Living in the tropics presents many possible health problems, everything across the board from dengue fever, to malaria, intestinal parasites, worms that grow beneath your skin or in your stomach, to bug bites that turn into flesh eating growths that necessitate 20 days of IV injection in a hospital. In short, life in the tropics is tough.
My first ailment, which I am sure is only the first of many, began the middle of last week, starting with a few bumps and within a few days, turning into a thriving rash threatening to take hold of my entire body and turn it into an itching, red, swollen mess. I tried everything from pills to creams, soaps, eucalyptus oil, oatmeal pastes, to three medicinal plants, one of which I followed a very old man on a crazy plant hunt for this perfect cure. Nothing worked. Sleeping was tough. I had to wear long socks on my hands to keep from itching, and if I managed to fall asleep, I would awake scratching and scratching.
Then my legs began to swell. So I decided it was time to abort the attempt just to ride it out. To the clinic I went and received 3 injections and 4 pills and a cream. And it is improving greatly. And now I just look like a burn victim with the aftermath of the rash. Man, I can’t wait to see what awaits me next. I think that it will be the flesh eating bug bites.
1 comment:
Ahh Kate, that's quite a terrible rash. Peace Corps looks awesome! Keep the blog updated when you can and I'll check in from time to time.
Post a Comment