Else what's a heaven for?

So now that I'm 80% set on the whole camera thing (I'm still not 100% sure about the 70-200/4.0 + 2x extender thing - at 200, I can barely get a happy picture of my stuffed Arab sheep across my apt, and I sure hope the lions will be more than twice that distance from me!), it's time to go to the doctor. My father keeps fretting about all the bad socio-political things that can happen on this trip (I swear to G-d he actually cited Tanzania's history as a Communist country as a reason not to go), but there are so many other unpleasant or dangerous things on this trip.

The biggie is malaria of course. ( Why I'm thinking of skipping the meds ) eek!

The other drug to consider on this trip is Diamox. Many people take it to combat the symptoms of altitude sickness. The idea of puking my way up the mountain sounds horribly unpleasant, but so does the idea of waking up multiple times a night to pee. I'm thinking no. Whereas I am absolutely positively getting something to knock me out, bc if I have trouble sleeping in NY, I can't imagine it'll be easy when I'm nauseous and cold and sore and have to be up at 11:30pm to go hike for 14 hours on summit "day".

My guidebook also recommends vaccines for Hep A, typhoid, and possibly meningitis. I got the typhoid pill? shot? for Belize. Do people actually get booster shots for tetanus, polio, and diptheria? Other than travel and girl problems, I don't go to the doctor, so I assume I last got those when I entered college, which, scarily, means I'd be due for them. Bleh.

Edit: If your sole contribution to this discussion is "Malaria is teh bad. Take your meds!", please don't comment. I already have too many people in my life who like ranting at me. But if you have information to add, please do.

Edit2: bleh, I need more practice taking pictures.