This Last Week's 'Entertainments'

Another delightful week with Evelyn has come to an end here in Bali, but the heat wave has not, nor have my weird health problems.

In the latest incident, just yesterday, I was sitting at The Daily Baguette cafe, enjoying my usual cappuccino and slice of banana bread while reading a book, when suddenly I felt very light-headed, lost visual focus, and experienced a painful paralysis of my left leg, especially the thigh. I felt myself involuntarily leaning to the left while reaching to the left with a hand that did not seem to be functioning normally. My great fear at that moment was that I was having some kind of seizure and would soon pass out and tumble from my chair onto the ground. This would have been greatly embarrassing, so I struggled to stay conscious and began to massage my upper thigh. My vision cleared within 30 seconds or so, I would estimate, but the muscular pain continued for some time longer.

After this, I was unable to return to reading for fear that the symptoms would recur.

So what the hell was that all about? A small stroke? A small seizure? Who knows? I thought about rushing out to the hospital, but then I remembered how fruitless my last visit there had been just a week before. So I just gave up on the banana bread and the coffee and drove myself back home, or rather to Louis' Villa where I have been staying again while she is on vacation.

Although I have not had any further notable disturbances since that time, which was only yesterday, I have continued to feel very tired and vaguely unwell since. If nothing else, I have learned that it is unwise to venture out as long as this heat wave persists. So, I'm spending a rather boring time here, with Etta the dog, until the 12th, when I will return home to my own little house in Sanur. If I live that long.

In fact, the extreme heat kept me and Evelyn in the house most of the time she was here (unlike me, she is smart enough to know better than to go outside in this sort of heat and humidity). During the day, we watched movies and cooked meals, and then sometimes ventured out in the evening when the temperatures had cooled somewhat.

I suppose that eventually I will go back to the hospital and report these occurrences (and who knows, maybe new ones by the time I act). Or in any case, I suppose that I should.