Malaria Monday

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well.....

On Monday i was diagnosed with Malaria and admitted into hospital. Dont panic. Im fine. As the doctors said *welcome to Ghana*.

For the past week ive had daily headaches but nothing to worry about. On Friday and Saturday night i was vomiting but i didnt think too much of it as thats pretty normal as some of the food is pretty oily. Then on Sunday on the way home from Kokrobite i felt really queezy but i thought maybe i had food poisioning. From 9pm till 1pm on Sunday night i had an intense chill. In Ghanas heat i had 3 jumpers and 2 pairs of trackpants on yet i was still shivering and ridicuously cold, the rain belting down on the roof so loud i could not hear Chels speaking to me did not help. At 1pm i woke up with a temperature of 39.5 a splitting headache and threw up. I knew something wasnt right. We didnt know how to get me to hospital so Chels played nurse and gave me a sponge bath and broght my temperature down a bit. I managed to get a little bit of sleep but i felt pretty sick.

I woke up in the morning with such a bad headache and shivering so badly i could hardly get out of bed. About half the villages women were in my room. One took all my washing, one brought water and others tidied or just stood there saying *noo not my katie. Not my katie*. Seth our in country agent came and collected me and we went straight to hospital. Chels accompanied me and took on the role of my mummy. As we got in the car our friend Penny was already aboard also with suspected Malaria. The 2 hour car trip was hell.

As we arrived i was too weak to walk and was wheeled in a weelchair. I was then given blood tests - dont worry i saw them open fresh needles in front of me and diagnosed with Malaira and admitted into hospital. The hospital was an x-pat hospital and very clean. My room had a garden view and the nurses and doctors were all really nice and attentive which was good. Penny and i also had beds side by side which was a relief. It was reassuring to have someone going through with me.

I was put on a drip and had 3 needles in my bottom. One was administered in the middle of the night which was a bit of a fright. I was given a huge bag of tablets and have to take 9 tablets twice a day, so far i think ive taken 63.

I felt better as soon as i was put on a drip and medicated and after 2 nights in hospital i was pretty ready to leave. I waved goodbye to the smilling doctors and nurses and when i arrived home at my village my mum ran out in tears along with chels, the rest of the family and alot of the village.

I am definently on the mend so nobody freak out!!! I still love Ghana and now i can say, ive been to Ghana and ive had Malaria. Evan has even admitted to being jelous, apparently it proves my dedication to my cause. Personally i could have gone without.

Hope everyone is well. Missing u all lots xxxxxx

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Comments

[Stephie K]

oh my dear katie
oh my dear katie! The first I hear from you from Ghana is MALARIA - eek! I do hope you are still recovering quickly as you say! I've just spent the last 45 minutes reading all the previous blogs and I now feel slightly more at ease about your recovery in the hands of such a genuinely loving family (the whole village by the sounds of it). I hope that looking back you'll view this as a small misadventure in the midst of the time of your life, although it sounds like such an intense and horrible and DANGEROUS ordeal. All my love rushes to your side! Your trip seems to have taught you some seriously valuable ideals that are virtually lost in our privileged world. I've been teaching dance and actually working in 10 different jobs no exaggeration (7 weekly, 3 transient) in all different industries, travelling overseas by myself for conferences, trying to get a taste of what life has to offer (and feel that I've grown up a hell of a lot... but still able to have fun!), but I know I just can't IMAGINE the magnitude of your (for lack of a better less overused, corny word...) experience, having everything thrust upon you like that! Ever since you left I've been thinking about doing the 3 months in Ghana or Tanzania, and reading all of that has persuaded me in a second (well 45 mins). I crave the helping, the learning, and the crazy family-oriented, open-hearted, dancing, frenzied, unexpecting culture you've described! You've certainly put our lives in perspective. Keep me in your blog loop! Hope that Europe is equally as fun, although totally the opposite! And most of all, I hope your cork hat is getting a lot of use. Loads of love always, placenta pals/baby buddies Dessie

[Gaily]

Poor Katie, glad you are feeling better, those mozzies must have good taste! Love your blog, enjoy the rest of your teaching time, give my love to Chels.xxxxx

[mumsy]

Darling-so glad you are feeling better-I am very proud of your ability to cope with a scarey time a long way from home!!!Well done!!!More stories to be told!!!Much love to you and a big hug for Chelse-Mumsy.

[brother Thomas]

wow
wow this is all pretty insane, malaria aye, not good, not good at all. so how did this travesty occur. ohhh welll at least now when u make fun of me i can always rebut with the line "well uve got malaria" anyaways ill talk to u l8r .

[deleted_41881]

Ohhh brother
Did you take malaria tabs before you legt for Ghana.. i'm going on the 23/07 to work in a hospital in Korle Bu.. i waas hoping the tablets meant i would be 100% o.k.. now i'm getting paranoid about ending up in hopsital with needles in by bum...