Worst than the dreaded manflu, even a mild dose of malaria is crap.  I’m not exactly the best patient, as I have found out – I have to play nurse and patient with Jacinta still in New Zealand…

Apparently I only have a low dose of malaria… Well strike me down and smack me in the face – I can’t wait for a good dose!  In fact, until seeing the doctor yesterday, I did not have malaria – total denial.  I didn’t have the cold sweats, the vomitting, or the feeling that I was on some mighty good drugs (hallucinating).  I just felt like shit, very tired, sore neck, headache, diarrhea, nausea, not hungry, you know… The normal stuff you expect to get. I was really sick on Saturday, but that might have been more to do with how much alcohol I consumed Friday night more than anything else.  Then Sunday, I was still blah.  Went to work Monday, and felt “average” – which meant I felt like shit but really needed to be in the office.  Monday night came, and all day I had been having ups and downs – so I went to bed early, and slept for eleven hours.  Yesterday, Tuesday – got up, felt worst than Monday – but thought I would see if I felt better after a shower and some breakfast.  Of course, felt much better – so off to work I went 🙂

The guys at work said I looked worst, and the banter was – you have malaria…  Bullshit!  But by 10am, I was going downhill, so thought I had better see a doctor.  I grabbed Billy, just in case I didn’t feel like driving – but by the time we were about to go I was feeling good again.  So we went to the doctors which in true PNG fashion was full, but with possibly only had a half dozen actual patients – the rest were the hangeron’s like Billy – lol.

The doctor was rather amused by the self-diagnose from the boys at work, and even more amused when I said I just needed some drugs.. (hell – it works at the pharmacy).  Proceeded to take my weight, and send me off for 3 sets of bloods.  One is a rapid test, the second is a more detailed test, and the third let’s them look at any parasites.  A little pinprick on my finger, and then it was a waiting….

Half an hour later – and lots of philosophical discussion with Billy about religion, God, and a 500kg coconut, and the doc called me in, with the fantastic news that the boys back at work knew exactly what malaria is…

D’oh

Thankfully, the parasite count was low, which explains why I just like crap.  And then she told me that the malaria parasite was a nasty little one called Plasmodium falciparum and proceeded to tell me how we could get rid of it.

1. Have a jab, then go on a course of pills
2. Have lots of pills, then go on a course of pills
3. Have a jab a day for the next few days
4. Get some really cool hardcore drugs that cost K600

So I chose option 2. just give me the pills so I can get out of here…..  I’ve got a wee stash of: Artesunate (take 6 the first day, then 3 each day for 6 days – with food) and Fansidar (take 3 tablets on the 3rd day).

Back to work, and still feeling off, I went home for the afternoon.  Early to bed, hoping that I’d feel better today and be back at work.  Another eleven hour sleep, and this morning I just felt completely wiped out, huge headache…  So feet up at home today.

Thanks to Wendy I downloaded blogsy to my iPad and am now able to lie down and blog – awesome!  The only problem is, the ole brain ain’t working too good – so this is taking a hell of a long time to type.

Hopefully, I get well rested today – and am back off to work tomorrow.  There nothing like having nothing to do, to get you back to work!

Later

Aaron