posted
My mom is going on a mission trip to Kenya with our church ------- very admirable on her part, however I'm not happy that she chose THIS particular mission trip out of all of her choices!!!!
She's been getting her shots, pills, etc. to protect her from malaria, etc. to prepare for the trip. She will be gone July 22 - Aug. 7.
Up until now, she hasn't had any side effects from the vaccinations ---- at least that she's told ME. She knows how nervous I am about her going in the first place.
I talked with my sister this morning about something else and I mentioned that my mom sounded really irritable and was very short with me ----- unusual for her.
My sister said that she thought maybe it was because my mom hadn't felt well a couple of days ago. (My mom is NEVER sick!) She told me my mom had been having some dizziness.
Now, I know that dizziness could be from ANYTHING, especially the daily pace that she keeps. She just turned 69, but looks and acts like she's in her 40's.
She runs her own very successful interior design business, along with a 10,000+ sq. ft. showroom. She started this business WHILE obtaining her Master's in Fine Arts and raising 3 kids!
She's on the board of every thing you can think of, she volunteers for all sorts of causes, and is basically the human version of the Energizer Bunny. I don't know HOW she does it.
(Just wanted to give some background on how unstoppable, determined and her nothing's impossible attitude towards life.)
Obviously, the shots to prepare her for Kenya could be causing some dizziness ----- however, it could be a million other things as well.
I just wanted to see if I could get some feedback from any of you who might be able to give me some advice, peace of mind, or something. Yes, I'm scared.
Thanks,
terri3boys
p.s. She's 1/4 Cherokee, so she's VERY stubborn and does what she wants......ha, ha!
Posts: 268 | From Texas | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
If it's from the vaccinations (my guess) there's nothing you can do about it. So try to relax and let's hope she will feel well enough to make the trip!!
She sounds like a great lady!!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
When you travel out of the country it is wise to make sure that your basic vaccinations are up to date and check out the CDC's recommendations for your specific area of travel.
The CDC website will also give travel notices on current outbreaks and information on common diseases found in that area. It is good to know what your risks are, to be aware of your surroundings, to be aware of what you eat drink and do.
These are some of the common diseases listed for the Congo: Dengue fever, filariasis, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness, Plague, Schistosomiasis, Polio, typhoid, paratyphoid fever, amebiasis, brucellosis, and tuberculosis.
Now that I've scared you to death with that long list of possible illnesses, the CDC also offers advice on safe travel. General tips on how to protect yourself, food safety, avoiding insect bites, avoiding high risk activities, etc.
So, yes I have and would check out the CDC's recommendations when traveling to foreign countries. And I would not hesitate to get the recommended vaccines.
Terri, what a great mom you have. You should be so proud of her willingness to give, to step out of her comfort zone, to go help others. Could you imagine what it would be like if we all helped each other instead of always thinking about ourselves?
If you will, please let us know more about the trip a couple days before they leave so that we can remember to pray for your mom and her team.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
Thank you both for your replies and your compliments about my mom. She really IS a great person who has accomplished so much in life, yet she still can't seem to fit everything in!
She has a "bucket list" of sorts, and she was pulled towards this particular mission trip to Kenya for some reason.
Talk about stepping out of her comfort zone------ that was EXACTLY what she said! She said she needed to do this for many reasons, so I feel like she really has thought this through.
And yes, I'm very proud of her willingness to go help these people who literally have NOTHING. She will pour herself into this and love every minute of it.
I won't worry about the dizziness she's having at this point, unless it gets worse or continues. I'm sure her doctor won't "clear" her to go if something isn't right. I'm sure it IS the vaccines that are causing the the dizziness.
How sweet of you to offer prayers to her and her team! Of course, I'll let y'all know a couple of days before they leave. I'll be on my knees praying as well!
Thanks again for the reassurance!
Night, terri3boys
Posts: 268 | From Texas | Registered: Aug 2007
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