Malaria Round Two-Carlie

I came down with malaria and round two was a lot worse than the first time.  I woke up around one in the morning because I was so cold.  I was shivering violently and have to get my sleeping bag out for added warmth but it didn’t help.  I checked my temperature which was 102.5 F.  I also had the worst body aches I have ever had.  I hurt everywhere.  I tried to take some Advil to bring my fever down but started dry heaving and couldn’t keep it down.  By three in the morning my fever had reached 104.4 F.  Saying I was miserable doesn’t describe how I felt.  I tried to take some Advil again at this point and succeeded in keeping it down. By six in the morning my fever had dropped to 102.2

Athens then talked to Jamie and he came and drove us to the hospital.  My malaria test came back positive with a result of 0.25% which was higher than my last case of malaria with a count of 0.05%.  Talking with doctor we decided to IV quinine since I was nauseated and having trouble keeping pills down.  Athens and Bronwyn took me over to Urgence to get and IV put in.  They ended up putting an infant catheter in because my veins were so small.  But by then they had stuck me about 3 times.

I was then brought back to the house where I laid in bed for the next three days while I was on IV quinine.  I don’t remember much for those three days because I was basically passed out in bed.  I would only get up to use the bathroom.  Athens would stay with me during the morning to monitor my IV drip then when she would go to work Bronwyn would come over and stay with me.  We had had to go down to the hospital twice because my IV infiltrated and we needed to get another one put in.  The only good thing about my IV infiltrating was that it prevented my veins from hardening from the quinine.  Quinine might help treat malaria but it is poison to your veins.  After finishing IV quinine your vein is tender and sometimes becomes hard.  You also develop temporary hearing loss.  You feel like you are underwater and are listing to people talking above you.  Your hearing returns once you finish taking the quinine.  It was frustrating not being able to hear. 

After my three days of quinine I was put on oral quinine.  By that time I was feeling a lot better.  My fever had gone down and my body aches were gone.  I just felt very tired. Malaria is hard on the body, and all you want to do is sleep.

 I hope that if I do develop malaria again while I am out here that I will be able to take Malarone for treatment.  Malarone does not have the side effects that quinine does, and treatment is only for three days.  But you have little choice on the matter if you are throwing up and can’t take oral pills.  That’s when you are put on the poison IV quinine. Se pa bon!!