It's the Dengue

Yup, I got the dengue fever. 

After getting back home from the hike I slept from noon until 7:30 the next morning when I called sick into work. I went back to bed and slept until noon. After 24 hours of sleep I was still feeling awful. I still had the 102 fever, and I felt dizzy, nauseous, tired, had an incredible headache, and my bones ached like nothing I had ever felt. It got up and it took me a full 5 minutes to walk to the kitchen (20 steps away) and back. Every bone felt like it weighed a ton, and my back and shoulders ached (not like a muscle ache but in the bones). Unfortunately everything was feeling a lot like what I knew of Degue to be. So I opened up my computer to research it online. Check. Check. Check. I said to myself as read down the list of symptoms. I then talked to Taylor who had it last year to ask her about how she felt when she had gotten it.  The thing that separates Dengue from other diseases is the “backing breaking, bone breaking” feeling, and Taylor confirmed my suspicions. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do for Dengue. Lots and lots of rest and fluids are the cure. 

After talking with Taylor and my parents, I knew that I had to take the week of from school. I’m so hesitant to miss a day, but I wouldn’t be able to physically move to even get there. Later in the day I called work back. Julie answered the office phone. All I said was “Hi,” and she immediately heard my voice and said, “Oh my God! You awful. I’m patching you through to Principal Simon now!” When Simon answered he had a similar response and could tell from my voice that I wasn’t pulling a no-show so common with the Samoan teachers. He was amazingly understanding, and he urged me to take off as much time as I needed. (I’m so grateful for having a supportive administration-- not something that is very common here.) 

So I spent a good part of a week in bed doing nothing since it hurt to move. I couldn’t even read- that took too much energy. I just slept and watched movies. I’m going back to school tomorrow since my kids won’t be learning anything if I’m not there. I think it will take a while to feel 100% better, but I feel well enough to be able to tough it out. (My students would probably love it if I stayed out longer - since they just hang out for that period when a teacher is absent (we don’t have substitute teachers in Samoa). But I won’t let them get that satisfaction ;)

(Rosemary and I after the hike)