Amoebas...Parasites...

So, I felt really sick for the first time in my service while in Nicaragua. It took almost 10 months for me to really feel ill, like maybe I should go to the hospital. Long story short, I am now under treatment taking an anti-parasite tablet by mouth, 2 in the morning and 2 at night. My symptoms all started Sunday night, while I was watching game 4 of the World Series and cheering on my hopeful repeat world champions, the Philadelphia Phillies. The symptoms hit me hard and suddenly with fever and chills. I decided to go to bed early and let the Phillies fend for themselves... (in retrospect, it was a good choice, since Joe Blanton and the Phils, would go on to lose game 4). It's important to let you all know what I had for dinner that night. Two fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and I gorged ourselves with a double hamburger... But this wasn't your typical hamburger. This hamburger could have been the largest piece of food I have ever tried to put my mouth around. The patties of ground beef were fairly skinny, but there were two of them along with two bottom pieces of a bun with the top and tomato, onion, lettuce, ketchup and mayo. (I know, Nicaraguans love to add Mayonaise to everything.. there was no mustard). It was very large, and very greasy but I was hungry so I ate the whole thing anyways. An interesting sidenote is that this hamburger was from a vender (who was recommended by a local) in the park.

I went to bed that night at my friends house with chills, sweats, and a fever. I woke up Monday morning feeling no better and with the added symptom of diarrea. I made it home to my site in San Isidro later that day and now highly value having a toilet in my own room very, very much. AS foreigners and PCVs we are not entitled to much privacy just from the context of our situation. But I am very fortunate and lucky to live with a host family who has a house large enough that I am able to sleep, shower and use the toilet in my private room with a door that locks, while the rest of the family shares the two other bathrooms located in the house.

I went to sleep on Monday at 7:30 pm (early) still with diarrea and still prayering that the next day, I would feel better. On Tuesday, I didn't feel much better, still had diarrea, but by the afternoon the chills, sweats and fever had subsided. Not until Wednesday (yesterday), did I finally get my stubborn ass to give a stool test (which physically was very easy because I still had loose, watery, diarrea-like stools about 4 times a day). In hindsight I should have given a stool test to the local lab to figure out what was causing my diarrea sooner then wednesday, but I didn't.. and so that's water under the bridge. So, after getting the results of the stool test, the PC medical officer told me I have a parasite and will need to take Tinidazol, 2 tablets twice a day for three days, and after another pill for 10 more days to kill any remaining Cysts that the paraiste left in my intestine. O, THE wows, and follies in the life a PCV.

I can't wait to celebrate Christmas and New Year's with my family and wonderful Gringo Friends in the Twin Cities!