Dengue Strikes Again

Just in case life was not interesting enough as it was, we have been hit by dengue fever also. It started with Roy, and I was convinced that he had rubella, since his fever was not terribly high to start with. But, when the rash did not follow the pattern I was watching for, his hands started itching and then he got really depressed I started to rethink my diagnosis. Then, Travis went for a quick trip to town and came back looking really sick. He had been fine up until then, so it was rather a sudden illness, which always makes me suspicious of dengue. Within a few hours, I also came down with a fever and painful joints, muscles and bones.Now, days later, there is no question in my mind. We all have dengue. It has made for a rather interesting time, since nobody is up to doing any shopping, which in a tropical climate really needs to be done every other day. It is a good thing that we do have a bit of a garden. I have discovered that I have some training to do with the kids as to what to do when all of their caretakers are sick! They play and yell and scream and have a wonderful time! The older children swing in hammocks and take long naps, getting into forbidden food at every opportunity. Schedule and regularity are thrown to the four winds.But, adversity does bring opportunity. If we were not all sick at the same time, I would not have known that they have no clue as to what to do to help sick people. I also had a long talk with them tonight about the fact that God sees everything they do, even if we don’t. I am so thankful for their openness in confessing to me what they have done wrong. I feel so sorry for kids who have not had the advantage of a good family during their formative years. They have so much learning to do yet. They are all good kids who want to do right…at least most of the time.The really good news is that there are only 4 different strains of dengue fever, and you can only get each one once. So, I am half way there!