Chewed Up and Spit Out
Wow. I was not expecting to write on this blog so soon after leaving Philadelphia. About 3 days into Africa, I find myself unable to continue there. So here I sit in my room, in Indianapolis, IN, thinking about how I returned so quickly.
Turns out I had a really rare and violent reaction to my anti-Malaria medicine, Larium. This drug is very effective in fighting off Malaria in developing parts of the world. As with all drugs, it has it's side-effects. Some users only get bad dreams where they or others are harmed or killed in a violent manner in nightmares. No doubt, I have had my fair share of these since ingesting this drug. But my problem became very serious the night of June 30. In my case, the side-effects of Larium are Paranoia, Despression, severe Anxiety and others. Trying to explain what happened is difficult to do via computer, but I will attempt to introduce you to it:
Turns out Larium is a very controversial anti-malarial. And in very rare-cases (about 1 in 15,000) an experience like mine occurs. Here are some links to help you understand what this drug can do - CBS News Story, Links to various articles. I will just say that my 2 hour "bad trip" if you will, was one I cannot forget soon enough, and was clinically diagnosed as a traumatic event capable of being triggered again. Honestly, I do not know what I would do to myself if a reoccurence were to take place. And this is the reason I now write to from the good ol' United States.
I have no qualm of sharing this information for 2 reasons: First, I was expecting 27 months, not 1 week in the "Bush," and people will probably wonder why they are seeing the ghost of Patrick Foley haunting them around Indianapolis when he should be in Niger, Africa (my experience follows in a future blog). Second, the doctors there have seen similar cases and I have read articles claiming that open dialogue about traumatic experiences helps the healing process.
The worst part of being in that Niamey (the capital city) infirmary for 3 days was the feeling of helplesness. When I get nausea, I vomit. When I catch a cold, I get rest and take cough drops and problem solved. These terrible effects of larium were unique in that they exit the body at their own discretion. I don't know how many times I told myself "it's not you, it's the medicine." Over and over and over again. Depression was completely foreign to me until about 4 days ago. I have an infinitely new respect for those suffering from it, severe anxiety, paranoia, and also chlostrophobia. The journal I kept really illuminates how different a person I was under the influence of Larium.
So the person for which there was a going away party, who is eternally thankful for all of your good wishes, and also the countless time spent in preparation for this dream experience has returned far too soon for reasons unforeseen. I honestly miss Niger very much. And I will soon contribute to this blog my short-lived but long-winded enlightenment of the beautiful continent and people of Africa. Also my plans for work and such. But as for now though, I need to take everything one step at a time. And if you are interested in more info on the drug whose side-effects I wish upon not even my greatest enemy, do check out the links above. I guess I'll be knocking on your door sooner than expected.
Turns out I had a really rare and violent reaction to my anti-Malaria medicine, Larium. This drug is very effective in fighting off Malaria in developing parts of the world. As with all drugs, it has it's side-effects. Some users only get bad dreams where they or others are harmed or killed in a violent manner in nightmares. No doubt, I have had my fair share of these since ingesting this drug. But my problem became very serious the night of June 30. In my case, the side-effects of Larium are Paranoia, Despression, severe Anxiety and others. Trying to explain what happened is difficult to do via computer, but I will attempt to introduce you to it:
Turns out Larium is a very controversial anti-malarial. And in very rare-cases (about 1 in 15,000) an experience like mine occurs. Here are some links to help you understand what this drug can do - CBS News Story, Links to various articles. I will just say that my 2 hour "bad trip" if you will, was one I cannot forget soon enough, and was clinically diagnosed as a traumatic event capable of being triggered again. Honestly, I do not know what I would do to myself if a reoccurence were to take place. And this is the reason I now write to from the good ol' United States.
I have no qualm of sharing this information for 2 reasons: First, I was expecting 27 months, not 1 week in the "Bush," and people will probably wonder why they are seeing the ghost of Patrick Foley haunting them around Indianapolis when he should be in Niger, Africa (my experience follows in a future blog). Second, the doctors there have seen similar cases and I have read articles claiming that open dialogue about traumatic experiences helps the healing process.
The worst part of being in that Niamey (the capital city) infirmary for 3 days was the feeling of helplesness. When I get nausea, I vomit. When I catch a cold, I get rest and take cough drops and problem solved. These terrible effects of larium were unique in that they exit the body at their own discretion. I don't know how many times I told myself "it's not you, it's the medicine." Over and over and over again. Depression was completely foreign to me until about 4 days ago. I have an infinitely new respect for those suffering from it, severe anxiety, paranoia, and also chlostrophobia. The journal I kept really illuminates how different a person I was under the influence of Larium.
So the person for which there was a going away party, who is eternally thankful for all of your good wishes, and also the countless time spent in preparation for this dream experience has returned far too soon for reasons unforeseen. I honestly miss Niger very much. And I will soon contribute to this blog my short-lived but long-winded enlightenment of the beautiful continent and people of Africa. Also my plans for work and such. But as for now though, I need to take everything one step at a time. And if you are interested in more info on the drug whose side-effects I wish upon not even my greatest enemy, do check out the links above. I guess I'll be knocking on your door sooner than expected.
posted by Patrick F at 9:51 AM
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