Killer Bugs

If you asked 10 people the biggest health risk of going to Africa, most of them would probably say, mosquito bites. And they are probably right, as far as it goes. Apparently mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths than any other living creature. There's malaria, dengue fever, west nile virus, yellow fever, and so on.

But, what they don't tell you about - and I just looked at the CDC's travel website on Ghana to check - are the eensy-weensy bugs. The bacteria that can infect even the smallest cut - or bite - especially if you scratch it.

Now, you might ask: Why is Jan so uptight about this oversight. Well, it's because two nights ago, my right foot was twice this size and I was dreaming about calling home to say goodbye because I was dying of gangrene and kidney failure (don't ask me about that one - the human sub-conscious is a funny place). OK, a bit melodramatic, but honestly(!) I'm not a dirty girl - I wash my hands a bazillion times a day - and am generally pretty careful.

What looked like a basic mosquito bite scab (yes, I had scratched it - in my sleep most likely) one day, started to swell and turn red by that night. I put Neosporin on it, but it didn't help. Fortunately, Leslie had packed me an Azithromycin five-day dose pack and I started taking it the next morning (OK, OK, I was in denial the night before - surely a good night's sleep, blah, blah, blah...). Anyway, by that next night (even having started the antibiotics), my foot was the size described (twice that in the photos) and I couldn't walk it hurt so much. That was the night I had the dreams.

Anyway, all is well now. The swelling is down, the redness is fading, and Leslie has come down off the ceiling - although I think she's still cranky with me for not going to the doctor.
XO