Dengue Fever Aftermath
Peace Corp Volunteer in Tonga

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1-24-08

Well I guess I explained the first few days of agony, but not all that happened to me. In the end Jacinta said I had Dengue Fever. I also talked to Amanda, the Assistant director, she has had Dengue twice and she said that is what it sounded like. Of course I still haven’t gotten any test results saying that is what it is, but I got one test that was negative for DF??? Then what is it? I am calling it Dengue. I had a fever for 5 days, rash for 3 days, didn’t get out of bed for 9 days then it took another 5 days for me to actually walk, cook, sit up, overall act like a person again. I still don’t have all my strength back, but this is great compared to what was. It is very strange to get sick and then fall into a fever stupor. Then when you wake up it is a different year, and you are a different age? Wow wierd, oh well I feel better and that is what counts. Now I can go home!!! Yea!!!

Or not…

Jacinta drove me home Tuesday January 15, 2008. 16 days after I first got a fever. I was ready to be in my own space again, except when I walked in and realized how bad my space is destroyed. I have been gone for almost 2 weeks and I left sick and dazed so it was not buttoned up perfectly. Also while I have been gone it has rained almost every day except for 2 which were scorchers. In the midst of it all we had a cyclone (hurricane in the Pacific is called cyclone). It didn’t hit Tongatapu, or any of the Tongan islands thankfully, but we had some wicked weather. I was laying in bed watching the wind whip the gigantic mango tree outside. I was amazed how far the branches could sway! All the while my house is taking a beating too. Mainly the wind was tearing through the house bringing in bugs and water. Also since I didn’t clean hardly at all before I left (in my defense I couldn’t walk well, let alone stand for more than 30 seconds) there was food out and perishables that needed to be eaten long ago.

I threw out (to the pigs) a papaya, half a cabbage, three pieces of banana bread (I really thought there were 4 on that plate?) half a loaf of bread, 2 green peppers some crackers, milk and lettuce. The breads were growing their own ecosystems of molds in various colors some fuzzy and some flat. Anyone need any penicillin? Just kidding. Gross.

The wind had blown in the window by the dishes covering them with a fine film of dust and knocking some on the floor. OK I have to wash everything even the dish drying rack, fine. The dish water was still in the bin and it was growing things too. It was also killing things, 6 cockroaches to be exact. I had to throw out the water and clean the tub before I could clean anything in it. Then I set to the all day task of cleaning the dishes in small increments, carrying in water at least 4 times today. I walked in the bedroom and saw the tea I didn’t want to drink before I left, it was also off and 2 cockroaches met their death in the sugary concoction.

This is really frustrating and I am still weak.

Laukau came over to see how I was and told me of the festivities while I was gone. I missed uike lotu (prayer week) and Nakolo day. I thought I just missed new years eve and my birthday, but no. Many people asked about me. Where is the Peace corps? In addition to the celebrations I also missed the town meeting I have been looking forward to for a month.

As she was talking of the festivities and telling me about her new boyfriend I saw a big brown spider crawl up the wall behind her. Ewwww the critters seem to think the have free reign of my house now. Or maybe he is just looking for his friend I found dead under my fan. I also found the missing piece of banana bread near a hole in the wall. What is big enough to carry it? And fits through that hole? Gladly a rat couldn’t fit so it was probably just a mouse, or a ginormous spider or some other creature I haven’t met yet.

Then there was the mold. It has been uncontrollably humid lately with all the rain. Just try to dry laundry, I dare you. I checked my clothes but they are fine. Cool I like them. I know they said everything will mold, get sun bleached, tear or just generally wear out in the two years, but it hasn’t even been 4 months. I was amazed at the places I found mold really. Not on my clothes or shoes, but my chopsticks? What? And my wooden spoon. Those were the first to get washed. Good thing I bought bleach in town. And my beloved backpack! Ok to be fair it is almost 10 years old and it has been to 11 countries, 8 rainbow gatherings, and 4 continents, but apparently 4 months in Tonga is the toughest on it yet. My wrist braces have mold on them? What? I need to plan a trip to the laundrymat and wash AND DRY MY STUFF. My Sheets need it too after being sick. This is crazy.

Well this is an ordinary to do list where the cardboard is warped and the magnet is pealing off the back. Think of how long this disfiguration would take at home? In the middle of a hot humid summer? In the winter (if at all)? So where I am living now the humidity caused this in 8 hours!

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