no fun at all

So not quite myself Monday: figured I’d been overworking (which I had) and took too much heat on the Saturday whilst doing DIY (which I probably had). Symptoms fever and thirst, classic dehydration I figured.

Lots of water and paracetamol to try control my temperature. Drugs worked mostly but despite all the water my pee was like dark rum, only darker, (sorry for that) and I was beginning not to like the taste of water(?). 

Friday was an important trip to the Capital of South Sudan, Juba, about our new clinic with the Ministry of Health so felt I should go even at 50%.

Epic journey later (for another post) and we got to Juba, I felt worse, so went to bed. Saturday I again dosed myself with paracetamol, but still not liking water. Sunday I stayed in bed whilst the team went to church (all day). When they got back and looked in on me I was rambling; literally couldn’t put 2 words together.

Thankfully they saw danger and took my straight to a clinic, within 10 mins it was clear: Malaria.

I was admitted and on IV medication within another 10mins, all very, very efficient.

The drugs were working, but the fever was there often. I woke once, shivering, with pillow, gown and sheet soaked through. A couple of hours later, dry as a bone!  Eventually they stabilised me (apparently the ringers lactate helped a lot), and 2 days later I was discharged with a big bag of meds for the next 20 days.

10 days later I am about 90%. I feel fine but am very fatigued. I never thought I’d say it, but this time I am really looking forward to coming home.  

A good friend of mine reassured me, despite being a third world country, I was in the best place to be treated – they see so much Malaria here. A few days ago I contacted my GP Surgery to start the process to get some blood tests to check I have no long term organ damage. It’s proving more difficult than getting treated for Malaria in a third world country…