Mama Ju's bad day

Julie had Wednesday off work because she had a really bad cold. We were mildly sympathetic - but didn't think too much of it because we all had a bad bout of the lurgy at some point during our first few weeks here (possibly due to the stress).

By yesterday, she was violently ill. Julie told me sheepishly that the symptoms sounded very similar to those for malaria, set out in the Lonely Planet (sheepish because every time a child is sick everyone says 'I think it's malaria!). I told her she should speak to the on-site nurse, Batilda, because the symptoms ARE very similar to the flu. Batilda immediately took her to a local clinic where blood tests confirmed she really had malaria.

This morning she was wondering whether she should continue to take the anti-malaria medication she had from home, while taking the course of meds prescribed by the local clinic. I told her to ring her doctor at home to check. Again, sheepishly, she said 'I can't call them - they will ask what medication I'm now taking and I don't know that because they're unlabelled tablets - they'll think I'm insane!!'.

Although malaria can be deadly if left untreated - the locals have access to good medication, so I'm confident in the drugs that Julie was prescribed (apparently if she'd left it one day later before attending the clinic she would have been seriously ill). I trust that the African medication she's been prescribed will be good- one of the little boys at the baby home had malaria last week, and was well within a day or two of taking the meds. So if a skinny little toddler can bounce back, I have faith in Mama Ju!!!! I'll be keeping a close eye on her in the meantime though.

Anyway...what REALLLLLY made it a bad day for her, was that on the way home from the clinic, someone pick-pocketed her in the dala dala and stole $7!!!

A few lessons for us all:
- Even using anti-malaria pills, super-strength insect repellant and mosquito nets does not mean you are safe
- Any sign of flu-like symptoms...pay the $1 fee to have a test to make sure!
- When on the Dala Dala...be acutely aware of where you've hidden your valuables...or you could lose more than $7!

Poor Mama Ju!!