Was going to go to dinner with S. on Sunday but it began raining. and raining. I attempted to take some photos of the rain but they don't quite look as strong as the rain was, it really does pour. And, unfortunately, that old pop song that I don't recall any other words except "...and the rains down in Africa..", what the heck was that? I can hear it in my head, unfortunately every time it has rained here.

Did I mention that I stopped the malaria meds after about 5 days?  I started them on Friday while still in CF. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I awoke and my whole body was trembling and I grit my teeth so much in my sleep that my gums bled a bit. I know I was out of it due to jet lag but I swear this was more. Very vivid dreams, not scary but vivid and frustrating--like those dreams in which you are trying to get out of a room and can't and no one is listening to you and and.....I was also nauseous for the entire time.  I am not sure if it stopped the anti-depressants from working or was "just" a side effect (doc said I could take this malaria pill not the other since I'm on anti-deps) but I felt extremely depressed. My second night I hit a real bottom, thinking I just needed to turn around and go home, that I could not stand to be away, could not do anything, extreme and bottom. Yet I had not done anything at that point, just met a couple of people and was in a perfectly fine hotel room. By Wed. I decided I could not do these pills.  I spoke with folks who live here, asked what they do. A few said they had not taken pills in a long time, that they are very careful about prevention with insect repellents, mosquito nets, and try not to go out after rain or at night (did I mention it gets dark by 6:15pm??? I guess it's ok since I don't know where I'd go anyway).  I felt much better on Wed and like a new person by Thursday. It is strange to shower nice and clean and immediately slather on insecticide and I know DEET is not good either but I decided it is the lesser evil.

Today I decided to check WebMD for side effects and for symptoms of malaria, just in case. Very interesting. Apparently the Malaron I would take daily for more than 3 months is also used to treat malaria. For treatment, it is taken for 3 days. waitaminute! Is this logical? I can be sick for 3 months by taking it and if I don't kill myself out of depression then I risk liver damage and for some reason it was important to note patients should have a spleen in order to take the pill. Or, I could chance it and risk taking it for 3 days. hmmmm.  People here also said the malaria is not as bad here or as easy to "catch" as we are told in the US.   Then I looked at comments people made on WebMD about their experiences, a few had no problems, on the other hand--several noted that when they returned home and after they stopped taking it they felt very sluggish, experienced loss of memory (not on the label); one person said this took several months and another said it took a year to re-gain all memory lost. These folks said they could not recall simple things that they did everyday. Then there are rashes, liver damage, one woman said she felt pressure in her chest, could not breathe and US docs thought she was having a heart attack. Then they realized it was malaron side effects (also not on label). Side effects included dizziness, a lot of dizziness, rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, gas (yup, that farting and burping stuff you really don't want to do around people you have never met), severe headaches (yup, for 4 days for me).  I had some of these and decided to quit.  I also notice--what did docs give patients to relieve the symptoms of side effects? Prednisone, steroids.  Or, they will give you another med to take with the malaria med to reduce side effects.  Sheesh!!!  Give me the Deet.

Seems the slathering may be doing well since S. who is on antibiotics for 3 weeks (an alternative preventive med that was not recommended due to my long stay) and was not using any bug spray said she is being bitten a lot by mosquitoes.  I know the last few years in CF, they loved stinging me, so far so good and I will continue lotions, potions, and sprays on me, in my little house.