Walkabout week 5: Illness
2017-05-29
I woke up at about 2 am. I felt really cold (it is never cold here), and I was shaking uncontrollably. Because of some videos they showed us before about people who got Malaria (think about those movies from driver's ed), Malaria is on every PC trainee's mind, so of course I thought I might have it. I know shaking and feeling cold, alternating with feeling very hot and having a fever, are symptoms. I didn't bring my PC health handbook with me though, and couldn't look up the others.
I called the PC doctor - honestly it was difficult dialing because I was shaking to badly - to ask for guidance. I didn't have vomiting or diarrhea, so he thought it was probably a viral infection, and that I should call him back in the morning. I went back to bed and the shaking eventually stopped, but every part of my body hurt and I didn't get any sleep. I did get up that morning to refill my water bottle and tell my host family I was sick and wouldn't be eating breakfast.
I went back bed. Every part of my body still hurt. Then I remembered the flu. This was flu, I was sure. That full-body pain. I called the doctor back, and since my symptoms hadn't progressed he was more sure it was a viral infection. I stayed in bed all day, in and out of sleep, everything hurting. I didn't eat anything all day. Not even yams.
I woke up at about 2 am. I felt really cold (it is never cold here), and I was shaking uncontrollably. Because of some videos they showed us before about people who got Malaria (think about those movies from driver's ed), Malaria is on every PC trainee's mind, so of course I thought I might have it. I know shaking and feeling cold, alternating with feeling very hot and having a fever, are symptoms. I didn't bring my PC health handbook with me though, and couldn't look up the others.
I called the PC doctor - honestly it was difficult dialing because I was shaking to badly - to ask for guidance. I didn't have vomiting or diarrhea, so he thought it was probably a viral infection, and that I should call him back in the morning. I went back to bed and the shaking eventually stopped, but every part of my body hurt and I didn't get any sleep. I did get up that morning to refill my water bottle and tell my host family I was sick and wouldn't be eating breakfast.
I went back bed. Every part of my body still hurt. Then I remembered the flu. This was flu, I was sure. That full-body pain. I called the doctor back, and since my symptoms hadn't progressed he was more sure it was a viral infection. I stayed in bed all day, in and out of sleep, everything hurting. I didn't eat anything all day. Not even yams.
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