Just a quick update for those who are keeping up with our progress via this medium! We are currently in Dar es Salaam (the main city in Tanzania) having travelled up yesterday (Wednesday 24th) from Mbeya. Liz was sick another few times on Monday, despite finishing the course of medicine for typhoid on the same day, and so we decided we needed to get some other opinions.
We visited one of the best clinic in the country yesterday and had some other tests done. Unfortunately these were also inconclusive and so the Doctor’s best guest for now, judging more by symptoms than lab results, was giardia (an amoebic stomach problem). This was a little frustrating for us since this is a problem that most people will get when being in Africa and the symptoms are almost never as severe or long-lasting as Liz has been experiencing. We have taken the medicine however (it doesn’t hurt to take it even if the problem is different) and obviously we will hope to see an improvement within the 3 day dosage period.
This morning we have also spoken to a friend of a friend who is a GP when back in the UK but is currently working here on a project. She has advised on a few other tests Liz could have to check some other things and so we will try and get those done tomorrow morning.
Please continue to think of Liz at this time. She is obviously very tired (of the illness and of the ‘not knowing’) and the weather here in Dar makes it not the easiest place to try and recover. We hope the medicine she is on will work well and/or the extra tests tomorrow will give some clear indication. We will try and keep updates coming here.
3 comments:
Praying for you guys. It sounds miserable.
Hopefully Liz will recover really soon, and after a few months you'll just have one of those great stories that show how hardcore travellers you are!
Praying for you!!!
M+J
Hi Liz, really sorry you've still been sick since finishing the Typhoid treatment. Hope this next lot of medicine will do the trick.
Just a thought... We had a friend in YWAM who suffered with constant sickness and tiredness. One of the main syptoms was that her iron count was very low which accounted for the tiredness. She had loads of inconlusive tests and it turned out to be worms, that meant she wasn't able to absorb her iron properly. Once she got treatment for the worms she was totally better. Just thought I'd share that in case it's something that hasn't already been ruled out. Her doctors wouldn't consider it for ages because they thought such severe syptoms couldn't be caused by worms. Hope that doens't freak you out, but I guess it's worth looking into any possible causes.
Lots of love to you both, really hope you feel better very soon x x x
Sarah and Nathan x
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