Recovering from malaria

Wow... so I can't believe my last entry on this blag was almost 5 months ago. I was motivated then, but with all the mass emails and individuals emails and individual journal, I just lost the energy. However, I've decided to write daily on the blog, either during lunch time or after work.

So, I found out I had malaria two days ago. I initially had some bad stomach pains and couldn't sleep, but I thought it was just food indigestion. When I went to work, I started getting all weak and cold, and one of our doctors told me to go check it out. Going to the hospital, which is supposed to be private and one of the better ones, was quite an experience.

I went with a Congolese coworker (whose wife and children also have malaria... how ironic, it's spreading!). First, the floor was dirty and dusty. The reception was a guy in front of his computer who took about 5 minutes to write down my name. I then had to go up the stairs to get my blood tested. The lab technician comes, puts on his coat, grabs the instrument to pick on my finger, and all the while, I'm scared that I might get infected... thankfully, I don't think I did. Another 30 minutes later, the doctor, who was sitting beside us while we were waiting and watching tv (right, it's a horrible local channel that doesn't even work) arrives, tells me to go into the room. He writes down how I feel, takes my temperature, my weight, asks about my symptoms... I tell him about my stomach pains.. he makes me get on the bed, which is not even clean and I think I was laying near where the feet are supposed to go... so anyways, he presses hard, and i mean HARD on my stomach and asks if it hurts... duh! so, I'm diagnosed with a parasite and given medication. I'm also told I have malaria, but luckily, it's the beginning stages, so that's why I'm not laying almost dying on my bed... good to know... and woof! just missed it!

So yeah, I've been back at work, working on translations and reports... and slacking off reading some humanitarian reports that help me get through the day. It's crazy how much the work is becoming the same thing... I can't wait to go to the field next week... gonna try to do some partners' evaluations and then participate in focus group discussions... should be interesting and a good time away from the office.

We tried to watch Kiss of the Dragon yesterday... I was gonna break the DVD player, kept skipping. We had a projector though and some speakers, so it felt somewhat like a movie theater.. the Bukavu theater, the one and only!

Until Monday then...