So I've never have gotten a flu shot in my adult life, here it was required and now I have flu-like symptoms. Damn.
Nope. Dengue-like symptoms. Yup. I wrote that when I woke up Sunday before the reality of whatever I had hit. So I am now in the capital, in a hotel, waiting out what feels like death approaching. Let's backtrack through this adventure though shall we?
Friday I found out that Ann is moving me. We barely even talked about what happened this last month after her ultimatum with my community but through my tears (and believe it or not, hers too and the rain...), it was decided without many words. Just lots of tears. I wrote this afterwards below:
"Pint of ice cream just for myself as if I'm going through a bad breakup.
Blurry faces.
Imagining already being here for the last time. Washing my clothes in my tub by hand. Bucket showering in this shower. Making coffee in this kitchen. Sleeping in this room. Having these kids draw and color in this Sala de Tarea. Who knows if I'll even have enough space in my next house to have one?"
I write like that if I need to get thoughts out before having the time to put them in a cohesive order so, forgive me. But I'm a mess. I know she's right, and I know I'm unhappy but lord, how am I going to tell them? Ann said I can blame it all on her but that doesn't seem to help... My kids. I know them. All by face and name now. I know their home lives. I know their personalities. They drive me crazy. But I love each one of them. My move out day is right before I go home and my stuff will be in storage. Then when I return from the states, as if starting completely over in every way, I will be taken to my new home. Where? I don't know yet. I just told Ann, just give me one person. One person I can team up with. And she said okay.
Saturday was an emotionally better day. Fredito came over and just shared story after story with me and I happily listened. Sunday was when it hit. I woke up after not sleeping a wink and shivering all night (it was, in fact, very cold here), with a 102 fever. And for the rest of the day I went back and forth from crying in my bed (because a really loud moto kept going by-like many many times-and apparently that's enough to bring me to tears), going to the bathroom (I'll spare the details), rocking in my dinning room chair, shivering with the chills or sweating, and in so much pain all over my body you'd swear I'd gotten run over by a guagua. Twice. I took more Tylenol which didn't do much and went to bed early cuz really, what else can you do?
Around 8, I hadn't been sleeping yet but was close. Suddenly I hear a group of kids screaming, singing, banging pots and pans, and marching around the neighborhood. They passed my house 100 times and finally came to do so on my front porch. Head pounding with a pain I've never experienced before, I opened my front window, clapped for them when they finished, and they left. They didn't stop doing this until around 9:30/10. Now at this point, I put my phone on silent and even made sure my iPad volume was down. Any sound was like someone was stabbing me in the head with my machete. Then at 11pm, I get a knock on the door and someone yelling my name. It was Yobi. And he proceeded to tell me 100X that he had been calling me all night. Oops. He came to pick up his furniture. At 11 o'clock at night... And had to hammer down the frame of the front door to get everything to fit. And brought about 10 guys to help as I said there and watched all gross and groggy with whatever this is. I moved all my stuff off the tables and the gorgeous shelving unit. And he took the other bed. Which I thought was gonna stay... That could either be a misunderstanding or he lied or changed his mind. But finally around midnight after multiple trips, he finished, hammered my door frame back, and left.
The rest of the night I was able to sleep in between bathroom trips which would also woke me with intense body aches. In the morning, my fever was still 102 so I called Maria, my lovely PC doctor (seriously, I love her). I was told to keep taking Tylenol and go to a med clinic to get a stool sample (sorry). This would be to check if I have any sort of viral or bacterial infection first that's causing these symptoms. They can't check for Dengue until after five days with a fever. I WILL DIE. But also, our huge Thanksgiving party is this week and I was so so so looking forward to that :(
Turns out the clinic couldn't do it until Wednesday with the results not coming in until Monday. I called Maria and she told me to come to the capital. Now to find someone for Diego and somehow get food for him (just ran out). I messaged Lili to see if Fredito was arriba and could come down. Nothing. I wanted to call Linda, didn't have minutes. Natividad came to see me cuz she heard I was sick and proceeded to guilt trip me for not calling her. I finally went abajo to see if the Ferreteria had food and they did for the first time I had been in site. Which meant I didn't have to go to Villa first or make poor Lula and Greg bring some for me. I also bought minutes. Passing Luis, he said Fredito was arriba so I decided to make the trek up despite feeling the weakness and dizziness coming on stronger by this point. He wasn't there... I went home, called Linda and she said she could watch him. I wasn't too thrilled for various reasons but I was desperate at that point. I left the key and leash in her house and finally headed out around 1:30. On my way down, Fredito passed me on his moto and said he could stay at my house for me. Gracias a Dios for perfect timing there.
Luckily, I didn't have to wait long for a guagua but in getting in the front, I spent the entire time getting stared at by the chofer as he would swerve a little and telling him over and over again I wouldn't give him my number. He continued to tell me he'd come visit me at my site. And when I paid him, and he found out why I was going to the capital, he didn't give me my change and said he would take me directly where I needed to go. I was not happy. Though I may be becoming slightly Dominican when I realized I was somewhat flattered he called me beautiful when I feel like absolute shit... I'm ashamed to admit that... But was still moreso stressed and angry and annoyed by him. So I'm still me.
When we arrived to the street I needed to get dropped off at though, he had more people to take so I told him to leave me because I needed to get there now. He gave me my change and let me go. After walked a few blocks, I finally made it. Maria pulled me in, did a routine check-up, asked me why my pulse was racing (dude, I had to walk two blocks to get there), and made reservations for a hotel room with orders to go to the lab at some point tonight to get blood drawn and a stool sample (sorry again). She also held my hand and gave me an incredibly loving pep talk when I told her I'm moving sites. And Boriana (the other amazing doctor) gave me a huge hug and proceeded to beat me in the back saying, "They say that sometimes you have to hit a nail with another nail to get it loose." I don't know if that is true cuz it hurt like hell but god I love her. So I headed out, and to save me from walking, Maria called a driver to take me there :)
At the hotel, I rested a bit, and finally made it out to buy some juice, water, and crackers (since I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday morning-which was a piece of bread). I was nervous cuz I knew I had to go to the lab soon and it had been a couple hours since I needed to race to the bathroom... Buuuut as soon as I drank that cup of coffee that the wonderful lady of the hotel offered me and ate the crackers, I went. So at 7pm, I headed out, buying another package of crackers por si acaso. I ate half the package on the way. When I arrived, I didn't have to wait long, got blood drawn and was given two cups to do #1 and #2. Aaaand I could barely go. I think I sat in that bathroom for at least twenty minutes and even desperately tried to eat more crackers while on the dam toilet to help things along (TMI? I warned you with the post title)... Didn't help. I emerged from the bathroom and apologized telling her I couldn't do anymore. She laughed, looked at what I had and said it was plenty. Oh thank goodness. I left and as soon as I arrived back at the hotel, had to go. And it was bad. But thankfully my legs don't have to endure another walk until tomorrow. Maria is gonna call me with the results in the morning and let me know if I need to go to her again or just rest more...
Now I just need to work up the courage to shower. This hotel doesn't have hot water and the cold bucket shower I took at home before leaving? Not pleasant with a fever...
Keeping you posted on all things lovely, Buenas noches.
Also my mom said this the other day:
"With all this technology, there should be a way to send hugs through the Internet. Ones you can actually feel."
And I couldn't want that more.
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