Dengue Fever:
Dengue fever is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses. These viruses are related to the viruses that cause West Nile infection and yellow fever.
Symptoms:
- Sudden, high fever
- Severe headaches
- Pain behind the eyes
- Severe joint and muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Skin rash, which appears two to five days after the onset of fever
- Mild bleeding
Saturday I noticed a rash that began on my stomach and traveled down my legs, to my arms, and covered half my body by Sunday morning. I decided to march myself to the doctor to get checked out before leaving for Nepal on Tuesday morning. When I first arrived at the hospital, the emergency room physician wanted me to come back in the morning because it was a Sunday and no doctors were in the offices. However, one look at the rash covering my stomach and I was rushed to see a doctor, put on IV fluids, and written about 6 prescriptions. The doctors took 5 vials of blood and asked me to come back in the morning for the results of the blood draw. At this point, the doctor was pretty sure I had Dengue fever, but I was holding out hope that I would be miraculously healed by the next morning. Walking out of the hospital, I found myself looking down at my hand and laughing. The doctor had left a port in my hand for all my IV medications and wanted to keep it in until I got back the next day. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine myself walking around India with a port sticking out of my hand, praying that a motto driver didn’t drive too close and hit it. Yes, the motto’s drive that close to you. I was also scared. I found myself hit with this sudden realization that I could be extremely ill so far away from home. Tears fell from my eyes as I thought just how far away I was from my mom. Even at 22, I think we all go back to the child-like comfort of having your mom with you, especially when you’re sick. The next morning I reported to the doctor’s office at 9 AM sharp. I found myself sitting in the room surrounded by 3 Indian men all asking the doctor questions while he simultaneously weighed me, examined my rash, and tried to explain to me that I did in fact have Dengue Fever and what that would look like for me throughout the next month. I walked out of his office feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Thank God my teammate, Ashley, was with me to hear what the doctor said, help me pick up the 4 bonus prescriptions that he gave me, and reassure me that it was all going to be ok. Ten hours later we headed to the airport to go to Nepal, and a 14 hour travel day ensued. Let me just say that carrying your 50 pound pack through three international airports is no walk in the park normally, and when your body feels like every bone in it is broken, it is even less fun. I am so thankful for the teammates who helped me lift/carry my bags, let me sleep on random sidewalks outside of the terminals, and checked on me frequently. It is a humbling experience to find yourself physically incapable of carrying your own things. We finally made it to Nepal on Tuesday afternoon, and I am now able to rest and recover. According to the doctors, I am still about 3 weeks out from being recovered. The symptoms will be bad for the next couple of days, become better, and then worsen again before I can expect to be feeling better. So, what does that look like for ministry this month? The honest answer: I have no idea. I am praying that I find myself healed quickly and that I am able to do the ministry in Nepal that I have been so excited about. However, I am gearing up for the possibility of being out for the month and processing through how I can do ministry while recovering. I know that if I am stuck in bed for the month, that I will be able to pray for my team and the people they serve, build deeper relationships with our ministry hosts, and be able to dive even deeper into the Word and strengthen myself not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally. Learning to celebrate in the midst of disappointment is hard. I don’t want to be stuck in bed. I don’t want to deal with the excruciating pain that I find myself in. I don’t want to miss out on the beautiful things that will be happening while we are in Nepal. But I do want to learn how to be fully present and missions minded even in this. Because Jesus isn’t only in evangelizing or working with orphans or being in bar ministry. Jesus is also right here in my bed beside me encouraging, strengthening and shaping me.
I ask that you would join me in praying that I feel better soon and that I would be able to keep a heart posture of gratitude even in the midst of this hard circumstance. I also ask that if you have any suggestions on how to continue in ministry while being sick to share! If you have any funny stories, send them! Ill be in bed for a long time and I am always game for a good story! If you have something I can pray for you, tell me! I would be honored to intercede on your behalf this month. As always, thanks for reading!
XOXO,
Maddie
