Ok, so I got it again and I remember how interested you were in it so here is how it went.

Sunday evening I felt tired, irritable and very sarcastic to my friends who were in my room playing a game. I just wanted to crash on my bed. My friend Sandy said that my eyes looked bloodshot. Sunday night I couldn't go to sleep, restless, tossing and turning, and cursing and wanting to just go for a walk on campus to wear myself out so I could finally go to sleep.

Monday morning I went to class, but I knew that through the whole class I was visually not wanting to be there. My favorite class, South African History, was the only class I didn't want to miss that day. From there I went straight to the campus health center. The doctor looked at me and said he was going to admit me for observation. My malaria test was positive. The bed was hard and I was sweating like crazy. My mind at that time was crazy--too unable to focus on things--just lyrics of songs which I would just repeat in my head and analyze them piece by piece. Odd. They brought in an IV shot, two doses of quinine in it and told me it would finish at 6am Tuesday morning.

The quinine side effect that they said would be annoying was the ringing of ears [tinnitus] and muffledness too. Right they were. Somewhere in the first 10 hours I vomited all over the place, sweated and cried. My throat is now sore. Tuesday morning they gave me the 3rd quinine in a new IV drip and said it would be finished at 4 pm. It was and I was taken back to my dorm room.

The whole time I was in the health center they would try to feed me rice and beans (no thanks); the smell made me want to share what little else was left in my stomach [with the floor]. I had a lot of people come by; one of the things they do here is [when] any student admitted [the staff] put all their information on a chart and post [it] for the whole university to see. I think this is to notify friends and teachers; one of the results is an endless stream of visitors and their own 'expert opinions' on what to do or not do.

I ate basically little when I was in the health center: bananas, orange, plain cookies, and water. The thought of food was distant.

Wednesday I thought I was better, still taking the fanzidar follow-up pills and I tried to straighten up the room....bad idea--I pushed myself and was plumb dead in short while. My friends told me, "You've got to eat, John," so I tried a little of this and that. Vomited at 1 or 2 in the morning.

Thursday I just laid in bed, read a book. Few pieces of bread, apple juice.

Friday [was similar]: bed, apple juice, sleep, and for food I had four pieces of French toast for lunch and a few bites of chicken and fries for dinner. Not too hungry.

Today I am good. Had the left over food for lunch and will probably eat well tonight. Have a very annoying cough with yellow mucus which is annoying, but hopefully will go away. That's it. Back to normal or whatever! --John

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First Online Edition: 22 July 1997
Last Revised: 18 May 2024