Monday, November 26, 2007

Typhoid Fever


Yes...Georgia and I have managed to pick up Typhoid Fever, even though we were immunised against it before leaving Australia.

Read all about it here on Wikipedia

But don't be too alarmed, we have caught it early and are on a course of strong medicine and should be fine in a week to ten days.


Our main symptom are tiredness, disgusting diarrhoea, fever and aches. Just like a really bad tummy bug...... We have so many pills and potions to take I have had to draw up a schedule.

2007...A broken ankle and now this.

Georgia is most unamused. Worst was that it is confirmed by a blood test! Georgia's blood does not flow easily...took two attempts and even then the nurse had to pull on the syringe for about 8 minutes to get 1 vial of blood. Poor thing was distraught.
Now the problem for her is the disgusting antibiotic she has to take....pink chalk filth she calls it.
Georgia has a countdown marked on the white board for every dose until gone, 4 down 26 to go!


We have probably caught this disease from eating food that some one with typhoid has touched....it is spread through poor sanitation and fecal matter.

Oh my goodness...it doesn't even bear thinking about does it.

It doesn't matter how much we wash our hands in antibacterial soap and use disinfected wipes, we can catch if off food handled by people that don't wash their hands. The food can be infected before I get it and prepare it.

One thing I have noticed is that there is mostly no toilet paper or soap in Indonesian restrooms........

I have spent the morning again at Global Doctors with Sarinah (our housekeeper) having her checked out. Sarinah has been feeling off colour for a week now, as are her daughters and granddaughters.....
I think this is going to be an expensive month.....Sarinah's visit, pathology and meds are 2.3millionRP of unclaimable expenses. The positive is that I know she will get well and have proper medication; at a local clinic I couldn't know for sure that she would receive proper medicine. Fake medicine is a huge problem here.

Dr has told Georgia and I to stay away from school for a week and to not handle food. We also need to use separate bathrooms and utensils from the rest of the family

So.....back to bed, hand washing and lots of disinfecting to keep GJ, Chels and Benny safe.

Hopefully we will start to feel better REAL soon, as this is very yucky!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Jenjen, I love to read your blog.
Hope you will get well soon :D

Anonymous said...

Take care. You have made all the right moves so as to get better quick. julia.

Lori said...

Uggg I just hurt reading this. I am so sorry my friend, that is not the way to end 2007. Are you losing a lot of weight? Take care of yourself.

dawn224 said...

oooohhhhh, that's awful... and it doesn't bear thinking about how it transfers....