Apple Turnovers

I don't even really like apple turnovers but right now one of my apartment mates is baking fresh apple turnovers, from scratch, and I am trying not to feel sorry for myself. I wish I could bake!!!!! I wish I had the energy, time and money to bake. :(

Going to read about personality disorders now....

My Malaria Day

While studying infections of the central nervous system, I came across a few slides on cerebral malaria. This map of endemic malaria regions brought back memories of my very short but scary experience of malaria while I was in Fayoum, Egypt. Fayoum is the only area in Egypt that is still endemic to malaria---but most people will brush that off and tell you you don't need malaria meds if you go to Egypt. While that is true, its totally FALSE if you want to visit Fayoum, which is actually a lovely place. I remember I had a remarkably acute onset of the famous "malarial rigors and chills", a terrible headache, and was incredibly fatigued. All this in a microbus with my serve to learn group and a saint, Tasoni Nardine. I was completely silent the entire bus ride back to our convention center because I felt so sick but didn't tell anyone until at last we arrived, my head was throbbing, I was shaking and I just broke down and cried. Tasoni scolded me for not telling her I was sick earlier and sent me to my room with some NSAIDs and told me to sleep it off. I thought I was gonna die; I had never felt like this before. But...at the same time, I knew at least I didn't have malaria....because there is NO MALARIA in Egypt...don't you hate when people lie?! The next day I was totally perfect, as if nothing happened...Marian told me that Tasoni Nardine spent a couple hours praying for me the night before, praying for my healing. Tasoni's prayers have caused many miracles to happen, one of which I'm sure is my speedy recovery. When I came back to UVA, I told one of our ID docs, who has written an encyclopedia of tropical medicine. He asked if I had been in Fayoum when I got that sick. I replied yes, wondering why he had even known about a little place called Fayoum in Egypt. He told me I had malaria and I should try to never go there again...as it might kill me next time. And in fact, that is what I have just learned. Next time, I might not be as fortunate as having a saint with me, and might get cerebral malaria...and die a terrible death. And that my friends, is the reason you travel with monks and nuns...