Dengue ?

The fevers are beginning to clear. Jenny seem pretty much better. Ben and I are still in a bit of a daze but the real suffering has ended.

I am convinced it was Dengue Fever. We haven't actually gone to the doctor to do the blood tests and confirm it. However, I had Dengue last year and this was exactly the same. One of the problems with Dengue is there are four strains and even when you have had one it does not give you immunity from the other strains. It is therefore possible to have Dengue four times - I'm halfway.

The main symptoms are the high fever which comes and goes. A vicious headache which is what really knocks you off your feet. Then there are the acheing bones. You also completely lose your appetite - I have been trying to force myself to eat but its not easy. You also get a red face and red flushes on your arms and legs. The three of us have been through all the classic symptoms of Dengue.

There is no treatment apart from to ease the symptoms with paracetemol and drink plenty of electrolyte rehydrating fluid.

So I did my visa run on Thursday. 12 hours on a minibus and boat was absolutely the last thing I needed. The guys I usually use weren't going last Thursday so I had to try a new company. Eve have two minibuses. They run one to The Andaman Club which I think is a nice bus - unfortunately it was full. I had to do their standard Ranong run on a cramped 15 seater minibus. Strangely, all the other passengers were Filipino. Apart from the minibus being cramped, there wasn't anything wrong with the run. It was just my physical condition that made it so crap. I had cold chills and was acheing all over by the end of the trip.

I am so looking forward to fully shaking off this thing.