My 24 Hours of Malaria: Regaining Schedules and Goals

Geez!!!! I was having the perfect day.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing (ok the birds were not really singing) , and I was feeling pretty good about myself. That is until my plans were somewhat derailed by an unexpected guest—malaria* the crippler of men who plan to make their day as productive as possible.

In this part of the world, yes we still come down with malaria, malaria may not sound like the most daunting of foes, but let me tell you, it can put a real damper on your day. From the sudden cold-sweats to the mind-numbing fatigue, I quickly found myself in a 24-hour battle with one of my oldest adversaries. Yeah I have been having malaria since I was a baby and so many of us have, the good thing is we're alive to tell the tale. Maybe one of this day I will draft a post on how malaria almost took my live, I have lot of experience with this devil, but let move on to what this post is all about

What Is Malaria?

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Like I said, it all started yesterday, a sunny day in this month (by the way, happy New month in advance) it came like a thief in the night and I knew it was here, but at that very moment I had nothing to deal with it. I remembered looking out the window and thinking, " this strange affliction has come again to steal, kill and destroy" It was an old enemy of mine, one that I had met before over and over again – and would continue to meet again, I knew the enemy, I knew how to deal with it, but some how I had nothing to deal with it. I was really under-prepared. The strategy was there, but the tools were missing to deal with the enemy Called Mr Malaria.

let's get to know this Mr malaria.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium that affects red blood cells. It typically causes fever, chills, muscle pain and other symptoms that can last up to 24 hours – or longer if left untreated.

It's no small thing; in fact, it's one of the world's leading causes of death. Each year, around 438 million people are infected with malaria worldwide; in 2018 alone there were an estimated 219 million cases and 405 thousand deaths from the disease. Now Mr malaria sounds like a wanted terrorist, terrorizing the whole of humanity.

How Does Malaria Affect Daily Activities?

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My 24 hours of malaria were an eye-opening experience there is always something to be learnt. It was like being on a whole other planet where daily activities and plans that usually took me no effort suddenly became so hard. A simple walk to a provision store was out of the question as even a few steps left me out of breath and exhausted.

Malaria disrupts your whole routine—dishes, laundry, cleaning, errands, you name it! Even basic self-care like brushing my teeth felt like Mt. Everest; one night I didn’t even have the energy to brush my teeth before bed. All my goals of getting stuff done? They flew right out the window!

I couldn’t find motivation and will power whatsoever; if I needed something done, I had to take multiple “microbreaks” just to get through it—and then relax for an hour or two afterwards just to regain my energy (or try, at least). So much for getting back on track with errands and chores!

Symptoms of Malaria I Experienced

The symptoms started out mild enough: nausea, lethargy, aching all over. Then they got worse. I experienced hazy vision, chills and hot flashes, headaches, there was no vomiting( I can't actually remember the last time malaria made me vomit, I must have developed some sort of resistance to that) and an inability to focus. Finally, the most debilitating symptom showed up - dizziness that made it near impossible for me to do anything but lay in bed.

My 24-hour battle against malaria left me feeling completely drained and exhausted. All of my plans for the day were gone, thank God for schedule post on Hive, it was my savior - no productivity , no checking off items from my to-do list and certainly no fun activities with friends and family. Instead of feeling energized and ready to tackle the world head on, I felt like a shell of myself—completely drained and unable to move forward with my daily routine until the next day.

It was a humbling experience, a reminder as to just how powerful this disease can be—and how important it is to take preventative measures against it.

Adjusting My Goals and Schedules to Accommodate Malaria

A 24 hours struggle, but I remained determined to go about my day as best as I could. As with any illness, however, this meant that some of the goals I had set for the day had to be adjusted.

That's not to say that I didn't try my best—I did. But being struck with an illness like malaria means that sometimes you have to alter your plans and expectations accordingly. Instead of pushing myself too hard, I adjusted my goals and schedules to accommodate what was going on in my body.

I spent a lot more time resting than usual and made sure to focus on eating well-balanced meals every few hours so that my body could better fight off the infection. Ultimately it wasn't easy or comfortable—malaria is no joke—but simply adjusting my goals and schedules allowed me to stick with what needed to be done while still allowing myself the grace of rest and recovery.

Effective Treatments for Malaria

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In all honesty, I felt quite defeated. Thankfully, I am aware of the medications to use and how to get them . I immediately got (with help from my younger ones) an anti-malarial drugs (artesunate), and some acetaminophen (paracetamol) and used it as soon as possible, the earlier the better .
Even after taking these medications which helped with my symptoms, there were still other steps I had to take to make sure I got back to my schedule asap:

Drinking plenty of fluids: Before treating malaria, it's important to stay hydrated. So I drank plenty of water, juice, to keep my body working at its best capacity.

Having good nutrition: Food plays an important role in the body's fight against malaria so I made sure to eat balanced meals packed with vitamins and minerals.

Getting lots of rest: Most people know that sleep is essential for a healthy mind and body—but it was especially important for me during this time of recovery from malaria. So, between doses of my medications, I made sure to get as much rest as possible.

Taking regular breaks: During the day, if I felt too tired or lethargic from the medication or fatigue from the disease itself, I would take regular breaks in order to re-energize myself. Breaks allowed me time for reflection and relaxation.

I was able to slowly regain control over my activities and goals within a 24 hour period

Moment of Self realization

I realized that even with a day gone due to malaria, I should still be able to move forward on my plans and goals. After all, wasting one day shouldn't mean that I should throw away my hard-earned progress especially on hive. To this end, I started to plan how I would get back into the swing of things the next day.

Overall , 24 hours with active malaria parasites in your blood stream is no joke, The experience was challenging and, perhaps most importantly, humbling. I’m reminded of how important it is to strive for balance in life and to be realistic with goals. But I also understand the importance of staying active, even when I feel a bit drained. Malaria may have affected my plans for the day, but it doesn’t have to keep dominating my life.