Trent gets Malaria... or just a bacteria infection.

So last time I updated you that I had been well and that I was excited about the Regional Peace Corps Medical Officer visiting me. I had the visit on thursday and it was amazing. I was able to talk to her and just converse about things going on in country and in the my life in general. She was alot of fun. But as she was leaving, she made the comment that my latrine is a long way from my house. I told her that it has never really been a problem. She said that it would be a problem if I had diarhea, I told her that that would probably never be a problem.

So that night, I am laying in bed and I start to feel weird. I get this cough and I realize its my "Trents running a fever" cough. So I take some Ibuprofen and just lay in bed. Well an hour goes by and I am still running a fever and I have muscle soreness, chills that lasted over an hour and a headache. All of these signs point to one thing. Malaria.

Now Malaria over here is not like what people think that it is in the states. Yes, Malaria is terrible and it kills tons of people every year, but they aren't under a PCMO's care. As soon as I started showing signs and I admitted that I missed a prophalaxis pill or two. They had me start taking my anti-malaria pills. Really, its a box of pills you take and it makes the malaria go away and your cured. This is why, I don't think of it as such a big deal, because there is a very easy cure. We are not in the 1800's.

So the next day, I start taking the malaria pills, but then a new thing starts. Diarhea. I won't go into the details, but I have lost 2 pairs of underwear this weekend, because I was not handwashing them. I literally was dead sprinting to the latrine. It was crazy. I never believed other volunteers when they told me about this stuff, but it is true!!! I say that the Regional PCMO jinxed me.

So I do a mif kit and get it sent to Ouaga and it turns out that I have a crazy strong bacterial infection that apparently has been going around the country. I know at least three other volunteers that have had it. So they are going to give me medicine and they tell me to take Cipro (Aka, the general kill all bacteria drug). So I go down the hill from my house where they have recently opened a pharmacy across from the hospital (smart Burkinabe) and ask for Cipro. No real prescription needed here. They give me the pills and when I ask how much they tell me 600 CFA. For those of you who don't know the CFA system, that is about $1.20. I thought she was saying 6 mille, which seemed more appropriate. Nope, 600CFA. So I got my meds and started taking them. I took two last night and and woke up feeling %120 better. I am still not 100 percent, but will be a day or two. I haven't had to run to the latrine in over 18 hours, so I will take the small victories.

I also will be getting on a plane and coming back to America in 5 weeks!!! I am amazed that it has come so close. I can't wait to see everyone!!! I start to even get busy in the next two weeks, so I am hoping that time flies even faster. I have been dreaming about the people that I get to see and the things that I will get to do, but I won't lie, like other volunteers, I mostly just keep thinking about the food. NACHO CHEESE, RANCH DRESSING, TACO BELL, Just to name a few. I have a goal of gaining 10lbs when I am in the states. This should not be hard. I'll try to stay skinny the second time I come home. This time, I am on vacation.

Also, I have been updated by a friend of her dates when she is coming to visit. She is staying a little over two weeks. I told her that I don't think I could keep her entertained here for that long, so we are going to go ahead and go into Ghana as well. It will be so much fun and I can't wait for her to see Burkina. On june 9th, I will have officially been in Burkina Faso for 1 year. That is my longest time away from home ever. Its hard on me, I can't imagine what it is doing to you.

Waiting anxiously,
Trent