Today, June 15, 2010, I am leaving for Zambia! I cannot even describe the excitement I am feeling. In two hours I will be leaving for the airport in Boston. I am all packed (finally!) and hopefully I did not forget anything! This experience seems surreal to me! At this moment I feel like the luckiest person alive. I know it is not the typical way to spend the summer, but in all honesty there is nowhere else that I would rather be. I cannot imagine how amazing this will be and I am so so excited to get to Zambia and meet all the children and families.
This trip is a big deal for me and I hope that with everything I do I can make the most out of it, there is so much to learn from a mission trip like this one and I am very fortunate to have this experience!
I will be gone for 3 and a half weeks (until July 9th) and during my time in Africa I won't have access to Internet or computer (or phones). So I will be writing in a journal everyday my experiences and memories and when I get back I will post the journal and pictures that I will be taking! So this it, I'll be back later!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
A Quarter Sized Challenge
When traveling in or to Africa there are many different precautions that need to be taken. One of the most important parts of this is making sure the traveler has received all the necessary shots and immunizations and vaccinations. When preparing myself, I went to a Travel Medicine Clinic. There I received 5 shots for various different diseases ranging from Typhoid to H1N1. In addition to these immunizations I received two prescriptions and a LOT of information on the area I will be traveling to and its history of infectious diseases, how to prevent them, and tips to staying safe.
When traveling out of the country, especially to areas like Africa or less developed areas, it is so important to find a respected and reliable center for Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine. I was so grateful for the center where I got all of my treatments because they really educated me not only on what I was being protected from but why it was so important. One of the most serious diseases I am at risk of because of this trip is Malaria. The vaccination for this was a shot and also pills. The pills are supposed to be taken 1 week from entry into the country and then once weekly while there and weekly for a month upon arrival back into America.
This is the biggest challenge for me so far. The malaria tablets are a little smaller than a quarter and I need to start taking them today. While this shouldn't seem to be a problem it is because I have never been able to swallow pills, not even baby aspirin or tic tacs (I have been trying to practice with tic tacs, and unfortunately have been unsuccessful...). This is yet another obstacle for me. I overcame the first, which was shots. I have had a huge fear and dislike of shots, but when I got the shots for Africa I just had to suck it up because I knew that there were parents dying and suffering everyday so their children could receive such vaccinations. Now, I need to swallow these Malaria pills, so wish me luck and I'll let you know how it goes!
When traveling out of the country, especially to areas like Africa or less developed areas, it is so important to find a respected and reliable center for Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine. I was so grateful for the center where I got all of my treatments because they really educated me not only on what I was being protected from but why it was so important. One of the most serious diseases I am at risk of because of this trip is Malaria. The vaccination for this was a shot and also pills. The pills are supposed to be taken 1 week from entry into the country and then once weekly while there and weekly for a month upon arrival back into America.
This is the biggest challenge for me so far. The malaria tablets are a little smaller than a quarter and I need to start taking them today. While this shouldn't seem to be a problem it is because I have never been able to swallow pills, not even baby aspirin or tic tacs (I have been trying to practice with tic tacs, and unfortunately have been unsuccessful...). This is yet another obstacle for me. I overcame the first, which was shots. I have had a huge fear and dislike of shots, but when I got the shots for Africa I just had to suck it up because I knew that there were parents dying and suffering everyday so their children could receive such vaccinations. Now, I need to swallow these Malaria pills, so wish me luck and I'll let you know how it goes!
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