About the third day that I spent on the compound I started noticing a few itchy red bumps around my feet and ankles. Thinking it was just mosquito bites, I applied some itch cream and though nothing of it. But after two or three days, the red bumps were still there and new ones had appeared that were just as itchy as the previous ones. The itchiness intensified with every new “bite” I would get. “Man, African mosquitoes are vicious!” I thought to myself. Later, I inquired with Dr. Fekede about my bug bites and asked if it could be mosquitoes or spiders that are the cause. He informed me that there are no mosquitoes in Addis Ababa since the elevation is too high for them and that since I am in Africa, I should expect a few bug bites every now and then. So, I tried to deal with them the best I could and tried several treatments including Benadryl itch cream, tea tree oil, tea tree soap, charcoal, and even drinking oregano oil in water (it was difficult to swallow but I was so desperate, I'd try anything). I was getting new ones everyday and they were traveling up my legs, on my back, abdomen, neck, and wrist. That evening, I counted over 47 red dots! By the next morning I had over 50 and that’s where I just gave up counting.
I talked to Dr. Fekede once more, and this time I showed him how serious the condition was. He decided it would be best to get a professional to look at it and took me to see a dermatologist friend of his. She inspected my lesions and asked me about my symptoms. She than told me I had urticaria, a superficial skin inflammation caused by an allergic reaction to something. What that something is, is hard to pin point. She then prescribed me an antihistamine medication and told me to see her again in 1 week. I came back and googled “urticaria” to find out more about it. Urticaria is just a fancy term for hives. I was actually quite relieved that these red dots were the result of an allergic reaction and not hoards of angry spiders out to avenge their dead. In the mean time, I’ll keep taking my medication and hope for the best.
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