A whole lotta firsts...

Monday night brought about a lot of firsts for me. First time to have a dog wake me up vomiting, first time to an African doctor, first time to sleep in a bed at the African clinic, first time to get a shot in the butt (that I remember), first time for Malaria, and first time to miss just the 2nd day of school!

It all started with this horrible headache I got right behind my eye on Monday night. Just a few minutes later,  my puppy started throwing up on my floor. Then, she woke me up at 3am on my bed and dry heaving. I pushed her off just in time for it to hit the tile floor and not my bedspread. After I let her out, I struggled to get back to sleep because the headache was pounding. I thought, finally, no more dog to wake me up, I'll be better in the morning. :) ha!

Finally, around 7am, my alarm clock went off. The headache was still in full force, but this was our second day of school! I wasn't going miss that.

When I stood up, nausea ensued. But, since I'm also the bus driver for school, I thought that I would hold out until I went to pick up the kids. Maybe this would just pass.

When I arrived at the Laffoons, I could barely get out of the car. I told Lisa I couldn't do school. She asked my symptoms and told me to go immediately to the doctor.

So, off I went to the clinic down the street. I walked very slowly up the steps and into the clinic where everyone just stared at the white girl walking in. It took a few minutes before someone acutally asked me why I was there. I filled out the paper work and was called back to get the dianostics done. The nurse immediately thought it was Malaria as well and sent me back for a finger prick. The test confirmed...I had Malaria.

I was kinda just in shock. The sweet nurse that diagnosed me, led me back to the doctor. He finally figured out what to give me because of all of my allergies to medicine.  They decided to give me a shot in the butt for the nausea, but that would make me sleepy.

When they found out that I drove myself and there was no one with a car to pick me up, they decided to put me in a bed there at the clinic. AND because, I hadn't eaten that morning, they ordered me breakfast from a restaraunt next door. So, I immediately fell into the bed, the sweet nurse gave me a quick prick to the hiney, and I fell right to sleep. Breakfast came an hour later, and I ate it so I could have my first dose of meds. The nurse told me to just sleep there since I was alone at my house.

So, I slept in the bed at the hospital from 8:30-1:30. They took such good care of me. I felt awake enough to drive, so I drove home, made some rice for lunch,a nd fell into bed and slept till dinner.

I ate dinner with the Laffoons, but went back to bed at 8:00.
I'm still really tired and weak, but the headache and nausea are gone. Praise the Lord. I keep taking medicine everyday until tomorrow. Then, I should be just on my way to recovery.

Well, I think I'm officially an African now!