Lifespan of a Chennette

I wanted to post about Ramadhan – it’s been a year since I had my camera, I thought this time I would get even better pictures of Iftar meals. And just as a way of feeling connected to what I am doing. My Ramadhan didn’t get off to the best start, however, with a 13 hour trip to Montego Bay (didn’t fast, travelers are allowed not to fast) that culminated in a 24 hour migraine episode. So I didn’t fast for those 4 days as I was not physically up to it. Lived off Ritz-Carlton Room service.

Then the day before I was due to travel back to Guyana this happened – family. Not immediate or blood, but family nonetheless,particularly since I don’t have many near and dear here. Arriving the night before the funeral, I was exhausted, but it was hectic travel, especially when you’re in shock and still recovering from the migraine. That night I had violent nausea, chills and fever. Figured – the flu. Was so bad, I missed the funeral, and couldn’t make many trips to even see much of the visiting bereaved, or go to the masjid for Tarawih prayers. My family went back to Trinidad, and still I was sick. Not much of a Ramadhan…

So 10 days since I was first ill (not counting the migraine) and I was still racked by fevers every day and night. And they weren’t getting better. I was consistently getting temps of 39° C…which for me is astronomically high since even normal fevers barely reach 38°. I was dragging myself into work for 3 half days this week and wondering whether I was turning into a hypochondriac or letting the stress of work make me physically ill as some sort of procrastination-avoidance technique. I’d only managed to fast 3 days so far, even though I wasn’t actually eating any way. This line of thinking didn’t really make me feel any better about myself either.

Friday, I decided to not take any ibuprofen which was the only thing that had been breaking the fever. I hadn’t been eating since Wednesday, so didn’t want to ruin my stomach. And so, Friday, I could not get out of bed, because the fever never went. At this point I guessed malaria (I do tend to be a tad dramatic sometimes). Big sister, as concerned as she was, laughed at me since I had no body pains and I hadn’t actually been to the interior. Plus I don’t even get mosquitoes in my flat, far less malaria-carrying ones from the Amazonian rain forest.

Today I went to the doctor, who also ruled out malaria, but had blood drawn to test for 2 other diseases.

I have typhoid fever.

Low-grade, but I have typhoid.

The most ridiculous part – Did I contract the Fever in the fancy Ritz Carlton in Montego Bay. Because I have been sick ever since the night of my return. How’s that for 5-star service? (Note – I have since checked the incubation period and it’s 10-20 days, so I probably picked this up right here in Guyana, which is less surprising somehow, or on my last trip to Barbados.)

I have a 5-day treatment, 7 days sick leave and am going to book a flight home. At least now I understand what’s been going on and I am going to take a much needed guilt-free break from thinking about work.

Sigh. Typhoid fever. Risks of travel I guess.

I am officially febrile, with cause. No hypochondriac-ness. Yay. Now to recover and remove the Salmonella Typhii from my system.

Symptoms
Courtesy Wikipedia

After infection, symptoms include:

* incubation period is 10 to 20 days
* a high fever from 39 °C to 40 °C (103 °F to 104 °F) that rises slowly – CHECK
* chills – CHECK
* bouts of sweating- CHECK
* bradycardia (slow heart rate)
* coughing- CHECK
* skin symptoms- CHECK
* Children often vomit and have diarrhoea.
* pulse becomes weak and rapid
* In 2nd phase constipation is replaced by severe pea-soup-like diarrhoea faeces may also contain blood.[2]
* weakness- CHECK
* diarrhea
* headaches- CHECK
* myalgia (muscle pain), not to be confused with the more severe muscle pain in Dengue fever, known as “Breakbone fever.”
* lack of appetite- CHECK
* constipation
* stomach pains
* in some cases, a rash of flat, rose-colored spots called “rose spots”- CHECK
* in some cases, loss of hair resulting from the prolonged high fever
* extreme symptoms such as intestinal perforation or hemorrhage, delusions and confusion are also possible.- Was this what caused me to lock myself out of my flat sans handbag etc?