What's Up Doc?

Before breakfast, I decided to reread the Lonely Planet section on malaria.  Actually, I might have some of these symptoms--cough, fever, malaise, muscle aches.  Hmm...  I can attribute the cough to the cold starting with the sore throat.  The malaise and muscle aches can certainly be explained by my hardcore backpacking in the hot sun with a very heavy laptop.  Then I went cold and felt faint.  I had to sit down.  Was I going to die?  After just the first country in west Africa?  I decided to check my "First Time Africa" book to see what they say about malaria.  Whew!  Much better.  Lonely Planet pretty much gives you the worst case scenario without really telling you that the prognosis isn't bad at all.  First Time Africa said that in fact less than 1 in 100 people who contract malaria die from it.  OK, I can deal with this.  My fear of death transformed back into a "this is very manageable" thing.

I took the ferry back from Île de Gorée and went to look for the Hotel Continental--the cheapest place in the Lonely Planet.  The sun was hot already and I was very tired.  The location that seems like it should be the hotel is now just a construction zone.  Hmmm.....  OK, plan B--the Hotel Provençial.  It sounds a bit scary in the Lonely Planet and it's right off the Place d'Independence which means it's where all the merchants hang out waiting for tourists to rip off.  I found it, dripping with sweat, and went in.  They had rooms.

So the hotel is certainly not the nicest hotel I've even been in, and would be an absolute no-go for Elena, it was OK for me.  And the price of 10000 CFA for a single and 12000 CFA for a room with shower can't be beat.  The staff is extremely friendly and welcoming.

Once safely in there, I headed out to find the Clinique Pasteur, recommended by Lonely Planet.  I found it after some doing, and went in.  25000 CFA for an appointment with a doctor, but there was no wait at all.  I soon found myself in a wonderfully air conditioned office with a Senegalese doctor.  I think my French was just a tad better than his English, so we did the appointment in French.  I told him I was afraid I had contracted malaria.  He asked some questions about my travel history up till now, took my temperature, blood pressure, and did all the other poking and proddings that doctors do.  I was running a little bit of a fever, but not bad.  My other vitals were all tip-top.  So the course of treatment?  Assume malaria and treat it.

He pulled out a pad of paper about 4 times the size of a US RX pad.  He then proceeded to prescribe a regimen of 4 drugs.

1) Artequin Adulte.  These come in a package of three sets of 2 tablets. I'm to take one set each day for the next 3 days.

2) Doiprane.  This is something I take 3 time per day with a half glass of water.

3) Aerus. I take these for my couch--one each day before going to bed.

4) Savarine. I take one per day when I'm done with the Artequin.  He said to take one each day until I return to the United States.

So if I do have malaria, this will take care of it.  If not, well, hopefully it will boost my resistance.  I'll hold off on my Gambia trip until I know how I feel.  Spending a few days in Dakar will actually allow me to get some more pages sewn into my passport, a Mauritanian, and a Malian visa perhaps.

August 3, 2008 14:00 Senegal local time