Well folks, after several tests, they have finally discovered that I did indeed bring home an amoeba from our trips to Cambodia and Vietnam last December, and maybe a touch of blastocystis as well. A friend of mine christened the amoeba "Amelia". I am, however, relatively ignorant about amoebae (amoebas? amoebettes?) Here is one definition I read on the web:
"amoeba: A single-celled organism, many species of which live free in water. [Yeah, no kidding, the water I apparently drank!] A few are pathogens; amoebic dysentery is caused by an amoeba that parasitises the gut. Their overall shape and pattern of movement is similar in character to the way many animal cells behave, although the latter are usually much smaller. Such cells are often referred to as amoeboid. "
If you would like to see an amoeba, go to:
http://bioweb.usu.edu/emlab/Galleries/parasites/ameoba.jpg
EEEEEEYYYYUWWWWWWW!
I am now taking copious quantities of tetracycline, slowly murdering my friend Amelia (or is that "friends"?) And on account of all the, ahem, samples I have been having to give, I have christened myself "Poo Gurl".
Apparently Amelia is stuck to the walls of my gut, living the good life. Let's hope it will now be a short life as well! I have been told by my sources that if you have a tapeworm, you can feel it moving around. I suppose I should be grateful that Amelia is so tiny, her movements are imperceptible. But I would like her to stop eating my red blood cells!
Poo Gurl & Amelia [Nooooooo! Don't killl meeeeeee!]
Good thing I wasn't eating breakfast while reading this, Nat! Thanks for more information than I ever wanted to know! L X-J
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