no photos -- need medical advice

I am really sick and need some help figuring out what to try next. [To put this in perspective, please keep in mind that I am a generally healthy person – for instance, I have never stayed in a hospital overnight – so when I don’t feel well, I tend to believe that I am deathly ill.] If you can help, please write to me on the work address that goes directly to my blackberry; I’ll see your message right away (instead of waiting for the incredibly slow dial-up connection here at the hotel).

I have been in Kazakhstan for three weeks and have managed to avoid the gastro-intestinal problems that most adoptive parents suffer while they are here. Unfortunately, I have picked up pink-eye (at least I think that is what it is) and it seems to be getting worse instead of better.

Starting on Wednesday morning, I have been using prescription eye drops (that I brought with me from the States) in the infected eye (I started a little late because I thought that the lid was swollen from a mosquito bite). The drops are Tobramycin 0.3% OPH Sol B&L; I followed my doctor’s instructions the first day or two: instill two drops into each eye three times a day after soaking. He really believes that soaking with a hot towel could solve the problem without the drops. I started to get worried that putting water near my eye that we don’t consider clean enough to brush our teeth with could be exacerbating the problem so I stopped the soaking part. I also read the insert and saw that I could use it every four hours.

It seemed to be getting better until Friday evening and then I came down with a fever, sore throat, slightly swollen glands, body aches, and headache (now I feel like my head is going to explode). I took advil last night. This morning, I took the first dose of the other prescription medicine I brought with me: Ciprofloxacin 500 mg (take two times a day). It has been about seven hours since I took it (5 hours until I can take it again) and I have been feeling feverish the past couple of hours. Here are my specific questions for you:

Should I keep using the eye drops while taking the Cipro?

Can I take Advil for fever while taking the Cipro?

Hoping I start to feel better soon, how long should I take the Cipro? (I’m a little nervous about taking all of it because that will leave me without it and I still need to be here another 3-4 weeks.)

If you were here in Karaganda recently and had a similar problem, please let me know how you solved it. Or if you have any other advice, I would greatly appreciate it. I have sent an e-mail to my doctor at Guthrie Medical (the system said I would get a response within 72 hours).