Stomach Malfunctions

Ugh. What a weekend. After my first week of work I was definitely looking forward to the weekend. I had made plans to go out on Friday and Bob Marley’s birthday was on Saturday, so you know there were lots of activities going on.  Plus my step-dad was going to be out of town so I didn’t have to worry about checking in and everything else that comes along with living with a concerned parent.

            But of course things don’t always go as planned. I got home from work Friday evening and I was freezing (not because of the weather)! I knew it was the onset of some kind of bug, so I just hopped right in bed. I woke up several times during the night to put on layers and then take them all off.  I was burning up, then I was freezing, then I was burning up. Yes, all the fun stuff that comes with a fever.

            I was supposed to go into work on Saturday, but by the time I woke up I was feeling miserable. “Maybe in a couple hours I’ll feel better”, I kept thinking.  I had to go into work because we are having our big opening ceremony on Tuesday and I had a lot of things to get ready on my end.

            I was in and out of sleep for the next couple hours. And then it hit, diahria like I’ve never had in my life. At least I knew what all the fuss was about, and knew exactly what caused it.
           Friday morning I had decided to mix it up (because I was tired of eating bread and butter for breakfast) and bought a sandwich from a woman who sells them down the street. It’s not the 1^st time I’ve had one of these sandwiches, but it’s the first time I had one from some one I didn’t know.  People sell all kinds of sandwiches on the side of the roads, but the one I had had fish, mayo, onions, and potatoes. It sounds strange, but it’s really good. Anyways something must have been funky with the sandwich because that was the only thing I had eaten all day, so it couldn’t have been anything else.

            You always have to be careful with food here, both packaged and cooked. You have to watch the packaged goods because they will sell you anything here: spoiled meat, stale pastries, and things past the expiration date. On the end of cooked you have to be careful because you never know how the food is prepared. This is something I continually forget because I’ve started to get comfortable. After almost 6 months its hard not to!

             I moved out of Alice’s house but still eat there more or less (less since I’m working full time). But my step dad still lives here, and has also been eating there less and less. Essentially we are “transitioning out” of her house, but its tricky on the food end because the only thing our house has right now is a bed.  So there isn’t really anything to prepare meals, most of the time I’ve been eating out.

            Anywho I’ll spare you all the details and just say that through out the entire weekend I didn’t go a step farther then 7 ft. And that is my estimated distance between my step-dad’s bed and the bathroom.  I stayed at Alice’s house for the weekend because her house has filtered water and electricity, two other really important things our house doesn’t have (yet, but really I just go there to sleep). And as I mentioned, my step-dad was out of town, so I took over his room with no problem.
            Alice would walk into my room and feed me all kinds of weird stuff. I'd ask what was in the cups and she'd reply," don't ask, just drink." Talk about putting your faith in someones hands.

            By Sunday the fever had passed, but the diarrhea lingered until Monday. On the bright side got lots of rest after a long 1^st week at work. Anytime I get sick its a reminder that i have to be extra careful with my health here because the health care, as I have mentioned, is kind of a joke. 
            Monday morning everyone asked how my trip went! haha! Everyone thought I had gone with my step-dad because they hadn't seen me the whole weekend!