Sick Again

Well, I’ve gotten sick again! I’ve been in Senegal for a grand total of 3 months and I’ve been sick 4 times. The third time was a whopper! I had a cough for 3 weeks, but it went away in just enough time for the fourth illness.

Now I should point out the connection between how viruses and bacteria are transmitted and the lifestyle of the Senegalese. I always figured that outbreaks in the third world.... (oops! I mean least developed countries)… were due mostly to the lack of medicines and hygiene took a back seat. Yet, since living here, while never being far from my wagon train of medication, I’ve been sick more times in a quarter of a year than I have been in a quarter of a decade. Everyone, and I mean everyone, eats out of the same large, communal dinner bowl; whether you’re sick, sniffling, sneezing, or a child. A spoon, cleaned for dinner, is readied by a douse of water and a quick rub by your right hand. Soap optional. Then, the person who washed the spoon, will switch hands in order to hand off the spoon to you so that you don’t tough the head, though in the process, that’s exactly what they’ve done! I’ve seen children sneeze into the food bowl and women don’t eat with spoons; they use their hands. Also, it is customary for them to lick their hands periodically. There is one communal drinking cup that sits out all day long on top of the clay retaining pot. Maybe my baggage train of medication is necessary.

My fourth illness started three days ago with major fatigue, but nothing else. They next afternoon the fever struck, accompanied by some achiness. I thought nothing of it, took and ibuprofen, and decided to stay around my room resting. A few hours later, I received a text message from the Peace Corps doctors informing the volunteers of an outbreak of Dengue fever, which is caused by daytime mosquitoes. If you’re wondering, it’s the nighttime mosquitoes that cause malaria. I went to bed that night and woke up will all the symptoms except the rash and I was nauseous. I about panicked. I called the PC doctors and was told to rest and take fluids, and consider moving to the regional house for a few days. I didn’t feel very feverish and my headache was in the wrong spot so I decided to stay in bed reading and sleeping, and this morning, I’m much better, except I still feel a little nauseous.

One family member told me I was sick because I never eat much and don’t drink tea every day. As far as eating goes, I’m so tired of eating the same tasting food for every meal that it’s a challenge to get past the first whiff and continue. I always go for the vegetable and fish and leave the rice to everyone else. The moment I feel full, I stop. The tea comment made me laugh. This is Chinese imported tea and is more than a ritual than a drink. It takes forever to make and must be boiled, cooled, boiled again, infused with enough sugar to give a horse diabetes, and then cooled again. I usually dodge my dosage which is two to three glasses. Should I fail, then I usually just poor it into a cup and dispose of it later. It’s so sugary, that I’m usually bouncing off the wall a few hours later. It’s served in rounds, with everyone sharing the same two or three cups.

I am thinking about upgrading from a wagon train to a parked 747 behind my house. I hate being sick.