Traveling and enjoying nature have always been deeply important to me, and in 2018, I was inspired to take on international seasonal jobs as a campsite employee. After each stint, I would return to my home in the Netherlands for a few months before flying somewhere else. I studied, explored and landed my dream jobs, and sometimes I traveled alone; other times, my stepfather would join me.
In January 2023, my stepfather and I flew to Zanzibar, and while he planned to stay for six weeks, I was going to stay until the end of March. Although I tried to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience, I couldn't shake these frustrating headaches unlike anything I'd ever known. I kept taking medication, but that did not stop the headaches from recurring.
As the days went on, I also started to develop this weird feeling around my mouth, lower left arm and my left leg. It was a sort of numbness that I couldn’t explain. The headaches were one thing, but this was far more confusing.
The next day, I began to feel increasingly nauseous, and as much as I hoped it would go away, it didn’t. I had no idea what was making me so sick for days on end. Honestly, I wasn't thinking much because I was so desperately unwell.
I just kept hoping that if I rode the wave, I would get better quickly. But as I only got worse, I spoke to my biological dad on the phone, and he insisted that I needed to get myself to the hospital immediately. It went from this weird feeling in my body to suddenly having no strength whatsoever.
I felt incredibly tired, and at one point I lost all ability to stand. I could not even shower or go to the bathroom because I had zero strength or energy. They ran multiple tests at the hospital in Zanzibar but found nothing.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
