Monday, May 30, 2011

Mefloquine

In preparation for my trip to Peru I have taken the antimalarial medicine Mefloquine just a week prior to my departure.  Along with the usual side of effects of nausea, vomiting, and sleepiness, Mefloquine has psychotic symptoms ranging from increased anxiety (yay!) and depression.  Fortunately I have not experienced  of any these, however I've been having very vivid dreams.   One of the stranger side effects of Mefloquine is that it affects dreams. To be honest I was hoping this would happen to me and I'm glad it did.  You know how in dreams you can't actually "see" everything around you?  Well with this medicine it was as if somehow my eyes were completely open while closed.
Last night I the following dreams:
I was in New York City on street I had been to before in a previous dream or what I like to call my reoccurring "Sex in The City" Dream.  Usually I'm with Carrie, Miranda or Samantha shopping or getting into all sorts of trouble but this time I was wearing a wedding dress.  I passed the Ralph Lauren store I usually go into to try on dresses. I entered a building in which the reception was being held.  The center pieces were fluffy like Dr. Suess plants.  The plants looked like cotton candy that danced and changed shapes in response to the music being played.


The windows were cast iron with a bright morning light shining through. Each table had a different type of dessert on white and gold plates.  My sisters were there and were also wearing wedding dresses and I remember thinking , "Oh it must be my sister Elizabeth's graduation. "I sat at a table with one giant coconut macaroon that was raspberry red when I cut with a knife.   I made my way to each table trying out each desert.  I could taste each bite and even feel the textures in m mouth.

The second dream took place in Flagstaff on a warm, rainy summer morning.  It was the first week back at school and I was walking around the Social and Behavioral Sciences building on South campus.  I got lost and I couldn't find my first class.  When I finally found it I sat down in the back but it was already over.  This continued with several more classes.  It was very frustrating, because by this time the building had a second part which looked identical to Banner Estrella Hospital and the fluorescent lights were so bright they made everything look new.