Malaria
It was late Saturday evening at the end of a long weekend of meetings and supply gathering in the capital city, Lilongwe. All our “Katundu” was packed and ready to go for our planned departure early on Monday morning. At midnight I (Darlene) awoke with an uneasy stomach. No big deal – must have been something I ate. However, the queasiness persisted until I finally vomited. OK – now I can get some sleep. Since Paul & I had both eaten the same thing over the past 24 hours he began to worry that his turn was next.
But soon Paul was sawing logs while, for me, sleep refused to return. As the night wore on I began to vomit more and more frequently. Vomiting was soon accompanied by diarrhea. Each episode got worse, more intense. Then sweats and chills started. Paul mixed up some oral rehydration salts for me to sip but they wouldn’t stay down. By 7 am I was weak and depleted, barely able to stand.
On the advice of the nurse at the Lilongwe Crisis Nursery we went to the City Center Clinic – a private health care facility in Lilongwe. Paul helped me get to the waiting area where I lay down on a bench. A nurse came and brought me to an exam room in a wheelchair. It took all my effort just to sit up.
After being seen by the doctor I was given anti nausea and anti diarrhea medication. Then I was admitted to a private room with a bathroom! Soon a nurse came in to start an IV. After cleansing the site with purple alcohol from a dishwashing soap bottle, she began a very fast glucose drip. All I cared about was to get some sleep.
Before long, the lab work was completed and the doctor returned to inform me that I had contracted malaria—“plus two.” (It goes from +1 to +4). He said they would administer a quinine drip and I would feel much better soon. Good! I hoped he was right.
Soon after he left, I vomited again.
But after that, I slept and dripped all day long. By evening I was feeling better. I
managed a few bites of supper with Paul’s encouragement. I could even walk by myself, although I felt fuzzy, out of it. As the nurse lowered the mosquito net and hung another bag of IV fluid I was thankful to be so comfortable and well cared for. But then I realized that I couldn’t hear the fan running in the corner, or the bugs trilling outside. I couldn’t hear anyone coming into the room. “Oh yes, that’s the quinine.” said the nurse. So I began to worry about going deaf. Nevertheless, I slept all night as the quinine dripped.
In the morning I ate a small portion of oatmeal and was discharged. My medication was changed from quinine to LA (lumefantrin and artemether) which does not cause hearing loss. On the 5 hour trip home to Mzuzu, I sept.
So far, I have missed a full week of work and a lot of meals. The Malaria itself is cured but has left me anemic. It will no doubt be at least another week before I am back running on all cylinders. In the meantime, I am more thankful than ever for modern medical care, and that I am privileged to have access to it. I am ever grateful for a loving husband that stays by my side no matter what.
Malaria is nasty business. In fact, malaria is the number one killer in Africa. Number ONE—ahead of AIDS and TB. And it affects everyone. It strikes people in the bush sleeping on mats, as well as people living in well built houses, sleeping under bed nets, and taking preventative anti-malarial drugs. It is a huge economic drag on sub-Saharan Africa, causing incalculable loss of work time. Malaria can snuff out the life of a baby in less than 24 hours. It is a devastating disease. Research being done to develop a preventative vaccine for Malaria needs our financial, political and prayer support.
PS
Pictures are of a baby room with mosquito nets up, and Darlene at work.
But soon Paul was sawing logs while, for me, sleep refused to return. As the night wore on I began to vomit more and more frequently. Vomiting was soon accompanied by diarrhea. Each episode got worse, more intense. Then sweats and chills started. Paul mixed up some oral rehydration salts for me to sip but they wouldn’t stay down. By 7 am I was weak and depleted, barely able to stand.
On the advice of the nurse at the Lilongwe Crisis Nursery we went to the City Center Clinic – a private health care facility in Lilongwe. Paul helped me get to the waiting area where I lay down on a bench. A nurse came and brought me to an exam room in a wheelchair. It took all my effort just to sit up.
After being seen by the doctor I was given anti nausea and anti diarrhea medication. Then I was admitted to a private room with a bathroom! Soon a nurse came in to start an IV. After cleansing the site with purple alcohol from a dishwashing soap bottle, she began a very fast glucose drip. All I cared about was to get some sleep.
Before long, the lab work was completed and the doctor returned to inform me that I had contracted malaria—“plus two.” (It goes from +1 to +4). He said they would administer a quinine drip and I would feel much better soon. Good! I hoped he was right.
Soon after he left, I vomited again.
But after that, I slept and dripped all day long. By evening I was feeling better. I
managed a few bites of supper with Paul’s encouragement. I could even walk by myself, although I felt fuzzy, out of it. As the nurse lowered the mosquito net and hung another bag of IV fluid I was thankful to be so comfortable and well cared for. But then I realized that I couldn’t hear the fan running in the corner, or the bugs trilling outside. I couldn’t hear anyone coming into the room. “Oh yes, that’s the quinine.” said the nurse. So I began to worry about going deaf. Nevertheless, I slept all night as the quinine dripped.In the morning I ate a small portion of oatmeal and was discharged. My medication was changed from quinine to LA (lumefantrin and artemether) which does not cause hearing loss. On the 5 hour trip home to Mzuzu, I sept.
So far, I have missed a full week of work and a lot of meals. The Malaria itself is cured but has left me anemic. It will no doubt be at least another week before I am back running on all cylinders. In the meantime, I am more thankful than ever for modern medical care, and that I am privileged to have access to it. I am ever grateful for a loving husband that stays by my side no matter what.
Malaria is nasty business. In fact, malaria is the number one killer in Africa. Number ONE—ahead of AIDS and TB. And it affects everyone. It strikes people in the bush sleeping on mats, as well as people living in well built houses, sleeping under bed nets, and taking preventative anti-malarial drugs. It is a huge economic drag on sub-Saharan Africa, causing incalculable loss of work time. Malaria can snuff out the life of a baby in less than 24 hours. It is a devastating disease. Research being done to develop a preventative vaccine for Malaria needs our financial, political and prayer support.
PS
Pictures are of a baby room with mosquito nets up, and Darlene at work.
posted by Paul and Darlene Heller at 9:44 AM
3 Comments:
Oh my!! What a shock to learn of your illness. Thank goodness you were able to get care and that it worked. Please, please take time to rest and recover.....Please some rest till you regain your strength.
If I sound kind of parental, well I guess I am feeling helpless and hope my pleading is a little helpful. In my prayers....JUD
good to hear from you on Saturday! What a scary thing to go through! Does the little baby on your back just sit there happily and let you do work on the computer? If so, that's amazing!
I am so glad you are feeling better. The children are so adorable. I can see why this is so important to be there helping them. You two truely are a gift from God.
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