Malaria!!

Ok so I am now officially a true British Campaigner in Africa; I have just got over my first bout of malaria!!


I got to have a drip and everything!! Tristan (my brother) is very jealous he’s very romantic and always wanted malaria picturing himself as one of those stoic African Explorers like Livingstone. Unfortunately for him you can’t get malaria in Ballito. I also wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It’s a very weird illness but then I’m not used to being ill and feeling so helpless.

I started feeling sick Friday morning when I sat in my office shivering for about 2hrs. It was horrible it was warm outside but I just couldn’t shake off the goose bumps. I even had goose bumps on my face and head. I decided this wasn’t quite right so I took myself off to bed. Then I was sick so Nurse Chooks came to take control of the situation. I had horrible tingly feelings in my arms & legs, my temperature was going up and down so Chooks decided to do a malaria test. So she stabs me with a needle and sucks some blood up with this little plastic device & puts into a little testing tray. We then wait for 15 minutes and of course it comes up positive & she puts me on coartem. I was dreading going on the coartem because it’s supposed to make you feel really awful first before you start to feel better again.

The next morning after a very restless night I woke up and thought that I didn’t feel half as bad as I thought I should feel so I decided to get out of bed. I was craving an orange so I went into the kitchen. As I was peeling the orange and talking to Chooks I collapsed onto the floor. Unfortunately I hit my head quite hard on our wooden sofa before hitting the concrete floor. Chooks quickly ran round to help me & I had no idea where I was when I came round. I thought I’d fallen out of bed. Chooks then part carried me to my room and just as we reached the doorway I passed out again but this time Chooks couldn’t wake me up and she started to get quite worried. I finally came round and told her she was like Hitler (obviously delirious) and insisted I was fine and could do it on my own….obviously not fine Immy.

Anyway the doctor was called and I was put straight on a drip. My first drip too. I was pretty nervous. I’d only had my first antibiotics the week before so I’m very new to all this being sick thing.

Although maybe not quite Hitler, Chooks did make sure I was tied to my bed with my drip so I couldn’t actually leave my bed unless with her for the rest of the day. She then decided to kidnap me!! She was off to Ballito on the Sunday and didn’t want to leave me behind. It was a very tiring trip and despite being totally embarrassed by it I was relieved for Chooks insisting on booking a wheel chair at each airport. But here I am now back in David’s room in Ballito. Not too bad a place to be kidnapped to but wish I was able to enjoy it a bit better than from my bed. Although things could be worse I could be tied to it!!