Back in Action

Well after having my first ever bought of malaria last week I’m getting back in action. I still get a bit tired during the day but I’m back to eating regular meals and it seems like I have to drink twice as much water as I used to but it is good to be my ole’ self again. I just seem dehydrated all the time, but they say that will pass soon too. I just praise God for His mercy and life.

Many of my friends have had many questions about malaria; how it affected me and the symptoms I experienced so I thought I’d write a blog about my experience. Well last Sunday it started off with the symptoms of a headache, nausea, dizziness, tiredness but intense chills. By Monday the headache turned into migraine status, dry cough came, then fever started and the chill continued, along with body aches like I’ve never had before. (every bone I had ever broke in my life pained me). By late Monday afternoon I was taken to clinic to get tested. But imagine this, you are feeling like I just described, and you have to get on the back of a boda boda (motorcycle) and ride up & down dirt bumpy roads to get to clinic. Then you have to sit in a bench with 8 or so sick people in the dark because the power is out waiting to be seen by the doc, all the time with fever and shaking from the chills. When I finally saw the doc it was about a hour later. I than got a blood test for malaria and other infections, got diagnosed, got meds and than popped back on the boda to go home. I than started treatment; I had to swallow 4 malaria pills, 2 Tylenol, 2 quinine pills, and some other pill than try and hold them all down cause I wanted to vomit. I was up most of the night because of the fever and headache. On Tuesday it seemed the fever broke but I could barley move. My care taker kept trying to feed me but I’d have none of that. By mid-day the little food & water he got down me started coming up and continued all afternoon! All I wanted to do was sleep. By evening the vomiting stopped and I got some toast and water in me. And of course ALL those meds continued every 8 hours…blah! Once again in the night the fever seemed to break, I was drenched in sweat for the 3rd or 4th time. By morning I was feeling a bit better and actually sit up in bed. All I could eat was dry toast and boiled potatoes but at least I was eating. The vomiting started again on Wed night and so did the fever, along with mouth sores. But by Thursday morning it had broke once again and the headache and body aches were subsiding. I actually got out of bed, bathed and moved around the house. It was GREAT!! Friday & Saturday were re-coup days and Sunday I went to church but over did it a bit. 🙂

By now I’m much better. I just cannot believe that most people in Uganda go through the above mentioned situation 2 or more times a year! Do you realize that malaria is the biggest killer of people every year in Uganda? According to the Uganda Ministry of Health statistics from 2007, 320 persons die every day from malaria. I’m not telling you this to scare you I’m sharing to you know the importance of malaria education, getting meds to people and praying for the Ugandan government to initiate a country wide malaria program.

Thank you ALL for your prayers while I was sick! God heard and healed!!