breakbone fever

"Maybe it's malaria. Or even a bad viral infection. Anything would be better than dengue."

I never thought I'd find myself wishing I had malaria, but this week, I did because at least if it was malaria, I could take medicine and be feeling better the next day. Not so with dengue fever. No, this horrible monster of an illness was going to be drawn out for three weeks.

What is dengue fever? Dengue, also known as "breakbone fever," is an infectious tropical disease spread by mosquitoes. Symptoms include high fever, headache, muscle aches, bone and joint aches (hence the nickname), nausea, vomiting, and later, an itchy rash on your hands and the bottom of your feet. I could barely move all week - one, because I had no energy (lifting my water bottle was a chore), and two, because it hurt. They weren't kidding when they called it breakbone fever.

There are no vaccines. There is no medicine. My instructions: Drink lots of water. Sounds easy, right? Drink water. Stay hydrated. The thought of water, though, was not appealing. The thought of anything food or drink related, actually, was sickening. It became an act of discipline to make sure I drank water. There was no hope when it came to food though. Everything had this disgusting, metallic-y aftertaste. I am living proof that you can last a week on five saltines.

All my other symptoms have died down now, and I'm now nearing the rash on the hands and feet, which I'll take any day over the body aches. And then it's 1-2 weeks of no energy.

I was very lucky that I started getting sick at some friends' house. They let me take over one of the bedrooms for the week, and so I've done pretty much nothing all week but lie in bed in an air conditioned room. My wonderful caretakers have constantly checked in on me, making sure I have water or that my washcloth is cold, and I am lovingly called "sicko," haha.

And I've received so many sweet messages and emails, and I am so, so grateful for them. They have been so encouraging for my heart. This past week, I've been the sickest I've ever been, and yet I feel so blessed. Thank you. :)