I have been in India for four years and every time I get mosquito bites I hope I don't get Dengue Fever. It is called "bone break disease" and everyone that gets it make it sounds awful!
It finally happened!
On Thursday, my muscles and joints started to hurt at school and I just assumed it was my lupus throwing a temper tantrum due to too much stress. After a bit, I felt I was getting a little warm so I went to the nurses office and they said it was 99.5. The fever got worse at night and I missed school the next day which was a PD day. My fever was between 101 and 102 all day even with taking advil and paracetomal. On Saturday, I texted the doctor and he said I needed to get tested for malaria and dengue right away. He sent the lab guy over to get blood and urine and the doctor called that night to say it was definitely Dengue.
There is no medicine for Dengue. All you can do is let it pass and keep an eye on your blood counts. Usually its the platelets that have to be watched and if they get too low, you get hospitalized. Dehydration is a huge concern so he told me to drink 5 liters a day. On sunday, he came back to see me and said he could tell I was drinking enough water and that being a good patient will keep me out of the hospital. With this strain of Dengue, the platelets are fine, but the white cell counts get low. My WBC were 1600, then 1500, then 1400 - He said I could stay at home as long as my WBC stayed above 1000. The fever lasted until Wednesday, then the rash started. It burned like fire ants and I couldn't bend my fingers!
Once the rash went away so did the fever and then I was just tired. I couldn't stand up for more than a few minutes at a time and was exhausted by everything. I was supposed to go to a professional development workshop for four days this week, but there is no way I could sit and listen all day. I decided to try to go to school for half a day starting on Tuesday. It wore me out! I'm going to go half days for this week and then go back full time after fall break.
I'm fortunate that I got to stay at home. They don't like to have patients that sick stay home alone. My maid had left the week before (that is for another post!) so there was no one to check up on me. It is funny how horrified people were when they found out I had no maid for three weeks!
Thank goodness for co-workers that helped out. On the first Sunday, Karen and Kylie came over to do my dishes and cook me chicken soup and bring me veggies and fruit. Gretchen brought me money so I could pay the doctor and blood guy when they came. Madeline cooked me macaroni and cheese and Carol made me banana bread. A group of co-workers sent flowers and a big get well card. The kids missed me a lot too! It is good to feel missed and wanted.
It finally happened!
On Thursday, my muscles and joints started to hurt at school and I just assumed it was my lupus throwing a temper tantrum due to too much stress. After a bit, I felt I was getting a little warm so I went to the nurses office and they said it was 99.5. The fever got worse at night and I missed school the next day which was a PD day. My fever was between 101 and 102 all day even with taking advil and paracetomal. On Saturday, I texted the doctor and he said I needed to get tested for malaria and dengue right away. He sent the lab guy over to get blood and urine and the doctor called that night to say it was definitely Dengue.
There is no medicine for Dengue. All you can do is let it pass and keep an eye on your blood counts. Usually its the platelets that have to be watched and if they get too low, you get hospitalized. Dehydration is a huge concern so he told me to drink 5 liters a day. On sunday, he came back to see me and said he could tell I was drinking enough water and that being a good patient will keep me out of the hospital. With this strain of Dengue, the platelets are fine, but the white cell counts get low. My WBC were 1600, then 1500, then 1400 - He said I could stay at home as long as my WBC stayed above 1000. The fever lasted until Wednesday, then the rash started. It burned like fire ants and I couldn't bend my fingers!
Once the rash went away so did the fever and then I was just tired. I couldn't stand up for more than a few minutes at a time and was exhausted by everything. I was supposed to go to a professional development workshop for four days this week, but there is no way I could sit and listen all day. I decided to try to go to school for half a day starting on Tuesday. It wore me out! I'm going to go half days for this week and then go back full time after fall break.
I'm fortunate that I got to stay at home. They don't like to have patients that sick stay home alone. My maid had left the week before (that is for another post!) so there was no one to check up on me. It is funny how horrified people were when they found out I had no maid for three weeks!
Thank goodness for co-workers that helped out. On the first Sunday, Karen and Kylie came over to do my dishes and cook me chicken soup and bring me veggies and fruit. Gretchen brought me money so I could pay the doctor and blood guy when they came. Madeline cooked me macaroni and cheese and Carol made me banana bread. A group of co-workers sent flowers and a big get well card. The kids missed me a lot too! It is good to feel missed and wanted.
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