T Minus 40 and Counting

It's actually only 39 days out, but that doesn't sound as good. We are moving ahead with out prep. The biggest item right now is determining the anit-malaria medication to use. There only a few choices, none without a drawback or 2. Malarone, the top choice for effectiveness and fewest side effects is over $5 a dose, and with daily does to multiple people, very expensive for 6 months. Chloroquine - not effective against the strain of malaria found in Kenya. Doxycycline - dirt cheap, about $20 each for the 6 months, but causes sun sensitivity, bad choice for an equatorial country. Mefloquine - bizarro world mental side effects, and that's another story. This leaves primaquine, which as long as you are not G6PD deficient, seems to be an okay choice, even though it is not "approved" in the US as an anti-malaria. And the cost isn't to bad if you get it from Canada. Then there is the coordinating the 4 different health care providers to get the needed prescriptions and order the needed G6PD blood test. That's one for each of us because the 2 in Colorado need to handle it from there. Fortunately Joyce thrives on organizing almost anything and shes the one that's tackling this pre-trip task.

Then there is the coordinating the 4 different health care providers to get the needed prescriptions and order the needed G6PD blood test. That's one for each of us because the 2 in Colorado need to handle it from there. Fortunately Joyce thrives on organizing almost anything and shes the one that's tackling this pre-trip task.

And even taking anti-malarial is no guarantee you won't get malaria. So we'll have to keep an eye out for the symptoms. Since we are working in a location with a small hospital, getting treatment might not be to hard. But then, we don't know how well the hospital is equipped. Got to get on to my last few days of work. Stay tune for more....

Paul