Malaria.

So yesterday I started feel funny. I wanted to vomit, had numbness in my limbs. It was strange.

Then last night, I was up every hour with a new complaint. Fever. Chills. Joint pain. Headaches. I kept going through the symptoms in my head. These were all symptoms of malaria but.... I didn't have malaria! I couldn't! God wouldn't do that to me... and well, malaria is some feared disease that makes you feel really bad. I didn't feel REALLY bad. Just strange.

Today, I've had no appetite. But for the most part, all my symptoms have gone. I've had a few chills and a slight fever but not much else. By mid afternoon, I was convinced it was some intestinal thing that my body had just gotten rid of. But Margaret wanted to test me just in case.

I knew it would be negative as I don't feel THAT bad. But I figured, why argue. Just do the test and be done with it. Then we could figure out what is causing this problem.

When she told me I had malaria, I laughed. I couldn't believe it. I even made her show me the results. Yeah, so I don't feel super great but COME ON! This is all it is? Malaria. Really?

Margaret shook her head in confusion and laughed with me. Silly American.

Lest you think me some sick masochist, let me explain.
All my life I've worried about getting malaria and having the disease lay dormant in my body, wreaking havoc on my system. And more recently, I've been watching little children come into the clinic and die of malaria because it wasn't treated quickly enough. The word 'Malaria' has had this aura of fear and mystery. But mostly fear.

I had been praying that somehow miraculously I would never get it. But God chose to do something else. I now have it. But instead of fear, I'm annoyed. How could I have feared this for so long? It's really not as bad as I thought.

I know... I know... I'm an idiot for saying it. Don't I realize that there are different kinds of malaria? Don't I understand that it kills more people each year than I can count? How dare I say that it's nothing? But that is what I'm doing.

It's like being afraid of this scary monster in my closet and then learning it's just an umbrella.
I feel oddly disappointed -- in a relieved sort of way. ha ha

But seriously, I do ask that you'd be praying for a quick recovery all the same. Thanks.

600 grams Miracle

Please be in prayer for a very sick mom and her very premature baby. They were brought in this evening. The mom was unconscious but not from hemorrhage this time. She has been ill for the last four days, and today delivered prematurely in a matter of minutes. She went unconscious. It’s then that they decided to come in for help.

We treated her for a number of possible infections but she’s still unconscious. In reality we don’t know what is causing this. When she stirs, it’s groans and mumbles. It doesn’t look good. Her baby however, a little boy, is doing fine. This is the miracle of it all.

He only weighs 600 grams and according to gestational aging methods (the Ballard score) is only 28 weeks gestation. He’s tiny but able to eat. We’ve fed him by syringe, and the mother’s sister (who is currently breastfeeding her own child), is giving him expressed breast milk.

Please pray for them. I really want him to make it. We made him hot water bottles out of plastic soda bottles and have him under a lamp as a warmer. His main concern in staying warm enough.

The mom however, isn’t out of the woods. We don’t know what is wrong with her. Pray for wisdom for the staff and God’s grace and mercy for her family. Pray this little boy would one day be coddled at his own mothers breast. Amen.

Update (Aug 12)
The day after I wrote this (even though I’m only able to post it now due to internet issues), the little boy died.

We kept resuscitating him and getting his heart rate up, but he was no longer able to breathe on his own. Once we would stop resuscitation efforts, his heart would slow to a stop. After doing this repeatedly, we finally decided to let him pass.

His mom was referred to the hospital in Wau because she never came out of her coma. We are still unsure what put her in it in the first place. Pray she recovers.

Is Nausea Contagious?

Today was a woozie. I can’t tell if it was the heat, the endless line of prenatals or the soup I had for lunch but I was sure I was going to hurl on my patients at one point. I couldn’t focus enough to get my words straight. I wanted to pass out. Pray for me. I hope it nothing more than a bit of dehydration. I’ve only had 3 liters of fluids today! That must not have been enough.

I guess there are other reasons for nausea but some don’t quite fit. I know I’m not pregnant (he he he) and I’m hoping beyond hope that I’ve not picked up some kind of bug.

Even now, I’m still ready to give up my lunch. Anyone want to send me some saltine crackers? (ha!)