Update

5/25/13

10 days post inoculation, and feeling okay. My rash has gone down significantly, and is hardly visible or itchy. I'm glad about this for purposes of blending in with strangers, but it was kind of cool to show it off to people.

I have developed what feels like a sinus infection, and my head feels like a balloon which is no fun. In the hookworm timeline, some helminth hosts do report a cough and respiratory symptoms, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is another sign of inoculation success. These symptoms happen as the hookworms migrate from the skin to the lungs, where they are "coughed up"and propelled into the digestive tract. I have also considered that being on prednisone (which I am) can leave one vulnerable to more infections because it suppresses the immune system, so it may be more of a result of this than the helminths. There are lots of variables to consider, and I'm trying to keep things as constant as possible so that I know when the helminths start working :)

I'm trying to stay optimistic, in spite of some annoying side effects. My next whip worm dose will be coming up soon, and I will report back then.

Thanks for reading,
Amy