Scabies Free

Although I havent reported on this in any sort of detail, I have alluded to the fact that I have/had numerous bug bites on my body, primarily on my legs, feet, waist, and elbows. Throughout my time in Xela, the number of bug bites on my body has looked a lot like the stock market in the 90s, rising a lot and not falling often. I asked the doctors at my school numerous times if they thought I had a problem and they all just said that I probably had fleas or bed bugs. I asked my host mother to wash my sheets a few times but the bites kept on coming. (At the time of writing I am thinking that fleas lived in my wool blanket). The bites were at an all time high when I arrived at the Bianchis as the weekend before I had stayed at the coffee plantation, the central home of the Guatemalan insect. As soon as I itched for the first time. Lorena’s mother, Lia, asked me what was going on and I said that I had a lot of bites everywhere and showed her.  Immediately, a worried expression came to her face, and she said she though I had sarna, or scabies and she had done a lot of previous research on this topic. While she was concerned, I remained calm…I mean I am in Guatemala and have no control over what crawls on or in me. She called a doctor that lives in the neighborhood and he said he would come by the house later but fortunately a cousin of the family stopped by sooner who was also a doctor. Her cousin, Ana, looked over my body and preceeded to ask me out on a date (oh, good one) and then let me know that her professional opinion was that I did not have scabies and only fleas. Score!

I am happy to report that a week later, and with a set of newly washed clothes, my bites have faded and I have not gotten any new ones recently. I am sure there will be more to come but in the meantime I am enjoying the nights, itch free. itching.