Remember, Remember, the Month of November (Part 1)

So, as you may or may not know, the month of November hasn’t been the healthiest one of my life.  I don’t mean I’ve been prematurely eating tons of junk food for the holidays or being lazy and watching movies and not exercising.  No.   I have been afflicted.

On November 1, I came down with the ol’ strep throat.  Strep throat sucks.  The last time I came down with it was senior year of high school.  I made a doctor’s appointment, then cancelled it, then realized what a mistake I had made canceling it and made it again and prolonged the symptoms.  I wandered around my parents’ house spitting in a cup so the saliva didn’t burn my tonsils.  I ate cheese grits for the last time in my life as my mom tried to force nutrients that didn’t burn my tonsils down my throat.

This time I spent one sleepless night with a painful throat and then just lay in bed all day with a fever and some white spots on my throat.   I had a phone consultation with one of the dad doctors from KICS and took the amoxycilin I brought with me for potential sinus infections (of which I have had zero).  It hurt, but I caught it relatively early so it wasn’t a huge deal.  I missed two days of school and surrendered control of my PE classes to substitutes, which I don’t particularly enjoy doing.  Hopefully they learned how to shoot lay-ups correctly anyway…

Fast-forward one week.  On November 8, my roommate Emily came down with some flu-like symptoms.  She immediately thought malaria and started a course of Coartem.  However, there was a flu-like illness going around at school, so she was convinced she had fallen prey to it and stopped the malaria treatment.  She missed 2 days of school.

Then, on the last day of my medicine for the strep throat, November 11, I started burning with fever myself.  I barely slept Wednesday night because I was hot.  I checked my temperature in the morning and it was a blazing 100.3.  That might not sound high to you, but being the cold-hearted person I am, my “normal” body temperature falls around 96.8.  So, it was a legit fever.  I went to school to tell the headmaster I though I was coming down with what Emily had and after wallowing on the couch in the office for an hour, he sent me home.  I spent the day in my bed lying in a pool of sweat from burning with fever.  I spent the night in my bed lying in a pool of sweat from burning with fever.  I consulted dad doctor who also assumed flu.  I spent the next day in my bed lying in a pool of sweat and groaning from fever.  Finally, Friday night, my fever reached a whopping 102.3, and I got in the bathtub, still mostly clothed and sprayed cold water on myself to stop the hell-like sensation.  Saturday, the doctor dad finally did a house visit and opted for a rapid malaria test, expecting negative results.  WRONG!  Positive.  For multiple strands of the parasite.

So I started a course of Coartem.  And Emily restarted a course of Coartem.  Apparently we got bit by the same mosquito (as that is how malaria is transmitted).  One hour later I vomited for the 5^th time my life.  That night we took the next 4 pills.  In the morning we took 4 more.  Emily improved.  Kelly did not.  Sunday night I took 4 more pills.  Monday morning, doctor dad came for a visit and noticed something strange.  My eyes were yellow.  Finally, it was time to take me in. 

We called the headmaster, and I changed out of my Barrel o’ Monkeys PJ pants and my Cookie Monster shirt into something a little more suitable for public: some brown workout capris and a honey mustard colored t-shirt (not the most flattering outfit for a jaundiced person…).  The headmaster picked me from my house and took me to Kigali Adventist Medical Center.  I moped and groaned around the premises from the lab to the waiting room to the doctor’s office to the waiting room.  I got a blood test and tried (and failed) to give a urine specimen.  I finally saw Dr. Tommy who said, “It’s a good thing you brought her in.  She is serious!”  Serious, but not critical.  He said, “the Coartem is obviously not working.  Stop taking it.  We’ll give you an IV.  Stick around for 2 or 3 days.”  I sat in the waiting room miserable taking pity from the other waiters while they set up my “temporary” room, as the other ward was full. 

As this is already getting quite lengthy, you’ll have to wait until later to read about the stay at the clinic.  I know the suspense is killing you, but I’m tired of typing.  So there.