an education in malaria

Finally the jetlag is subsiding. starting to get on a regular sane schedule. funny story... i was going to give my laundry to a laundry service here. it is cheap and there is no means for me to wash it myself, although i do was some items by hand. that brings me to my story. of course i don't give my fine washables over,... i wash them myself. and last night, as i stepped into the bathroom which turns into a whole shower with a drain in the floor (remember to remove your toilet paper and towels first). and i saw the bucket. everybathroom has one. this one looked very new and shiny, and as i'm stepping into the bathroom/shower, it occurs to me that the easiest way to wash my fine washables would be exactly as that youtube video i posted on this site, as a joke, a couple months ago where they show you how to wash your clothes in a bucket. i seriuosly thought it was a funny joke.... but i realize now, it is VERY practical! and easy and effective. so that was so cool. i was laughing so hard as i squished my clothes beneath my feet in the bucket. the ony catch is... you can't have feet any longer than mine, otherwise they won't fit in the bucket.

I might as well tell you... yesterday I had the experience of going to an indian hospital. and i hav to say.....it kicked butt on canadian hospitals and medical care in general. You see, i had these two weird night where i was experience what i thought were symptoms of malaria, and i had been bitten by night mosquitos and it is monsoon season which is very high risk for malaria in this area. i didn't take malaria pills because i was under the impression that the risk was only in rural areas in the south, and i was intending to be in the city in the south.... plus i hate anti-malarials, they make me feel so ill. so anyway... i was having these issues at night and i didn't know if it was jetlag, or heat, or what. i thought it could have been psychosomatic as i panicked about having malaria. They really put the fear into you in canada. i remember i had a travel health nurse say to me a few years ago ..."what, you don't want to take chloroquine because it makes you nauseous? that's better than getting malaria!" making it sound like this horrible horrible thing.

so i went to the doctor. the guidebook recommended a couple good hospitals, and chose St. Isabel's hospital. It sounded clean.

Indeed, it was a pleasant and peaceful environment. everyone spoke english and kindly directed me to the sign in counter. The man behind the desk politely informed me that the general practitioner was available and that i could go directly to room 11. and the cost for doctor consultation which i paid on the spot? ... 150INR (indian rupees)... ok... so that is....about $3.75 canadian. it costs 3 dollars and 75 cents to see a doctor here!!!!!! that has got to be the best value i've found so far for any good or services yet. wow. aand the wait... oh.. about 5-10 minutes.

The doctor was charming, enjoyable, professional and totally informative and interested in my case. he even gave me a tutorial on how to use a thermometre. we had a hoot. the entire visit he had the smile of bemusement . i could tell that my whole story and experience was very amusing to him. we spoke about all sorts of things. that's the thing, people like doctors and highly educated people are very .... sort of .. . civilized, i guess, of very high mind. which is a contrast to all the suffering and struggle one sees on the day to day in the streets.

so after hearing my complaints he confirmed it was malaria, and gave me a prescription for the antidote. then as we talked somemore, i confessed to him that although i was experiencing many of the other symptoms at night (typical for malaria to feel fine during the day) I really didn't know if i had a fever or not. how can one tell in this heat and humidity if one is burning up and there is no loved one to put a hand to your forhead. so he took my temp, it was normal, but he said that it would be normal in the day , and high only at night. Then as we talked some more (he gave me such good service and asked all the right questions, taking his time, unlike canadian doctors) it came out that i have only been here for like... 3 days , and he said it is impossible to be experiencing the symptoms after only 1 or 2 days of being in the country. They take at least a week to show up. so then he thinks its not possible to be malaria and asks if i would like to stay in the hospital for a night so they can monitor me and see what it happening. i politely decline, as nice of an experience as i am having, i don't think i would enjoy a whole nights stay in the hospital. Plus, i am calmed by the fact that he is so blase about the whole malaria thing. So we decided that i will purchase a thermometre and monitor my own temperature in the night. And .... armed with his prescription, in case i need it, i happily bid him farewell and trot out the door. He smiles his big warm fatherly smile at me, a smile that fills me with comfort and joy at its memory througout the day. So last night i monitored.... no fever.

but he also suggested getting 5 malaria tablets for 5 weeks. i suspect that the 5 weeks will take me to the end of monsoon season at which time the risk will be almost non-existent after the place drys up a bit. so that is what i will do.