Dengue

Ok, so I have not had access to internet since leaving Manila and therefore have not been able to post an update, well that and contracting Dengue Hemorrhagic fever of course...

I am quite sure anyone reading this, already knows about the whole me getting Dengue Fever thing, but anyways...

After a 3 hour long bus ride with a screaming child in the seat next to me, I finally arrived back in Olongapo at the Mercy In Action birth clinic safely Sept. 2nd, I had mixed feelings about being back, and was already missing Manila. After a stressful rest of the day, and not much sleep that night, I woke up early to assist at a birth, and then after contemplating going back to Manila, I came down with the chills. I felt so cold I was shaking from head to toe, but my skin was hot to the touch. I knew that I was coming down with something different than just the average flu. I just felt strange. By morning my fever was 102F and it felt like I was hit by a semi-truck. My body was so sore including a severe headache behind my eyes . The fever was steady that entire day and would go down only if I took Tylenol, but came right back up after the medicine wore off. Basically the only thing I could do was lay in bed. I felt this way for 3 days and on that third day of still having the fever and my eye/face also suddenly becoming painful and swollen, I convinced the people there at the clinic that someone needed to bring me to the ER. No one was expecting my diagnosis in the ER. For starters I was so dehydrated my blood resembled black tar. After also having a couple other tests done, I was immediately diagnosed with Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. The doctor said, I needed to be admitted in the hospital for 8-10 days, have an IV started, blood drawn every 12 hours, and may be needing a blood transfusion if my platelets got any lower. After hesitating for a second the doctor went on to tell me that they don’t like doing transfusions on foreigners because they couldn’t guarantee that the blood would be disease free. Wow, was that scary! I never in my life felt so alone. Being thousands of miles away from home/family in a 3rd world country and told I have contracted a dangerous disease requiring hospitalization, was one of the most frightening things I have been through. Since they wanted to admit me, I decided to transfer to a better hospital, especially after a mosquito landed on my arm as this doctor was explaining my diagnosis to me( I had someone chase it down and kill it.) The hospital I transferred to (George Dewey Medical and Wellness Center) is one of the nicest/private hospitals in that area of the Philippines. I was treated very well, the worst part was having to have my blood drawn twice a day. Whereas the other hospital was going to admit me for 8-10 days, I only had to stay 3 days in the George Dewey hospital and was able to be discharged with instructions to be monitored at the birth clinic where I was staying. I am not going to lie, during my time of being sick, I cried several times as I am sure several people in my family were also crying for me. I feel like I have had enough Philippine experience to last me a long time, and after much thinking/praying/and discussing I have decided to cut my stay short and come home ASAP. I have since returned back to Manila and will be flying out the 20th. This has all happened so quickly, but my doctor had told me I can get dengue again 3 more times, with worse symptoms presenting themselves every subsequent time. I hope I am making the right choice by coming home, all I know is that neither I nor my family can go through this again. So, get ready America, here I come!   

In the hospital for the 2nd day  

My Kasama Kelsey(a Kasama is someone who stays with you like a friend
in times of need

The first Dengue rash type thing I got, my doctor called it white islands in a red sea.
When I was recovering I got a 2nd rash, more like an itchy measles type looking rash all over my body.