We are currently in an epidemic situation here in Rio. The govt, in a singularly brilliant move, reduced funds last year for mosquito control. Now, a sickness that was once eradicated in Brazil, is on the warpath. To top things off the city, state and federal govt.'s are all fighting over who is responsible for the problem. In the meantime our children are dying! Now you understand that "classic" dengue (or as it is often called "Bone-break"fever) isn't fatal. You kinda wish you might die. I've had it twice, I can attest to that! You ache and itch and feel sick and have a fever that makes you sure you will explode. Your eyeballs feel like they are going to pop out of your head. And you cannot take most pain relievers, because this little bug uncoagulates your blood. So taking aspirin can be somewhat fatal. There are basically two types of dengue, which is probably why I have had it twice. You are afforded some degree of immunity if you have had it already. But the children don't have that luxury. And for some reason some people get a hemorrhagic type of dengue, which is often fatal, but at the least horrible, since you start bleeding everywhere. The only treatment are transfusions and hopefully your body will react and you won't bleed to death. We have had over 100 deaths, mostly children. They are not sure why some people respond with so much bleeding. I used to hear that this was what happened if you got the disease a second time, but that's not always the case (as I am proof). I confess that I am angry. Angry at so much corruption in our government that puts our lives at risk. And angry at the stupidity. This is not a poor person's disease. The Aedes aegypti mosquito (the same guy that spread malaria) doesn't discriminate - bites the rich and the poor. Our public and private hospitals are over flowing - so much so that the army has set up field hospitals to deal with the dengue patients. I am stunned at how many people I know that have and have had recently dengue. Right now I am concerned about our minister of music's little girl (Rebeca) who has a very low blood platelet level and we are anxious that she might hemorrhagic dengue. She is only 8 years old. Pray for her. Pray for our city. May this be a lesson that draws us together in integrity and honesty and real concern for our people's well-being.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Stupidity+ Corruption = Dengue!
We are currently in an epidemic situation here in Rio. The govt, in a singularly brilliant move, reduced funds last year for mosquito control. Now, a sickness that was once eradicated in Brazil, is on the warpath. To top things off the city, state and federal govt.'s are all fighting over who is responsible for the problem. In the meantime our children are dying! Now you understand that "classic" dengue (or as it is often called "Bone-break"fever) isn't fatal. You kinda wish you might die. I've had it twice, I can attest to that! You ache and itch and feel sick and have a fever that makes you sure you will explode. Your eyeballs feel like they are going to pop out of your head. And you cannot take most pain relievers, because this little bug uncoagulates your blood. So taking aspirin can be somewhat fatal. There are basically two types of dengue, which is probably why I have had it twice. You are afforded some degree of immunity if you have had it already. But the children don't have that luxury. And for some reason some people get a hemorrhagic type of dengue, which is often fatal, but at the least horrible, since you start bleeding everywhere. The only treatment are transfusions and hopefully your body will react and you won't bleed to death. We have had over 100 deaths, mostly children. They are not sure why some people respond with so much bleeding. I used to hear that this was what happened if you got the disease a second time, but that's not always the case (as I am proof). I confess that I am angry. Angry at so much corruption in our government that puts our lives at risk. And angry at the stupidity. This is not a poor person's disease. The Aedes aegypti mosquito (the same guy that spread malaria) doesn't discriminate - bites the rich and the poor. Our public and private hospitals are over flowing - so much so that the army has set up field hospitals to deal with the dengue patients. I am stunned at how many people I know that have and have had recently dengue. Right now I am concerned about our minister of music's little girl (Rebeca) who has a very low blood platelet level and we are anxious that she might hemorrhagic dengue. She is only 8 years old. Pray for her. Pray for our city. May this be a lesson that draws us together in integrity and honesty and real concern for our people's well-being.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Olá Peggy.
Infelizmente o Rio de Janeiro está perdendo crianças para a Dengue.
Meu filho Breno, de 4 anos esteve com esta doença semana passada.
Fiquei quase uma semana sem dormir direito até que as plaquetas voltassem ao normal.
Graças a Deus, tudo está bem agora. Ele não precisou ser internado, mas fez vários exames de sangue, o que é terrível para uma criança desta idade. Seus bracinhos estão marcados porque ele gritava muito durante os exames.
A possibilidade de perder um filho é uma coisa aterrorizante.
POde estar certa de que incluirei Rebeca em nossas orações.
Um grande abraço,
Ivania Knupp
P.S. - Adorei seus desenhos. Você me fez pensar que devo retomar as aulas de Francês que me pareciam impossíveis na adolescência. Posso vencer esse trauma causado por uma péssima professora.
Tia Peggy, existem 4 tipos de dengue, e uma destes tipos é a dengue hemorrágica. Por isso voce teve duas vezes, mas infelizmente não significa que esteja imune a dengue hemorrágica.
Beijinhos
Good news! Becca finally had a good blood test. Her platelets are increasing and not decreasing, so hopefully she is on the way to recovery.
Praise God ! I will continue praying.
Post a Comment