A long time ago, maybe back 25+ years, I came down with a serious respiratory problem less than a week after our SXM vacation started. We stayed at Belair so we were close to the Sint Maarten Medical Center. I went there and a medical intern that spoke next to no English (he was Dutch), initially diagosed the burning in my chest was too much sun exposure. When I explained that the painful burning was inside my lungs not outside my body. He prescribed very large doses of antibacterial medication that I later learned could have been dangerous. But, after a day or two I felt good enough to enjoy the remainder of our 3 weeks. A visit to my primary doctor upon our return home, confirmed that it was indeed pneumonia and I was on the mend.
Moral of the story? We, SXM lovers, medical technology, and luck, have come a long way over the years. I wish you well, Whale.