Malaria round 1
Sunday, July 22, 2007

So on wednesday I started feeling sick at school - I was shivering like a leaf and all the kids were fine, its usually the other way around. I was supposed to visit Rebeto after school, he is Jackline's brother so I knew they lived near Kathenjuri if I wanted to go to the dispensary. On the walk to their house they said the dispensary closes at 4pm and I probably wouldn't make it. But they told me that there was a private clinic also in Kathenjuri open until 8pm, but more expensive. I just wanted to go while I was so close to town - otherwise I would have to walk all the way back up the next morning probably feeling even worse. We stopped at their house and they tried to convince me that I should wait until the morning. In their minds it was a waste of money to go to the clinic when I could just go to the dispensary tomorrow morning. In this instance, I was not concerned about the money. I just wanted to know what was wrong with me. I had a hunch it was Malaria and I wanted to get treated as soon as possible.

So eventually we got to the clinic around 5:30. I told the nurse I felt feverish, had a headache, stomache ache and the chills. She said it was probably Malaria and did a blood test to make sure. I was a little worried about the needle she stuck in my finger to get some blood for the test. But it reaked of tacquila so I figured it was probably clean. She gave me a liquor soaked cotton ball to put on the pin-prick. She also gave me some pain relievers to bring my fever down and some boiled water to take them with.

While we waited for the results, Jackline showed me the maize mill that is just behind the clinic. It was very large and loud. A pretty interesting contraption, but my physical state put a damper on my interest.

The test came back possitive so they gave me more medicine for the fever and for the Malaria itself. We walked back to her house where I had a small bowl of rice. Then they escorted me home. I went straight to bed with no dinner, mostly I just felt really tired and weak at that point. When Lawrence got home he was very sympathetic and wished me a goodnight and quick recovery. I hardly slept at all that night between the chills, the aching and getting up four times to go to the bathroom. In the morning I felt awful. I was really weak and now another symptom appeared: diareah. That meant trekking to the bathroom every hour, on the third trip I was so weak and dehydrated I almost passed out. I had eaten almost nothing for breakfast so even standing was strenuous.

At lunch time Mrs. Njeru came with my food from school. It was cabbage and chapati (it was thursday). She said that even if it hurt and I vomitted I needed to force myself to eat. I knew she was right but I read in my travling health book that I should not eat fatty foods with an upset stomache and they kept giving me chapati! But I ate some cabbage and a bit of chapati. I was also drinking alot of water to rehydrate myself. At 3pm I actually got hungry! So I ate as much as I could and in an hour or so I felt alittle better. In the afternoon Mama came back from work and gave me hot cocoa and bananas. She was a very good nurse and she made me feel very comfortable. After school the teachers came to visit me too. Mrs. Njiru, Miss Nyaga, and Miss Njue. It was nice of them to come! They told me that the medicine I had been given is very strong and is better than that given by the dispensary (I guess it's worth the extra money). Apparently the dispensary receives the stronger medicine from the government but they sell it to the priavte clinic to make money to cover other expenses. They keep the weaker medicine the receive to use to treat their patients. They also said that because I am taking Malaria prevention pills, the blood test may not be accurate. Somehow I still think I had Malaria.

That night I ate some rice and went to bed. I slept soundly through the night. In the morning I still had the dizziness and diareah but I decided I would go to school later in the day. Class was alittle difficult but I was able to make it through. After lunch I felt much better for creative arts. After school I visited Lindsay - near the Chairlady's house. I also found out the other volunteers were going to Meru for the weekend! I had been wanting to take a road trip on the weekend so Malaria wouldn't stop me now. I told them I'd tag along.