ChikV, Part 4

Today is the first day I thought I was feeling more back to normal after being hit by ChikV. Not so fast. The rash and the all-over body ache have returned, as have the feelings of being run over by a truck after having run a marathon. And I would know as I ran a marathon last year. I also run a 10K most days. I am a fit person who is blessed with good health most of the time. But I have never experienced anything like this in my life. (This seems to be the nature of the virus, you think you are recovering, and then some new fresh hell hits you.) Going from running a 10K every day to barely being able to walk.

As I am feeling at least more mentally capable and just a little unstimulated after hours of tv-watching, I am inclined to describe what this illness is like, because as a writer, that’s what I do, and because there has been so little information from the authorities to fulfill the insatiable desire for updates for the Jamaican population. So here it goes, an account from the ChikV trenches, as fellow blogger Emma put it the other day. (I’m not writing this post for sympathy or to complain, perhaps more to provide information and to commiserate with what is expected to be up to 60 per cent of the JA population.)

The rash appeared Tuesday night. I was slightly alarmed but went to sleep as usual. Then the all-over body ache woke me up. I stood up to get some Panadol and could barely put any weight on my left side. I thought it was a running injury, the pain was so unique and strange. I went back to sleep and in the morning came out of my denial: I had ChikV. The rash was raging all over my torso, arms and legs and my face had turned bright red. The pain, in my joints, bones, muscles, skin, consumed me. My ab muscles felt as sore as if I had done 1,000 sit-ups. There were also weird waves of dizziness that made standing up interesting. I lay on the couch for the next few days, popping Panadol and drinking fluids.

The second and third day I fought an intense fever that came along with chills so strong I lay under a thick blanket all day and drank tea and porridge, which only warmed me up for about half-an-hour. Keep in mind Kingston’s 30+ degree heat. The labour and pain of getting up was intimidating and caused me to hunch over to avoid putting pressure on anything. The fever finally broke and I started to feel less pain. Then came the Night of Itching. I was awake until 4am itching, even though the rash had subsided. I am now dealing with exhaustion, some over-all pain and twinges that come and go in the joints. My skin is still slightly itchy and my lymph nodes are swollen and tender.

There has been much debate and confusion over this disease. (I should clarify that I did not get the blood test. Rather, I went to my doctor, she took one look at the rash and diagnosed me with ChikV). At this point, I don’t think that those afflicted care what they are diagnosed with. This is a nasty virus that should be avoided at all costs. Several of my friends who are suffering with it got it several weeks ago, and although most symptoms have subsided, they are having severe joint pain on and off. I gather this is a relatively new disease and vaccines are still under development. Hopefully this research continues, especially for the sake of vulnerable populations such as the elderly, infants, pregnant women and those with suppressed immune systems. I am seeing the end of this virus approaching for me and I am grateful that it is not permanent. I hope that the government address tonight sheds more light on what measures are being taken to prevent further transmission.