I had never heard of it either. But I got it. Bad. Which led to a 5 day hospital stay here in Kenya. I hadn't been feeling 100% since I came back from Kisumu but you don't really want to be the volunteer complaining of a stomach ache when you're there trying to help other people, some of whom are near death. But on Friday morning, the abdominal pain was getting worse and one of my hutmates, Lucy, said she had not slept because she could actually hear my stomach growling nonstop throughout the night. I was driven out of town to a hospital in Mumias. Thankfully, I was accompanied my Emily, a microfinance volunteer here who took over the daunting task of explaining international health insurance to the hospital administrator before I could be treated.
Initially the doctor thought I had malaria, then e.coli and finally diagnosed me with entamoeba histolytica. And apparently this strain of amoeba, if left untreated, penetrates the intestinal wall and leads to brain and liver abscesses. It is transmitted through contaminated food or water. I have no idea when I got it but nobody else in my group did. There's a strong possibility that the one time I accidentally rinsed my toothbrush with tap water in Kisumu was enough.
After 3 days of IV antibiotics, IV fluids, IV Ranitidine, and IV pain meds, I was switched to the next phase of oral treatment with Diloxanide - a drug I had never taken before or even heard of - and I was quite allergic. Within 2 hours of taking the pill I was engulfed in hives. I even had them between my toes and inside my ears - not something I knew was possible. I was started on a large dose of steroids. The only other treatment for this amoeba is a drug called Aminosidine. Which of course the hospital did not have in stock. They had to go looking for it at other hospitals. It was eventully located and I am happy to report that I was released this morning.
I was very fortunate to have taken out international health insurance before I left. I was the only person in the hospital who had such a thing for my first 3 days. Eventually an engineer from India who was there to set up power at the sugar plant was admitted with Malaria. We had the entire wing to ourselves. In Kenya, the insured and the uninsured are placed in separate areas. In the uninsured areas, 20 - 30 beds are in an open room - highly infectious, with 1 shared hole in the ground for a bathroom and no mosquito netting. Having insurance means a private room with your own bathroom, hot water, mosquito netting, 6 meals a day, and your own nurse.
And I learned how to say, "Iko sowa" which means "It's ok". I said this repeatedly as each healthcare worker I came into contact with apologetically confessed, "Pole. I've never taken care of a muzungu". I think some were genuinely relieved, although a bit surprised to learn that my blood, too, was red. They certainly had never seen red hives on white skin. Which elicited some rather alarming gasps at the time.
There's no such thing as "advance diet as tolerated" here and since I can't drink any water-based liquids that haven't been treated, my first meal after not eating for 2 days was lamb stew. Which was delicious, but a bit heavy.
My doctors and nurses were really wonderful. We had a good time comparing health care in Kenya vs. the U.S. We lost power a few times a day and the generator stopped working a few months ago. There are no IV pumps so the careful positioning of your arm determines whether you get your antibiotics over 2 hours or over 5 minutes. The nurses took care of me in flip-flops. And I wore a "dress" in place of a hospital gown - basically a nonbreathing moo moo that could accomodate 4 of me.
My nurses were very maternal, which I really appreciated. Especially when I was covered with hives. They actually started praying for me when I said I needed more than Prednisone. I was thinking something more along the lines of IV Benadryl, but the prayers were a nice gesture. They boiled milk for me so that I could have tea and tucked my mosquito netting around me every night.
All in all, I am feeling worlds better and counting my blessings.
Regarding the pictures:
1. On the 4th day, I let the nurses do my hair. And this is what they came up with. They laughed so hard they could barely stand. One of them actually fell on the bed.
2. Yes, my IV pole was actually a coat rack. And the reused IV bottles are suspended by handmaid contraptions. Very pretty contraptions though, in a variety of vibrant African colors.
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