Sunday, October 19, 2014

Chikungunya and Me

The Chikungunya virus or Chik V for short is a debilitating virus. It is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitos and it is more dangerous to the very young, the elderly and persons with existing medical conditions. It has afflicted many Jamaicans recently, especially in Kingston. There seems to be no escape in getting it, it’s just a matter of when you will get it. I’m just recovering from it. Two weeks into the virus and I am still having swollen lymph nodes in the back of my neck and right shoulder (extremely painful) and pain in my ankles, hands and fingers.

The virus started with my index finger joint being painful and swollen, and then the onset of painful knees, ankles and feet, my wrists and elbows followed shortly thereafter and of course the fever. This lasted for three days, with the fourth day feeling much better, but, alas, day five wasn’t good with me experiencing a sub-acute attack - fever, severe nausea and a rash, with terrible itching.

I had absolutely no appetite, and as I smelled food I wanted to vomit. I sipped on turmeric tea throughout, and drank a lot of coconut water, and light broth. I also had malaria at the age of twelve. This was an awful experience as malaria leaves you weak, with severe chills, profuse sweating, vomiting and diarrhea. I was told by my doctor that I had an imported case of malaria, as this disease had been eradicated from the Caribbean region at that time. I soon regained some strength, but I certainly had lost a lot of weight and weighed a mere 72 pounds at twelve years of age. Six weeks later my hair fell out in large batches. I was terrified, but my doctor had told me that would have happened so at least I knew what to expect.

So I have had more than my fair share of mosquito borne diseases, these vectors are extremely dangerous! So it’s very important to be very informed about it. I have attached a link below on the Chikungunya virus, which I hope you will find helpful.

http://www.wikihow.com/Recover-from-Chikungunya

Peace and Love,
Natalie