It all began with an itch. Not just any itch, mind you. This itch was akin to rubbing against fiberglass or as if someone was meticulously making small cuts back and forth against my skin with a knife. No amount of scratching did any good. From my shoulders down, I was in complete misery for three weeks. After scratching and clawing incessantly day after day, my legs looked like I’d been attacked by a deranged cat. I still have the scars to prove it. Calamine, allergy lotion, ibuprofen? Kid’s stuff! Only falling into a fitful sleep at the end of the day from exhaustion provided relief. Even the inside of my eyelids itched!

Our Haitian workers vowed and declared it was the Zika virus and that others were suffering from the very same symptoms. Finally, the maddening itch subsided only to be replaced by severe neck, shoulder, and arm pain. I could barely turn my head to the right and the itch inside my eyelids turned into shooting pains behind my eyeballs. After 2-3 days, the pain left my top extremities only to settle into my right hip. A new kind of walking has taken over which causes all my activities to take three times longer than usual. The pain is minimal now and I will soon walk without a limp. It’s amazing how much we take these bodies for granted. Good health is a gift from the Lord.

I want to thank those of you who have been earnestly praying for me. By faith I declare, “Good Riddance, Zika!”