Rabies

Only in India can you legitimately call your aunt and say oh hey, I don’t think I can come visit you in Chennai this weekend because guess what, as I was walking back from my yoga class yesterday morning, this rando stray dog decided to take a bite out of my leg, and now because we have no idea if this crazy dog was actually rabid (because I mean, I wasn’t exactly paying attention to his features, I was more just trying to get my upper calf muscles the hell away from his teeth) I have to stay back since the second course of my 5 shot rabies vaccination is on Saturday.  And only in India would she not even blink and say, oh yeah that happens. No problem.

 

The other funny thing about potentially having rabies is trying to figure out if you actually have symptoms for rabies.  It was incredibly sad, because as the doctor was reading off all the symptoms, it really seemed like I could have rabies..ALL THE TIME.  Headache (check, when I forget to eat lunch that happens, like that day in question).  Twitching (check- when I get stressed out my eyeball twitches, but lately it’s been my upper lip).  Fatigue (Check- can I say that just happens on the regular- I don’t think I even know what being peppy is anymore at work).  Doing things that seem strange to other people (that was seriously a symptom- I didn’t even know what to say to that one- I do strange things every day?)

So in conclusion, I am back in India, and now if another stray dog decides to bite me I’m cool, because I’m vaccinated for at least another 6 months.  The only request I have is that the swollen bits go down, or take a bite out of the other leg to even it out.  I wonder if there are stray dog gods I need to pray to.  There probably are.  I need to get on this.

Oddly enough, it feels really good to be back. Potential rabies and all.