The Ultimate African Souvenir 11/16

July 4, 2003

Oh, Mozambique the bastard. I thought I was home free. Even getting cocky, talking about going off my doxy in Malawi…
Instead Tom and I picked up the ultimate in African souvenirs. Something that would stay with us forever.

Malaria.

It all started Monday the 29th (?). Tom emerged from his tent feeling rather flu-ish. Lucy, a nurse, Damien (nurse’s boyfriend) and I chalked it up to just that, put him to bed, a comfortable bed, specifically my bed, then went out for our day of photos on Ilha which turned into a day of movies in the lobby of the fancy hotel. Well, did we feel bad when we returned home to find that Tom had been taken to the hospital And tested positive for malaria and was dosed up on Fansidar. Shit. Did that mean I got it too? We had been staying in all the same places…the same rooms.

Sure enough I started feeling really achy as the night progressed but I really wanted to believe it was a cold. We got back to the Casa to find Tom in a bad way. Fansidar had literally been kicking the shit out of him, the poor thing. All I knew was this was not what I wanted.

I went to bed (we had moved Tom previously) and woke in the middle of the night absolutely freezing and had to wrap myself in 3 sheets and my goose down sleeping bag to get warm. I spent all of the next day floating in and out of a low-grade fever and slept probably 23 hours, only eating some homemade soup the lady of the house had made. The following day I felt almost back to normal. It was strange. Tom was very weak for days on end and I was ok-ish after 1 day in bed. People didn’t believe I was sick, but common, women can put up with a lot of pain if they have to. We all know that.

Tom and I went to the hospital for my blood smear; I think the nurses thought I looked too healthy to have malaria, as did I, but they have to do a test. Sure enough, those evil little parasites were found in my blood. After all the precautions: the mozzie coils burnt at night, the mozzie nets whenever possible, the deet, the doxy…although I did learn that doxy will keep the malaria ‘down’, making it less dangerous….sorta. Well, it’s better to get it on a prophylactic, ok?!
We figure we got it in Beira where we were staying near a swamp and were overrun by mozzies.

I really wanted to take Artinate, highly recommended by all those I have met living in Africa, called the hot malarial med by one expat (teehee) so we left very early the next morn (funny how easy that is to do when you’ve slept for 2 days) for Nampula. Oh that was trying….I had felt ok, but I couldn’t carry the weight of my bag so Tom and I swapped. We had to ride in the back of a pickup and it was pretty chill. Poor Tom was bad off so I yelled at the dude running the back to get Tom in the cab of the truck, which worked and I set up our packs making a good seat, wrapped myself and this little girl in my kanga (I couldn’t use all the room for myself-they had like 40 people on the back of that truck-so I had to use the girl for heat and some of my space). Finally I cracked. I have never experienced this: All my organs hurt. I swear, I thought my kidneys were gonna freeze up and fall off and my liver….geez. Never do I want to feel them again.

Tom traded with me and I warmed up and napped in the comfort of the cab. Then we had to change vehicles twice more, more discomfort, and finally we made it to Nampula. By that time my body had sent so many drugs through me I was high as a kite. The body really is amazing. I mean, I knew I could put up with a lot but man, this…shit. My body is goooood. Tons o’drugs and tolerance. See, it pays to take your multi vitamins and exercise!

Ok, so we went to Lee’s, a VSO who let us stay with her, thank god. Went in search of my chosen poison and thanks to my pain in the ass persistence and pigheadedness…got it. It’s this Chinese herb, Artemisia Annua, know in China as Quinghoasu. They’ve used it for centuries. Kept it from others so during a war their own soldiers would be cured from malaria very quickly while the enemy would, well, not. Its supposed to work very quickly with no side effects and ironically you take a double dose of doxy with it. Hm. Went back to Lee’s after a nice lunch, my first meal in days, and took it. I had been feeling pretty good. Thought it was a nice conservative bout of malaria. I couldn’t understand, and didn’t want to ask, why I didn’t feel ill.

Then the meds kicked in. First it knocked me out. I mean, I was sitting in a chair thinking about emailing then I woke in the same chair in the same position and it was dark out. And I was freezing. So much colder than the previous day. But I couldn’t move, save for going to the toilet to be sick in so many different ways. And my silly little ‘like mother like daughter’ head wouldn’t let my dirty little body (hadn’t washed yet after the buses) get into my nice sleeping bag. So again find what you can. Anything to keep you warm…in the long run I lay under the sleeping bag thus keeping it clean. Hey…we all have our things. I’m just amazed mine existed with a probably over 40degree fever.

The night passed with me going through all the classic stages: the cold stage, the high fever, and man, it got high. I didn’t mind that part (as dangerous as it is). That’s when you hallucinate. Then the fighting of the fever. Very painful. My family’s seen it. It reminded me of when I was a kid and got really bad migraines. I’d smash my head against anything cold to try to take away the pain. This was actually more painful.

Then it was done. I took the meds at about 1 pm, it took hold around 3, it ‘brought back’ the malaria at about 4 or 5 and I was out of the pain by 10, 10:30. I even had a cold bucket shower (couldn’t go to bed messy) and didn’t wince once. I was told this stuff worked quickly but man.

So that was yesterday. I’m still weak today but fairly normal. Just have a bit of an upset tummy, but that’s part of the package. Continuing my meds for 3 more days. Sadly found out Tom still has his. He has a resistant strain. So it looks like we’re stuck here for a few more days. All I want is to get to Mayoka!!!! This time I’m gonna make him take the good stuff.

So now, I’m like African :)
Love thi

Mom, dad I know you’ll want to talk to me so here’s a number you can call today. As usual I don’t have all the proper codes but Mom is so good at that now! 06217531 I’ll be there 5:30 my time till 6? Hope you can call. If not email me when you can for tomorrow or something. Hopefully I’ll be leaving for Blantyre soon though.