When I was nine years old, my family and I lived in Saigon, Vietnam. At that time the Vietnam War was happening. We lived there from 1967 to 1972 (we are Americans). One day (weekend) our family went for a walk for a few days. It's been a while since we planned to travel like this. A friend of my father, a Vietnamese-man, arranged everything, and our family was taken to see some interesting places both inside and outside the city.
Actually at that time I was not feeling well, but it was not so bad, so I can still go. The day went on, but my situation got worse. As I said before, we've been planning this tour for a long time, so if I go back home, my parents have to come home, as well as my three brothers. We all really wanted this event to run well, therefore, despite the pain I tried to survive. At that time I felt a sore throat and maybe a fever; I remember, I feel very sick.
Actually we had a medical clinic at the Army post, but at that time there were several reasons why we did not go there. I kind of forgot the reason why we did not go to the clinic, maybe at that time, the clinic was closed or too far away or maybe it was time to wait too long for the queue. Whatever the reason, what happened at the time was our Vietnamese friend recommending a doctor, who he thought was very reliable.
Chinese doctor Fu Manchu
I remember once that the doctor was an old Chinese man with a Fu Manchu mustache (a straight mustache that grew down past the lips and on both sides of his chin and extended to the toes). He prescribes powders mixed with water; I do not remember whether at the time he gave the medicine directly or we bought it at the pharmacy.
Long story short, we finally returned home and my parents mixed the medicine from the doctor and I drank it right away. I can not imagine how he made this drug; -I am a very picky person in food; has a taste that is very sensitive to taste, consequently at that time I became very skinny-. Maybe at that moment I was too weak to argue about the drug. But as I was feeling, I started experiencing strange symptoms after several times taking the medicine, unfortunately it was ignored by my family. Slowly I began to have difficulty controlling my tongue, consequently I could not speak, my eyes felt like rolled up, could only look upwards, so all I could see was the ceiling, I was like losing consciousness.
Actually it makes sense why my parents ignore this. My older brother, who is almost a year older than me, is my friend playing. We are both compact as a team but sometimes like to quarrel with each other. Actually we are not naughty boys, but we really like to tease or menjahili others. So neither my parents nor my sister really thought that what happened to me was just a pretense and my sister took this opportunity to tempt me. In fact, my mother can not wait to punish me for assuming I am too outrageous. My youngest sister, still a toddler. I remember thinking he was arguing with my dad, so maybe he did not pay much attention to the change in me. I cried and kept trying to communicate with him, but to no avail.
Knocked out
One day our family went to eat out. We ate in a restaurant in the open space, suddenly I fell while looking at the roof. But on the one hand I feel very relieved, because the consequence of the event is finally where my family realized that I was really sick and really trying to help me. I remember, as my father walked up the steps of the hospital while carrying me in his arms.
In Saigon there is a hospital run by Australians. The next thing I remember is the oxygen hose has been installed in the nose, I hate it, but I can not afford to let it go. I also remember seeing my mother's red nails next to me, and that made me calm because it meant that Mom was near me. Lots of tests to go through. The pain of the syringe that I have to feel, unable to move, unable to talk, can not cry. Spinal injections and a very deep pain that I have never felt in my life.
