My house is done! I'm currently in the process of furnishing it, but it's ready to move into as soon as I head back to my site. I've already got the bed, mattress, and stove. The house looks fantastic and I really appreciate all the hard work the community has put in to helping me build it.
The Bad
It turns out I've been infected by the leishmanisis bacteria, aka The Leish. What does this mean? Well the Leish is like one of those rude house guests that doesn't go away. He doesn't do much, but he doesn't leave. I've got 2 dime-sized scabs on my other arm where I was bitten by an infected chitra (or sand fly.) The scabs don't hurt, and don't cause much harm, though they'll eventually leave a nasty scar. But, they can take up to 2 years to disappear on their own. Their is also a small chance that the virus can mutate into a more harmful form that attacks the cartilage in the body if it is left untreated. Unfortunately, this is one of those diseases where the treatment is worse than the disease. The standard treatment is a 30 minute IV drip everyday for 20 days. This means that sometime in the next month, I'll be heading to Panama City for 3 weeks of treatment. However, I should stress that the disease isn't that big of a deal healthwise, and while it is exceedingly rare in the US, Peace Corps and the hospital here have a lot of experience with it. So no need for you all to worry.
The Ugly
Pics of the Leish on my arm. (Ok, the pictures are still to come, but they should be here in another day or so.)
