Chikungunya

The new fever.  It's all over the tropics, they say.  It's been all over our town.  The people who have NOT had chikungunya are hard to find.  I spoke to one the other day. 

I had it a few weeks ago.  I still have pain.  It started one morning.  As I got out of bed, I felt like I had sprained both wrists.  As I tracked the fever, it never went very high...only 101 or 102.  There was no head-ache or dizziness like with malaria.  But the pain!   Wow.  They say the word is an African word that means 'bend body' or something like that.  The joint pain is real.  I pretty much cried a few times myself, like many others.  It was a funny cry...extreme pain, but kind of a silliness because there weren't any other symptoms.  Some folks have had higher fevers.  Some get swollen glands.  Some get a rash and are all itchy.  Not me.  Just joint pain. 

Yesterday at church I was amused to see a lady try to clap only to stop because her wrists hurt too much.  Been there, done that.  The guitar player grimaced as he tried to turn his left hand under the fingerboard of his guitar.  Been there, done that too.   A 22 year-old keyboard student walked away from the keyboard after a lesson, and she walked like my 92 year-old aunt.  I've done that, too.

Right now the pain is nearly gone.  I've heard folks say you can get the fever again and again.  Ouch.  And these mosquitos are like others.  They like to bite during the day.   

Here's to the end of mosquito season.  :)