Word has probably gotten around to most of the readers of my blog, but for those who don't know--I'm sick. Not mortally ill or anything like that, but whatever illness I do have is very stubborn. It started with a fever, weakness, headaches and dizzness over four weeks ago. It seemed to resolve itself after about a week, but a few days later all the initial symptoms came back. Once again, the fever only lasted a few days, but the dizziness still hasn't gone away. I've been out of work for almost a month and have seen two doctors here, neither of whom were able to find anything conclusively wrong with me. My bloodwork came back completely normal, my blood pressure is normal, all that jazz. What's not normal is that I get dizzy every time I stand up, when I walk, if I look up, climb stairs, roll over in bed...you get the gist. The prevailing theory (prevailing in my mind, at least, after some internet research) is that the virus that I initially had (when I got the fever the first time) disrupted something in my inner ear, leading to what is known as BPPV. Supposedly this goes away on its own after two months...
So, next steps. The second doctor I saw, when he couldn't diagnose me with anything, recommended that I be sent back to the U.S. to see a doctor there who can perhaps find something wrong with me. Peace Corps Headquarters needs to make this decision, and supposedly they met about it today. I should know what they're going to do with me by tomorrow, although I have a feeling that if they send me out of the country they'll send me to Panama and not back home. I'll update as soon as I find out what the deal is.
To answer the most common questions I've gotten: Yes, I've been eating well, yes, I've been hydrating, and no, I'm not feeling stressed out or depressed. If anyone has any suggestions for how to keep myself occupied without electricity, I'm all ears, because after a month of being sick I'm kind of bored out of my mind.
Miss and love you guys!
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