Woman's warning after she 'couldn't see straight and thought she was going to die' on holiday

A backpacker has shared her experience of contracting dengue fever in Thailand, which led to her feeling as if she was going to die.

Paisley Peach, 32, has described her harrowing ordeal of contracting dengue fever in Thailand as feeling like she was "about to die". The adventurer, originally from Boulder, , was touring with spouse Julian De Prince, 31, when she was hit by a wave of mosquito bites.

The couple both succumbed to intense fevers concurrently, but the situation escalated for Paisley when she fainted in the bathroom, necessitating an urgent hospital visit. Post-recovery, she ruefully remarked on not using insect repellent and has pledged to get the vaccine before her next journey.

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Reflecting on her traumatic health scare, the burlesque performer and events producer said: "I've never been hospitalised in my life - but with dengue, I thought I was about to die. I could barely see straight, and I was in so much pain." Paisley emphasised that the whole episode was utterly petrifying.

During September 2023, Paisley and Julian were fulfilling their desire to travel extensively through before considering parenthood. Their adventure led them to a rave on Ko Pha Ngan island, where despite using tea tree oil as a deterrent, Paisley ended up besieged by mosquito bites.

As October 3 dawned, the pair found themselves grappling with severe fevers. Paisley recollected: "We must've been bitten by the same mosquito," and mentioned their lack of a thermometer but inherent awareness of their spiked temperatures.

In an attempt to rule out alternatives, she added: "I tried taking a covid test, but it came up negative." Battling "really, really bad" body aches, the pair decided to ditch their hostel for a place to isolate. They snapped up a secluded bungalow on accessible only by water taxi.

As Paisley's condition deteriorated, Julian began to recover. Paisley recounted: "I couldn't sleep - I was in so much pain. I felt like all my bones were breaking, and my head felt like it was going to explode. Then there was this really bad pain behind my eyes - every time I drank water, I'd vomit. My skin was really warm and blotchy, and I couldn't keep track of my temperature."

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Her health took a severe turn when she collapsed in the bathroom just days after her symptoms emerged. She described the moment as going "fully unconscious from standing," while Julian, who discovered her, noted her eyes had rolled back. "Something was very, very wrong," she said. The couple immediately sought medical attention.

"The doctor took some blood, came back and told me I had dengue." The doctors informed Paisley that dengue is a viral infection transmitted by They warned her that her blood platelet count was plummeting dangerously.

While a healthy count ranges from 150,000 to 400,000 platelets, Paisley's had plummeted to a mere 40,000. "They told me I needed to be admitted," she explained. "I had blood tests every four hours, and a constant IV drip."

By the third day, having been discharged, she could manage to eat plain rice and bites of mashed potato. In the days following, Paisley has been on the mend at another hostel, expressing her near recovery by saying she feels "almost better."

Her main regret, she admits, was her decision to avoid bug spray due to concerns about chemical content. Opening up about her fears, she explained: "I was always personally afraid of bug spray because of the chemicals," before admitting her alternative: "I'd wear tea tree oil, which I did, on the day of the rave - instead."

However, she revealed that this no longer seems effective, stating: "But it doesn't seem to work for me, anymore." She wrapped up with some advice for others: "Always get vaccinated, and don't be afraid of wearing bug spray."