Mysterious Bite & ER Fun

I just wanted to let you know that I am fine. Yesterday, I officially became a Honduran resident. Shortly before becoming a resident, I noticed that my left foot was very swollen. I called the medical office and they just told me to take Benadryl. So I took it and went along my business. After hours of waiting at the immigration office, we took a surprise trip to the best mall in Teguz where I ate Pizza Hut (but didn't get sick!) and Baskin Robbins and bought Nature's Valley Oats and Honey granola bars, antibacterial hand gel and wet wipes (they make an excellent shower alternative for those times when there is no water). I guess only Honduran malls have a grocery store inside.

However, as we were leaving the mall I noticed that my left foot was about twice the size of my right foot. It also hurt and burned and was red. The day before I was in Nueva Esperanza teaching small business skills to 5th and 6th graders and visiting a women's recycled paper microbusiness. While we were waiting to go into the recycled paper factory something stung or bit me. I didn't see it, but it really hurt and left a mark.

So yesterday when in swelled up, I called the Peace Corps medical officers again and they told me to go to the emergency room. So on our land rover's way to Cantarranas, the small town where we have our field based training they dropped me off at the ER in Teguz.

They gave me a cocktail of 3 anti-inflammatory IVs and lots of medicine. The IVs took over 2 hours to administer and sat in bed watching Legally Blonde in Spanish as it was the only thing on. The swelling went down a little, but by the time someone from PC picked me up from the ER it was 8:30pm and evidently there is a PC rule that no one is allowed to travel after dark, so I had to stay in a hotel in Teguz. It was very clean, but filled with mosquitos. There was also a big bug with pinchers in the shower. And I was without the Bugzooka. So I killed at least 10 mosquitos with my bare hands. How tough am I?

So right now I'm in the PC medical office waiting to get clearance to go back to Cantarranas. I'm fine though. I guess I'm better off than my friend Wesley. He has dengue.

But no one really knows what happened to me. Some suggested scenarios from medical personnel and a Peace Corps volunteer who studied insects.

-I was stung by a bee and had an allergic reaction.
-I was stung by a scorpion.
-I was bitten by a "water bug" (they are apparently very vicious).
-I was bitten by a chinche (the Chaga disease bug that bites you and then the disease goes into remission for 10-20 years and then 1% of cases go into heart failure. But don't worry. It is completely curable as long as it is treated within 2 years and they will test me for it.)
-I was bitten by some other kind of insect and then got a bacterial infection.

They are all about equally pleasant. I just wish this kind of thing would happen to me during the week, so I could miss all those classes. I feel like I'm missing my weekend. I had really hoped that I could play Uno and tag with the neighbor kids.

My friend Wesley and I ordered a Pizza Hut pizza today and Cini-stix so we're super-excited! We rarely get a chance to eat anything that does not consist of rice, beans, corn and potatoes. And lots of very sweet ketchup.

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. My Field-based Training (FBT) site does not have training and I can really only get internet on weekends. I have about 20 blog entries saved on my flashdrive, but unfortunately, my flashdrive was in my backpack in the back of a land rover that left the mall early. I also have a ton of pictures! So I'll post all that next weekend!

I absolutely have the best host family! I have two sisters named Escarleth (age 7) and Kensy (age 9). I also have a brother named Olvin (age 6). I live with a host mom named Mercedes and a host aunt named Santos who is about to have a baby. I have a calico cat named Maiyumi who is about to have kittens. I also have lots of cousins next door, including the most adorable 2 year old named Dulce Maria (Sweet Mary). She calls me "mom". I spend most of my time here playing tag, Uno, Go Fish and Jump Rope, when I'm not in classes. I also have started to teach latin dance classes at my house to children in my neighborhood. It's a good time here! I absolutely love it! I'll have to tell you about my almost mullet (fyi my hair is now shorter than chin-length = bucket showers are easier)next week.