My time there gave me new insight into the plight of Liberians with Ebola. In my case, the U.S. State Department arranged for an evacuation plane to carry me to first-class modern medical care. My neighbors in the treatment ward weren’t so lucky. Many were already near death when I met them, but they radiated strength, faith and defiance. Most were so ill that they barely registered the presence of the white face in their midst. For four days, I lay on my mat in the large white tent, wondering if I would make it home. My phone rang constantly. Most of the time, I stared at the caller ID, reluctant to enter into a predictable conversation that would remind me of the weight of my situation. Sometimes I answered, closing my eyes and listening to the outpouring of love and concern from an acquaintance or friend. They all wanted to help, but there was nothing they could do. I slept fitfully, waking up when the staff walked in under their layers of rubber and cloth to give me anti-nausea medication, check on my condition or bring me food. I remembered my other life as a journalist and recalled Ebola survivors telling me how their doctors had pleaded with them to eat despite their lack of appetite. I forced myself to eat as much as I could. Ebola attacks a type of cell in blood vessels. Can early treatment help improve chances of survival? WSJ’s Jason Bellini has #TheShortAnswer. I became progressively sicker. I sweated, chills shook my body, and it became hard for me to hold a conversation. World Health Organization staff members and a representative of the U.S. embassy called me regularly, assuring me that they were working on my evacuation plan. Then it was set: Sunday at 8 p.m. I periodically thought of the pain my death would cause my family and loved ones. When workers at the treatment center said that they wanted to see me recover, I said, “I’m going to fight this and win.” During my trips to and from the phone-charging station, I weakly greeted my fellow patients. All of us were in our own lonely battle with fear and the physical pain of Ebola. online.wsj/articles/i-got-ebola-and-survived-1415894355
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 09:15:06 +0000
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