Malaria Time

The ambulance here, and my ride after dark. Whenever I'm called for an emergency at night the really friendly driver picks me up. I'm not allowed to walk anywhere after dark even the 100m to the hospital for two reasons, the people and the huge wild dogs that run the streets at night.

A tranquil view from my back porch of my laundry hanging.

The upper level of the hospital, this building is outpatient/observation, the eye clinic and the minor theater which is equivalent to a smaller O.R.

Lauren with Malaria. A very dramatic pose. I was jealous because they gave her the mac daddy sweet and I got stuck in pediatrics.

Exiting the hospital

Inside the wards. The hospital is very different here in that it is very open air.

In an ironic twist this week I was diagnosed with Malaria on Tuesday and have been trying to get over that all week. This was the sickest I’ve ever been and while sparing the gruesome details it mostly involved a lot of trips to the bathroom involving both ends.

Theweek began with a bad omen when Lauren actually got malaria as well, seemingly setting the stage for myself. And before anyone asks, yes we were taking our pills, sleeping under a bed net and taking all the precautions. I really have no idea how we got it. Our current most popular theory is that while at Masai a Marra we were bitten by mosquitoes with malaria strains resistant to our prophylaxis since the disease takes about a week to become symptomatic. We pulled that out of nowhere but really who knows.

Our treatment really began with a lot of fluids since we were very dehydrated followed by I.V. quinine. Fun fact quinine is the exact same ingredient in tonic water so a local remedy for malaria here is drinking a lot of tonic water. We both spent a night in the hospital and learned quite a deal about what the experience is for the patients here. Let’s just say luxury is not an adjective that comes to mind. Being ill also made me very homesick. I missed everyone back home very much this week. 

Sorry I’m light on photos this week, these are really just a tour of the hospital oddly enough as I was visiting Lauren just hours before I went down.