Want to hug an adult Tiger?

[garyp]

Me and my daughter hanging out with an adult Tiger in Chiang Mai, Thailand! (see attachment)

While my almost 16 year old daughter was really not that nervous about hanging out with this big cat, I am going to freely admit that I was a little nervous!

[Stella]

That is pretty brave!

[LivWell]

Wow.... lifelong memories being created! I'm all for doing something that makes me a little uncomfortable every now and then, but I don't know about this one.

[Niko]

Ahhhh SO cool!
I'll be going to Chiang Mai in November, to volunteer on a rescued elephants reserve!! How hot is it in Thailand? Any tips for keeping cool in weather like that?
Really nice photo!

[garyp]

Hi Niko:

Average temps in Chiang Mai in November will be 75F (about 25C). Chiang Mai is a much more relaxed city than Bangkok....with cooler temps as well.

75F is obviously not a cool temperature. I am sensitive to the heat myself...when gets to about 80F things start to slow down, but begin to feel the impact even before temps reach 80F. It was probably about 80 to 85F the day we were in Chiang Mai.

The only advice I can provide on managing the heat is to:

- see if you can be outside in the early part of the day and avoid the highest temps in the middle of the day
- if available, get into an air conditioned area whenever possible to help cool things down even if only temporarily
- take a cold shower in the middle of the day
- see if a cooling vest works for you (Dave did a test of available vests last year, the results of which you can read here : http://www.activemsers.org/gear/testcoolingvests.html )

We also went to an elephant reserve in Chiang Mai - can't recall though if it was dedicated to rescued elephants or not. We also took a day trip from Chiang Mai up to the Golden Triangle - and were able to cross the border over into Myanmar and Laos.

[Marinadca]

Oh I would love this! Great picture.

Good tips on beating the here. Its 98, going to 104 here today.

[Niko]

Thank you Gary! I will look into getting a cooling vest. I also have a question that really worries me, concerning the dengue fever. Did you take any preventative medication for it, or just cover yourself in DEET all of the time? Although I'm a healthy young adult who otherwise would have no trouble in fighting off the fever, I'm worried that the MS will make it much worse and become fatal. Do you think that I should head straight for the hospital the moment I start this sort of fever? I'm going to ask my doctor about this as it's a fairly serious question, but I was just hoping for more personal feedback, too... Thank you so much!

[garyp]

Weigh the risks/benefits according to your own sensitivities

Niko:

When traveling to areas where diseases such as Dengue exist - the risk of contracting it just comes with the territory and you have to accept that risk.

I did not take anything specific to ward off Dengue. I did have all of the vaccinations recommended by CDC for the areas we were in.

As an MS sufferer you also have to accept the risk of vaccinations - they can cause an immune response which leads to a relapse....I had a minor relapse after taking vaccinations last summer in preparation for this trip. This is not a risk that everyone is willing to take.

Dengue fever is not actually a recognized risk in Thailand. It is a risk though in Cambodia. Dengue though is typically not a risk in tourist areas....the risk occurs in more off the beaten path type areas.

Another factor to consider is MS medication - a drug such as Gilenya can supress the immune system a lot limiting your bodies ability to fight off infections. This risk applies to living in the US I might add, not just visiting foreign nations. However, the risk of infections can be higher in such places - plus you are a long way from any kind of medical center that understands MS and the risks of MS medication.

When I left for Asia, my neuro was very clear that if I developed any kind of fever then I was to return home ASAP (I am on Gilenya). That is the red line here. I actually thought I might be developing a fever at one point during our trip - so as a precaution I immediately started to take the antibiotic I had with me. Either I had no fever in the first place or the antibiotic immediately did the trick as by the next morning the slight rise in temperate I had noticed the previous day (purely through the old palm on forehead test) was gone. I did of course complete the antibiotic cycle.

What this comes down to is your decision on the benefit to you personally vs. the risks such a trip presents to you. Each of us will come to a different conclusion on this. Some people would not take that risk. Some people would not get into a cage with a Tiger. I obviously decided that I was willing to take the risk to obtain the benefit - and get into a cage with a Tiger to obtain a picture of my daughter and I together with that Tiger. Weigh the risk vs. benefit according to your own sensitivities, don't rely on my opinion.