Sept 18. 2014. Typhoid

I did not feel well for recent 2 days. Actually, my stomach condition has not been so well since I came to Africa. It is kind of embarrassed to say, but diarr--- is my normal daily life for whole 4 months. Sometimes, stomachache was so severe, and I could not do anything but visiting toilet several times. Whenever I had some abnormal symptoms and even small weird feeling, I suspected whether it was Ebola. It has been already 2 months since I left Sierra Leone, but I am not still free from a dread of Ebola.

Strangely, headache or stomachache was always gone after 2 days of suffering, so I was reluctant to go to the hospital. I had in mind to see a doctor if the symptoms would last until 3^rd days, but my condition became fine within 2 days. It was like a tedious cycle; being good, being bad, being better, and being worse. When I got up in this morning, I was so happy that my stomach trouble was gone. My body was so light like a bird feather, and my head and stomach felt so clear and fresh. However, that happiness did not last long; right after eating lunch in the office, a stomach pain came again. It was so weird. What was it? Why everyone is fine and only me have this problem? I already lost appetite and ate so much less than usual today, but the pain has come again.

I had a bad hunch that I might have some problem, so I sent a SOS text to my Korean friend who is a KOICA volunteer in Tanzania. I explained her my symptoms; stomach pain is on and off continually. She answered me that, “Hey! It looks like you got typhoid!” I was so surprised that I might get typhoid. As far as I remember, I got typhoid vaccination recently, so I thought I would never get that disease. However, she contracted typhoid even though she had the vaccination. Also, she said that it would be the best for me to do malaria and typhoid check-up at the health centre because everyone might have different symptoms. Wow, typhoid…? That disease comes from people who touched infected feces and wastes. Did I touch those? Did I eat food from people who never wash hands? Ugh… it is not that surprising if I really have typhoid because I have eaten anything regardless of places. When I took this situation seriously, Edwin calmly went to the cabinet and took out typhoid pill to take one. He took it as a matter of no importance, and said, “It is normal to get typhoid here.”

She recommended me to visit Aga Khan Health Primary Centre for diagnosis. She said it was near to my office, but I did not know where it was. So I asked Edwin to take me to that place. We walked about 3 minutes, and arrived at the building. Oh… is that it? I have seen this health centre every time I commute, but I did not realize that this was Aga Khan. It was so funny moment; I only see that I really want to see, and I only believe that I really want to believe. I was so myopic. I entered the centre, paid 6,000 Shilling (which was cheap), and had my blood taken for malaria and typhoid examination. It would take 45 minutes to have results, so I went back to the office and killed my time by searching typhoid and cholera symptoms. My bank cards have not still arrived, so I did not have any money to buy typhoid and malaria medicine. Waiting for the results did perplexed me and I felt so terrible. Typhoid…? Normally, the first typhoid symptom is fever, so it is also called typhoid fever. Stomachache is only for some people. I might be in that “some” category. I walked again to the health centre and received the result. A clinician said, “very few, see the doctor over there.” Very few? Is that typhoid anyway? Very few typhoid? I was confused. He said “Yes, very few typhoid,” but I did not quite know what that meant. I reviewed result sheet. The only handwritings were “NPS” in the parasitology menu, and S. Typhi O. “1:80,” S. Typhi H. “1:40” in the serology menu.

I went back to the office again because there was a long line to see a doctor. But I went to the centre again eventually because at least I needed prescription. After waiting 20 minutes, I could see a doctor, and he said it was not typhoid. (Bravo!) According to him, both S. Typhi O and S. Typhi H value should be above 1:80. NPS meant “No parasite” for malaria. He suggested that I should drink water more often. I repeated going back and forth between the Health Centre and the office three times, but I was relieved to have disease-free result and felt light on my feet when I was back to the office. So then, what is this constant stomach pain and feeling nausea symptom? Living in Africa can be expressed in a different way as fighting against diseases. Have I ever worried about typhoid, cholera, and malaria in my life? Now I am worrying. It is normal here to get typhoid or malaria and get some medicine for those. Now it is true to nature that “Oh yes, I am in Africa.”