Umsheko- My Constant Companion

Up until July 2011 I’ve been as healthy as a horse. I prided myself on my stomach of steel. While others were having irritable bowel movements, got sick from drinking water or uncooked food and spent countless nights hugging their buckets and latrines, I’d be fine. Even including eating bloody chicken which my host family had made me my first time on the homestead, or the incredibly disgusting dirt dam where the animals go to cool off and I get my water from… For 1 whole year I hadn’t been sick once. Then in July right before my surf trip to Jbay, I got really sick. I’d done nothing out of the ordinary but I couldn’t stop vomiting and using the bathroom. After 2 hours of non-stop projection I called my Medical Officer (MO). Here’s how it went.

MO: “Oh hey Shauna! How are you doin?”
Me: “Hi. Not too well. I’ve had umsheko (diarrhea) since last night and I’ve started vomiting this morning- about 2 hours ago.”
MO: “Well, have you been taking ORS?” (Oral Rehydration Salts)
Me: “Religiously”
MO: “Ok. Well keep taking it and call me back in 2 hours. We’ll see if it stops.”
Me: ….pause….. “….ok….” (Thinking this has to be a bad idea)

2 hours later, the projectile vomiting and umsheko has not ceased but in fact has gotten worse and I’ve proceeded to hug my bucket (the toilet of my hut). I call the Peace Corps Medical Officer.

MO: “Hey Shauna- any better?”
Me: “No. Worse. Can’t hold anything in.”
MO: “Ok, hold tight. We’ll send a driver to pick you up.”
Me: “Thank you!”
MO: “In the meantime, take a sip of ORS every couple of minutes even if you throw up afterwards.”
Me: “Ok. Thanks. Will do.”

3 hours later. I call the MO.

MO: “Shauna…” (I detect a hint of forgetfulness in the voice)
Me: “hi.”
MO: “Transport will be on its way. Let me contact a driver and get back to you.”

I curled up in my bed, hurting and unable to move much with my bucket, plastic bags, and ORS. Somewhere between 2-3 hours later a driver came to my door. It was nighttime when I was admitted into the Mbabane Clinic- Swaziland’s “best” hospital. Though my MO potentially forgot about me in the midst of G7 COS medical exams, they went above and beyond staying into the late hours of the night to make sure the nurses gave me the proper meds, shots, and hooked me up to an IV. My MO, ACD (Assistant Country Director), Programming Director, and 2 friends stopped by in the next couple of days there to check up on me. One only stopped by to collect money I owed her. True friends.

We never found out why I was so sick and it escaped my mind until Saturday night, October 15, 2011. I woke up at 2am to stabbing stomach pains. I took my knife, flashlight, and TP as usual. (knife because there have been rumors about killers/rapists on the loose in my community and as The Ninja -our Safety and Security Officer- says “Stay Vigilant”!) Out in the latrine I began getting cold and the pain was unbearable. I started getting lightheaded. The next thing I know I was waking up to stomach pains curled on the ground around the toilet, one arm extended out under the door of my 4’x4’ silver bullet pit-latrine. It took me a few seconds to place where I was. I had fainted and I’m not entirely sure how long I was passed out on the floor. AWESOME. The umsheko eventually stopped after a week and I returned to somewhat normal health. “Somewhat normal” meaning I get umsheko on and off fairly regularly since this episode.

Fast forward to December 12, 2011: Umsheko, my seemingly constant companion returned after a short break. On December 14, I threw up, then on December 15 I had the full deal- body pains, joint aches, stomach pains, and hot/cold sweats. That night I reached a temperature of 101.7F. I called my MO and was talked through it. The next morning I woke up to a 100F fever. Once it reduced I left my community to get medical attention in town. I ended up waiting the normal 2 hours for transport out of my village, which only seems like death when you’re sick, are sitting under a tree trying desperately to escape the African heat, and have to repeatedly explain to everyone why you look absolutely terrible. The typical conversation:

Person: “Sawubona Thulie! Unjani?” (Hello, How are you?)
Me: “I am sick.”
Person: “Shame! What’s wrong?”
Me: “Please don’t ask.”
Person: “What is wrong?”
Me: “I am sick.”
Person: “Where are you going?”
Me: “To see my doctor.”
Person: “You should go to our clinic. Hlobes can help you.”
Me: “ I am not allowed. I have to see my doctor. I’m sorry, I do not want to talk right now.”
Person: “Ok. Bring back sweets for me?”
Me: “ugh…”

For 2 hours.

I finally make it into town, get meds, blood tests and put up in a backpackers. Excited to watch t.v., have a real toilet, and get some sleep, I find out it’s the going away party of a girl who worked there for 3 months. They partied all night and were annoyingly loud, interrupting and terrible all night. Definitely not the place to stay when you are sick. A few days later I’m back in the office for work and I start feeling hot and out of it. I ask for meds and to take my temperature. It’s in Celcius so I ask if it’s high.

Assistant MO: “It’s a little on the high side. Take these and it’ll be fine.”

I go to the computers to convert the temperature- 101F. Mmmhmm.

On the bright side, it’s been over 2 weeks and I haven’t been sick yet! Let’s hope 2012 brings health!!