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Strange Illness
"Strange as it may sound, the experience with Giardia has made me realize that I need to take the initiative in keeping my environment clean. "
By Denise Tejada
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Youth Radio’s Denise Tejada talks about how her experience with contaminated water and food made her re-think what she can do to help keep the Bay Area environment clean.
Growing up, my mom would warn me that germs were alive and they were going to eat me if I wasn’t careful.
That was her strategy for making sure I washed my hands, and always picked up after myself. But sometimes, I would throw my trash on the floor or forget to wash my hands, but I never thought it would come back to haunt me.
Then about a month ago, some strange things started happening to my body. I felt feverish, dizzy and I was constantly vomiting. Soon, the pain took over, and I was rushed to the hospital. After twelve hours of tests, I was finally diagnosed with Giardia Lamblia, a parasite from contaminated water and food. When my doctor told me that, I couldn’t help but imagine dirty water.
It may sound like a jump, but I started thinking about my personal role in polluting my environment. Strange as it may sound, the experience with Giardia has made me realize that I need to take the initiative in keeping my environment clean.
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