Aparna in Mozambique

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Happiness is.....

.....Pets. That was the store where I got my one and only dog Shellie, as a child. Totally irrelevant to this blog posting.

I’ve been feeling really inexplicably happy lately. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that I’ve stopped taking Mefloquine (Lariam). It has been a significant change in my moods, my outlooks on the day, and my interactions with other people. It is so strange though. I know that lots of people have problems with the side effects, but I thought, hey, not me. I definitely had read and understood everything that can happen to you: nausea, dizziness, anxiety, depression, insomnia and so on…..I just didn’t think that every week I’d be adding a new side effect in addition to all of my other emotions….I just didn’t think that I was prone to side effects. Based on my experience, I thought that that was something that the pharmaceutical companies have to write on the package for the 1% that have adverse effects. But, Lariam is a really scary drug for me and I don’t think I can go back on it. I looked on the internet and read some crazy stories that I won’t share about the side effects of Lariam. Point of the story, I thought I was a superhero, I’m not, and now I feel so silly for not knowing that my emotions were due (in a large part, not entirely), to medications. The human body is after all, a series of complex chemical reactions, so it makes sense, I guess we are just sometimes wanting to think that we are just a little bit smarter than the organism. We really are not.

In other news, I am wrapping up my report this week in Maputo and have a dual purpose trip to South Africa (visa and shopping-i know, i'm a woman i love shopping what can i say??) planned for this Saturday, followed by a pasta party at the Marine house. Yes, I am indulging. I am being decadent. I know. I feel like that crazy lady from Eat, Pray, Love. Except maybe I’m missing the Pray and the Love. Okay, its basically, Eat, Laugh, Eat. But, I keep telling myself to enjoy Maputo, all the funny people and odd places before I have to get serious again next week. I think it is fair. As usual, starting my second day of the week realizing how LUCKY I am, for everything...

1 Comments:

Blogger pragzz said...

You've just confirmed what I've always feared about malaria drugs - they make you nuts. I'm all about mosquito nets and repellent (and prayer!).

Welcome back to the real world, where your happiness is contagious to others :-)

2:49 PM  

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