At the Xeex Sibbiru office, we have been reading a study that shows that malaria is at its worst here in Senegal at the end of the rainy season, between now and mid November, when the waters stagnate and mosquitoes are out in force. It’s a lesson I learned all too well this week.
On Tuesday night, when I went home after work, I had a headache. It quickly escalated: I vomited all through the night. I couldn’t sleep. The next day I was miserable. I had no appetite. Recognizing the symptoms, I rushed out to get a rapid test at a tiny clinic downtown. It cost almost $20, but I had to find out if I had Paludisme.
Sure enough: by the time my test came back positive, my temperature was up to 101 degrees Fahrenheit. They made me a prescription for Coartem. By noon, I was able to eat something and so I took my first dose, along with some paracetamol to manage the fever and some Vitamin C to replace what I had lost.
It took two more days before I felt well enough to get back to work. Anyway, I’m glad to be back and fighting malaria in Senegal, rather than fighting it myself at home. To make sure this doesn’t happen again, I got a new moustiquaire impregnee. And you can bet I’ll be sleeping under it every night.
–Andrea Gbedeko [Translated from French by Martin}
