Sickness

>> Thursday, May 14, 2009

This is the Peace Corps-approved laboratory in Masaya; I'm sorry to say that we've both (though Paul more than me) made many trips here to drop off a variety of, um, samples.
We were just realizing the other day how tough Peace Corps has been on our health and well-being.  We've had our fair share of bacterial infections, parasites, sinus infections, and other mysterious combinations of symptoms.  Though we're not always sick enough to call the doctor or start a round of antibiotics, there have been many days where we are battling a cough, runny nose, stomach ache, or just don't feel good; it seems that on any given day during these past two years, one (or both) of us is beginning to feel ill, in the throes of a sickness, or recovering from an ailment.

I think there are a lot of factors that made our Peace Corps service so rough.  Good nutrition has been really difficult for us; our diet consists mainly of rice and beans, macaroni and cheese, Corn Flakes, pizza, and pasta--a carbohydrate lover's paradise.  Better food is available in places like Granada or Managua, but it's far away and not feasible on a Peace Corps Volunteer's budget. 

Similarly, sanitation issues are an ever-present concern.  The water here is not clean, and though we buy and drink five gallon jugs of water at home, we also drink drinks made from tap water when we're at school or a friend's house.  This is a risk since any food or drink that we don't prepare ourselves (including at restaurants) could very well be a bacterial infection or parasite waiting to happen, but it's not very practical to go two years only eating things we prepared from start to finish.  Add to that the normal risks of handling dirty money, using public transportation, and a lack of running water and sinks to facilitate handwashing, and it's no surprise that we've had our share of sickness.

The climate and weather also contribute to our illnesses.  During the dry season it's dusty and easy to have respiratory problems, and during the rainy season the always-present puddles are havens for germs and gross stuff like leptospirosis.  It's also really hot.  Even though the heat may not cause diagnosable illnesses, it doesn't help our energy or make it easier to recover from other ailments.

I just finished a round of antibiotics two days ago but I'm sick again (which is why was I was at the lab yesterday to take a picture) from a combination of any or all of these factors.  Keep your fingers crossed that it's another bacterial infection and that I won't have something new--malaria, dengue, or swine flu--to add to my list of Peace Corps illnesses.

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