Dengue...

I dont have much to write because I was sick on the bed all this week with Dengue and a fever that stayed hovering around 102 degrees. Yesterday I went to the hospital and they injected medicine in me and I’m feeling a little better. Next week I’ll write more.

love you

Elder Smidt X

From Mom:

I just wanted to send you all a little update that I got from the mission president’s wife today about Jesse. Keep in mind that she speaks Portuguese and this is her best attempt at English. I love itJ

Dear Michelle

Elder Smidt has Dengue really. This year 21 missionaries got fever Dengue and he needs take tylenol and a lot of water and take a rest.

Don't exist a medicine to cure this fever, just some medicines to help him not to climb fever or feel pain.

I am talking to him every day, and tomorrow I will send you a email to you for share what he is feeling.

If be necessary, he will go to a doctor again.

All missionaries need to use a repellent with DEET every day, but I think that he forgot to use some days.

In this state, has a much cases of Dengue, and this is the best way to prevent.

He has a good companion who had Dengue to. He is helping him a lot.

Don't worry, I will send you an email tomorrow, telling you how is he , and I will tell you every day until he will be fine. 

With love

Sister Fortunato

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Also,  when I got Jesse’s email today telling me that he had Dengue, I sent out a group email to my missionary moms support group to inquire if any of them have had any experience with this. One of the moms in the email group asked a sister missionary who just got back from her mission in Brazil about Dengue. This is what she wrote back to her. I just thought this would be interesting to you to know what Jess is going through. Here is what she wrote:

“My companion had Dengue, it is flu-like symptoms. The carrier is a mosquito, so he got it from a bite. It is a virus, so there is no drug or anything to take with it, just pain killers. Basically the hardest part about having dengue as a missionary is that it takes about a month for your muscles to stop aching. (You know that achy feeling with the flu?) So its more like the recovery will just take a while, and that's really hard like mentally and spiritually, to not have your full physical strength while trying to serve. He will be fine, with my mission president, he let missionaries with dengue come stay at his house for a few days to recuperate, but he has a huge huge heart, and not all presidents will do that. It is not life-threatening, you're just super miserable. He should get through it fine, but to be honest it may take an entire transfer for him to be able to get back to working at 100%.”

I would really appreciate all of your prayers in Jesse’s behalf. I wish so much that I could be there to take care of him, but I am glad to know that he is being watched over. I know he is.

I love you all!