I have worms!

Yes, your dog and I have something in common.

Well, we did a few weeks ago. During IST, I was suffering from some gastrointestinal discomfort. Not uncommon here, but the pain lasted for weeks. I thought maybe it was a change in diet or perhaps a stubborn gas bubble that just would not burst. The pain would come and go without rhyme or reason.

One time when I was giving a presentation, I doubled over in pain. It felt as if something was trying to birth itself from my chest. I finally talked to a friend who said she had the same problem (I will keep her anonymous, as not everyone is proud of acquiring weird like I am) and she said she had worms. They went away on their own, but the doctor did give her a de-wormer just to be sure.

So I went to the Peace Corps docs and took a blood test. They said it did indeed sound like worms and they should go away on their own.

After another week of pain, nausea and loss of appetite, I finally went to my hospital (literally 50 yards from my house) and picked up some de-wormer. Within 48 hours the discomfort was gone and I am back in business.

Some words for the wary…

Getting worms can happen to anyone. Don’t be a victim. Make sure you wash your food before cooking it and drink clean water. Even with the necessary precautions, you can be targeted by these heinous creatures who will only make you slightly miserable until they die.  

I survived and so can you. With the help of a de-wormer called Albendazole. Together, we can take down crime and cure the worms.