Dengue during pregnancy
At 36 weeks of pregnancy, this was something unexpected. But, it happened. And boy...., I wouldn't want to experience this ever again.

1. Fever
It started with fever and headache. Which was temporarily relieved by acetaminophen. And I was wary of taking drugs during pregnancy even though acetaminophen is considered safe. But I had to take or else I could not function. And high fever is not good for the pregnancy even though the effects will be more detrimental during the early months. Anyhow, I experienced frequent uterine contractions during the feverish period and that was scary. In case I go into premature labour.

2. Lethargy
This was pretty bad. Towards the end of pregnancy, fatigue often overwhelmed me. And being down with fever, the fatigue came in double dose. Really drain the energy.

3. Muscle and joint pains
This was another intolerable symptom. My pregnancy is also associated with muscle pain and back pain. Thus, the fever-induced muscle and joint pains drove me crazy with pain and discomfort.

4. Loss of appetite
One express way to reduce weight. But with the baby inside, I sure don't want to jeopardize the baby's growth.

5. Low platelet count
The count declined from 227 to 224 to 108. Then thank God, it increased to 119, 141 and the last check was 260. Pheww.... Because of the multiple blood tests, my arm still bear the black and blue bruise due to phlebotomy. Friends gave lots of tips in order to increase the platelet count such as crab soup, guava juice and 100 plus. And of course, lots of plain water.

6. Dengue antibody 
The low platelet count was suggestive of dengue. However, virological test further confirmed the diagnosis and I was found to be positive for dengue IgG and IgM. Nyamuk kat area Batu Caves/Gombak memang ganas...


7. Dehydration
I was thirsty, BIG TIME. Which was good, cause I need to fill myself up with lots of fluid. But the setback was, the frequent trips to the toilet. The trips are already annoyingly frequent during pregnancy but with the extra fluid filling the bladder, the trips were unbearable. With the muscle pain and lethargy, getting up to go to the loo was torturous.

Anyhow, thank God the dengue fever did not deteriorate into a haemorrhagic one. And I don't have any rashes nor do I experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Alhamdulillah, I am fully recovered and back to my normal self. Well... as normal as I can be as a pregnant woman :). May the remaining of my pregnancy weeks and the delivery itself go well and uneventful. Amiinn...
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3 Responses
  1. azree_biber Says:

    alhamdulllh Dr kembli sihat.. suspen saya baca post Dr.. debar2.. aha.. anyway semoga sihat di baki hari-hari mengandung... kami doakan selamat.. insyaALLAH...


  2. Unknown Says:

    Thanks for the doa Azree. Mudah-mudahan dipermudahkan.


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