One thing racers hear about, even before getting to Africa, is malaria. We hear Get your meds before launch, Don't forget to take your meds, Use bug spray, sleep under the mosquito net and the list goes on. Then we have two famous questions: "Should I even bother buying the meds? Because some people who take them still get it and some who don't stay healthy…" and "What are the signs that I have malaria?"
Well I am one of those "lucky" people who did take their meds and still got malaria. And trust me I knew that I had it…but I was still praying it was something else. Unlike most people on the squad, I didn't have the gradual growing symptoms (which is different for everyone). Rather, mine hit me all at once within 4 hours.
August 8th started out like any "normal" day on the race. I got up and went to ministry. At about lunch time we went home to eat and rest before going back out 4 hours later to our next ministry. The moment I walked into the house for lunch I was so tired that I didn’t want to eat, but I did. I tried to sleep but couldn't. Rather, I got a horrible headache (which I never get) and an hour before we were supposed to leave, I couldn't stay warm. Andi, one of my awesome teammates, told me I had a fever and then found a thermometer to see how it really was. 101.4. We, along with our team leader Brent, went straight to the clinic. After a quick blood test, it was confirmed – Malaria. More specifically "General Malaria x2". That's right- times two. And this is where my adventure started.
They admitted me right away and put me on an IV because of my fever. This was also my first IV experience ever. I soon discovered that it is NOT fun. The side effects of the meds in the IV were worse than the malaria itself. Before and between each IV I could sit up and understand what was happening. While I was on the IV, however, I was flat on my back, lightheaded, dizzy, nauseated, suffering a lack of appetite (which is small to start with) and diarrhea, and a loud ringing in my ears that caused more headaches.
But the real fun- and interesting part of my clinic adventure- started at 1 am, while I was getting my 2nd IV. This is when I was introduced to Jesus… I think…
The night doctor comes in at 1 am to give me my 2nd IV and, seeing that I'm a Mzungu, he asks me and Andi (who is staying with me) what we're doing here. We tell him about the Race and that we are working with the local church and going door to door praying for people. At this point he get excited and starts telling me about "Esau" and the entire Bible. Being on the IV (and it being 1 am) and not really being able to fully understand what is going on, I jump in and also say a few things (being a Theology major, after all). I start saying something about Jesus also when he interrupts me and says that he's not talking about Jesus but about "Esau" (not the one you're thinking about). Then he continues to again tell me about the Bible. I then explain that we are talking about the same person, but that the name is just pounced differently based on culture. He tells me how wrong I am and that He knows who Jesus is and he is not talking about Jesus. Then he starts quoting the gospels to me.
Confused? So was I.
When he finished talking somewhere between 1:30 and 2 am he said that he was happy that he got to witness to (and I quote), "a mzungu, white, colored person".
I later learned that "Esau" is just another way of saying Jesus.
Still confused? Me too.
Another "adventure" in the clinic happened the next day, when I was getting ready to leave. I was on my 4th IV but the effects were worse than before…maybe because I was only supposed to have three… But as I was leaving, the night doctor came in to take out my IV. He wanted to make sure I didn't still have a fever (I didn't). So as he handed me the thermometer he asked me "Does this go under your tongue or your arm?"
Concerned? So was I.
Thankfully I am now feeling better!
So to all future racers, if you discover that you have malaria, it's not the end of the world. You never know what kind of crazy adventure you'll have, or the kinds of people that you might meet.
And as a side note: most people don't spend the night in the clinic. In fact, now when anyone from the team gets tested the clinic staff now say, "Well you're not as bad as your friend."
…
*NOTE: I wrote this blog before 4 other people went on IV's…so they no longer say this…but everyone is doing much better and I no longer have Malaria!
