I am making this post to enlighten people out there about the danger of Dengue Fever. This condition is something not new to us. Dengue can be acquired thru mosquito bites and the number one symptom to look out for is fever.
A week ago, Monday to be exact, I got home and suddenly felt so tired. I decided to take a nap, thinking I was just stressed with work and needed a little rest. Upon getting up, I felt feverish. I took a paracetamol tablet to relieve me of the fever. Upon waking up on Tuesday, I felt a little better but felt feverish again by 11am. Wednesday came and I felt very well. My fever came back on Thursday night. By that time I feared this was not the ordinary fever. What bothered me was I had no cough or colds and I have fever. Fever occurs when we have infections. I was still feverish on Friday morning, so I decided to go to the nearest hospital (about 5 mins away from our house) and I went directly to the emergency room.
I was interviewed by the nurses and resident doctor. They performed a tourniquet test on me but it was negative. So the doctor ordered a urinalysis, CBC and platelet count. She informed me that she suspects it could be typhoid or dengue. So I need to get my CBC and platelet count done first. If result would be negative, then she will order a typhidot test.
I was advised to come back as soon as I get the results of the test (after 2 hrs). When I came back, the doctor said your platelet count is down. My result yielded 125 and the normal was 150. So she said, I will let you go home, but you need to come back after 12 hrs and have another platelet count done. On Friday evening, my platelet count dropped to 93. The doctor told me she can still allow me to go home as long as I do not feel that weak and as long as I would take at least 3 liters of fluid (I bought a 1.5L bottle of orange flavored gatorade) and of course, be on the lookout for any complications - bleeding.
It was not necessary to be admitted as she said the only thing the will do to me if I want to be admitted is give me IV fluids if I could not tolerate any food intake, give me paracetamol, and monitor my platelet. So I decided to just go home and come back the next 12 hrs for another platelet count. On Saturday morning, my platelet count was at 97. Something that delighted me as it went up, but the doctor said I still needed to come back in the evening for another repeat lab test. Upon getting my platelet count results on Saturday night, I was frightened to see it at 84. I was afraid they will no longer allow me to go home because my platelet count has really gone down. Fortunately, the doctor said I can still go home but come back on Sunday morning for another platelet count.
Before going home on Saturday night, my mother and I went to look for some durian fruit vendors. They say durian is good for Dengue. Upon reaching home, I ate the durian.. then I heard a balut vendor passed by. I bought 2 pcs of balut. I ate one that night and the other on Sunday morning for breakfast.
I went back to the hospital again on Sunday morning and the platelet count was up at 98. Still it has not reached a hundred. Luckily, the doctor told me I will not need to come back after 12 hrs. She told me to come back on Monday for my next platelet count. By Sunday, my niece told me their neighbor has tawa tawa weeds. Tawa tawa is a famous cure for Dengue. So I asked her to bring me some tawa tawa. My mother boiled the plant minus the roots. It did not taste bad, and I drank it cold so I did not have a problem drinking it.
I was able to drink 2 glasses of tawa tawa before coming back for another platelet count on Monday. I was so happy to see my latest platelet result at 148. Although it is 2 points short of the normal count, the doctor said I was getting well and that I no longer need another platelet count. Hurray! I hate those needles. Until now, my arm still bears those nasty marks from the blood extractions.
A lot of people, especially kids have been admitted lately due to Dengue. Some of them are in the ICU because the platelet count has gone too low. There are also some people who did not make it to the hospital due to complications of bleeding.
I hope this post will help inform people out there of the danger that Dengue brings. If detected early and platelet count is constantly monitored, Dengue is not that dangerous at all. Plus of course there is tawa tawa, balut, durian and gatorade to help you.
Read full post...
Posts
