelling in Thailand with her husband. Both had high fevers, but Paisley's condition rapidly worsened, forcing her to be hospitalised.
Paisley Peach and Julian De Prince were on holiday in Thailand, trying to see as much as possible before starting a family. Their adventure turned into a nightmare after a party on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, where mosquitoes bit them. Paisley remembers being "covered" in bug bites despite using tea tree oil to ward off mosquitoes.
The very next day, 3rd October, both woke up with high fevers. "We must've been bitten by the same mosquito. We didn't have access to a thermometer, but we both knew we had high fevers," Paisley reported in an interview with Express. They initially tried to isolate themselves in a rented bungalow in a remote part of the island. However, while Julian slowly recovered, Paisley's condition steadily declined.
Dramatic turn of events
"I was in so much pain. I felt like all my bones were breaking, and my head felt like it was going to explode," Paisley spoke of her symptoms. She was unable to eat or sleep. When she began vomiting even after drinking water, and her body temperature seemed alarmingly high, she knew things were bad.
The final blow came when she lost consciousness in the bathroom. Her husband found her with her eyes rolled back. "Something was very, very wrong. We went straight to the nearby hospital," she recalls.
Doctors confirmed dengue, a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes. Additionally, her platelet count drastically dropped to just 40,000, when the normal range is from 150,000 to 400,000. The situation was serious.
Slow recovery
Paisley spent three days in the hospital, where her health was monitored. After discharge, she was only able to eat plain rice and small portions of potatoes, but began slowly recovering.
She says her biggest regret was not wearing bug spray, as she feared the chemicals. "Always get vaccinated, and don't be afraid of wearing bug spray," she comments today after recovering.
Dengue is a virus that should not be underestimated, and protection against mosquitoes should be one of the key elements of travelling to at-risk countries.
