Malaria

When I posted last and was sort of indifferent to my surroundings, it was in part because I was feeling out of sorts.  I started feeling sick to my stomach every time I ate, developed a fever, and got a headache.  I saw a doctor, who told me I had the flu.  Theresa, who had the same symptoms as me, came with me and we went back to the hotel in Richard Toll.  We took some drugs that made us feel better and generally felt better the next day.  Theresa's fever broke and she was able to keep food down again and be healthy.  I think this is right about when I developed malaria.

My fever continued through Saturday, which is when we were scheduled to leave Richard Toll.  On Friday night, I was pretty unable to eat any dinner.  I was slowly forcing myself through it when the doctor came back.  I had never felt more ill and uncomfortable, and I guess I looked pretty miserable.  This doctor told me that my problem was that I was too weak because I wasn't eating.  I needed to make an effort, force myself to eat, come to his house with him, make tea with him and his wife (?!?!?!) and be up and active.  He then brought me a huge bowl of pineapple which he made me eat while he watched.  By this point, it was clear to the Senegalese students we were sharing the room with that this guy was crazy.  She got him to leave and then locked the door and said we wouldn't let him back in.  The pineapple made me sick, no surprise, and I woke up feeling even worse the next morning.  I told Prof Diallo that I didn't think I'd be able to make it back to Dakar.

I was taken to the only clinic in town, which happens to be for the sugar factory.  Seems like a good place for an ill girl with hypoglycemia...only they didn't once give me something for my blood sugar.  They did, however, give me a malaria test, which came up positive.  I was still unable to eat, and I was told I'd be taking an ambulance to Dakar.  The ambulance took 8 hours to show up, and another 8 to get to Dakar.  They took me straight to a clinic here, and then I was left alone to check in.  After a scary night alone and sicker than I'd ever been, I got moved to a lovely double room and used the last of my phone credit to call a friend and ask if someone could come hang out with me.  Meredith showed up less than an hour later.

From that point on, I was hardly left alone at all.  I spent Saturday night through Wednesday afternoon at the clinic.  Once I was on the right drugs, progress was pretty quick.  Now I'm home, and it feels great to not be hooked up to an IV and to be able to look after myself more.

Hopefully this will be the only time I get really ill here.  I'm glad this episode is over and I can get back to normal life.