If you get sand flea bites...

[Mary Ann 2]

We were in Bonaire on the Crown last week and took a taxi to Eden Beach. I was the only one of 7 to get sand flea bites and I was only on the beach for 5 minutes as I decided to go shopping instead after we had lunch there.

 

I knew right away that I had gotten bitten and stopped at a pharmacy to get benadryl cream. It helped the itch immediately, but unfortunately one of the bites became infected. By day two it was the size of half dollar, red, and hot. Someone had told us on a previous cruise that the ship's doctors were very expensive, so I put off going down until the last night when it became apparent it was getting serious even though I had started some amoxillin that I had brought. Turns out it isn't that expensive -only $60 during business hours on Princess anyway, but I had missed his hours and it is much pricier to bring him back. So I decided that I would be home by the next day and to just wait.

 

By the time I got to my home airport, I knew that I needed to head to the ER as my ankle was very swollen and it was now spread to the size of a grapefruit. After spending the night in the hall because there were no rooms, I was finally told that I needed to be admitted because they were afraid of MRSA.

 

It's now day three in the hospital. The infectious disease specialist does not think it was MRSA, but I am stuck on two weeks of treatments anyway. At least I get to go home this afternoon. I haven't even been home yet and am really looking forward to getting home!

 

Guess I just wanted to let everyone know to go see the ship's doctor right away and not put it off like I did. In the end, it would have saved a lot of time and money to have dealt with it on the ship. By the time you get back home and it's worse and they hear you were in some foreign country, they are going to assume the worst and that's not fun.

 

I still have great memories of my cruise and have spent the last day sorting and resizing pictures. The staff has asked if I will cruise again and I have emphatically answered YES! Have a safe cruise everyone!

[Mary Ann 2]

I got to go home yesterday and it's almost cleared up, but I will still have to do IV antibiotics for another week.

 

Just FYI, when I posted this on the Princess board, they all said that their regular insurance reimbursed them for the doctor's visit! Never thought it would do that. And if you have travel insurance, it will also pay for it. Live and learn I guess! Now I know and will never hesitate again.

[DiveCruiser]

I have never had sand flea bite but we have always been there in july

 

Bob

[turquoisesea]

Mary Ann - Just in case you check this board - can you tell me how long the non-infected flea bit sites lasted? It was been three weeks since I was bitten on the beach in Bonaire and it is still red and ugly. I don't think it's infected - just hard and painful. Any suggestions?

[faxo77]

never had sand flea bite but we have always been there in mars 2018