Oh we thought I had problems before......
Maybe its the exhaustion of Peace corps, maybe its the stress of everything here, maybe its a lot of things making my system more susceptible to well....lets face it....a living organism. First the gluten, then a boil, now a parasite? What the hell, I'm a walking medical session in the peace corps.
The good news is that my pulaar is improving enough to tell my family that I have a 103.5 fever and that I am NOT getting out of bed this morning. Of course, the hammering things on to the wall connected to my room and the confused looks when I told them make me think that my african mom = nothing like my real mom :( I don't think they cared. at all. Sad. Oh funny story though....
When I arrived at my village Hawa, one of my little sisters (about 4) ran up so excited and quickly grabbed my hand and led me back to the compound. After jumping onto my lap (before I even sat down) she whipped around and smiled her great big smile. "Binta Sih!" Cute, except for the fact that she was cover in....drum role please.....pink eye. Damn it. I proceeded to mean mug her until she fell off my lap and doused her in purell. Haha not really but that was the scene that played out in my head. My thoughts...under no circumstances are you to touch your eye!!!! I Purelled my life away ASAP! She's still adorable despite the goopey pink eye though.
Anyway....my family definitely noticed that i'm sick. Frequent bathroom trips I don't think are common in Africa unless you are. Because seriously, Africa bathrooms aren't pleasant. Especially at night. But, my question is..... why did they leave a bucket in my room randomly. I'm a little afraid to ask and I returned it the next morning. Hmmmmm...... the question endures.
But why do Africans think that the cure to any malady is food? My fever is 103, I'm sweating like a monster and running to the bathroom. I don't really want to make a pitstop on the way to the toilet to eat a monster bowl of rice and god knows what with the pink eyed children eating with their hands. My "dad" called me out last night for not eating. When I told him why he tried to take me to the hospital. I refused and said that the peace corps would take care of it.....hmmmm not thinking so. When I called I got the typical response of well, drink ORS and take some Ibprofen. Not helpful Med....not helpful.
So this last time in the village, with my health failing and my patience grading......i'm throwing up the Seneglese chicken wing hand motion. I refuse! To eat 3 lunches and 4 dinners, to play with your pink eye and use a bucket for an unknown reason. Haha!
For those of you who may be wondering, I'm not completely miserable. It is fun despite Galaas (my parasite) and my constant stomach ache. I'm excited to go to my site except for one little issue. My closest neighbor informed me that we have a river (YAY swimming!), but wait, dad don't worry there aren't alligators like you asked. No....there are pythons. But then I thought, they aren't poisonous and they dont have fangs. I soon realized that while this is true, they'll squeeze me to death and eat me. Great!
Again, I'm continuing to have random cravings for weird foods in the united states. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Captain Crunch crunch berries, mexican food mostly and then always Tsukasa. Yum! And the larium dreams are kicking in. I've had a lot where I feel like I'm half sleeping, but not in my bed. In some kind of insect infested area. On our site visit I had one that I was sleeping in a compost pit with monster millapedes. And another the other night where the edge of my bed is actually the opening to like an ant hill or something. So I spend the night crouched in the corner of my bed terrified that these things are actually happened. So i'm not really seeing them which I guess is good, but I definitely am convinced until morning that I'm sleeping with bugs. Yikes!
Africa: 2 Sarah: 0
Love you guys and thanks for the encouragement! I miss you! Also, from this point on, wait to send me anything until I put up my new address. I should have it soon!
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4 comments:
hey kid, you know that your mom and rachel had to look up "mean mug" in an urban dictionary. make sure when you get back to the training center that they give you something to take care of peter the parasite. i think that it could be fun over there if you could get healthy. i miss you kid like crazy. a family on my route is going to send you a box of stuff. take care love you, pappy
Hi,
I think it's great what you are doing there in Africa. I hope you don't mind me popping in to add some 'motherly' advice to your parasite problems.
I happen to have a site all about parasites and I, more or less, stumbled upon your post while looking for something else.
If you can receive packages, I highly recommend that you have someone in your family get you a couple bottles of Para 90, Herbal Fiberblend, and Florafood.
The three of those will fix you up in no time and help keep you in good condition for the rest of your trip.
The Para 90 is a capsule that is full of very effective anti-parasitic and anti-fungal herbs.
The Herbal Fiberblend is a fiber and herb powder that you can take a bit of each day mixed in water or juice to keep you passing any nasties you pick up along the way.
The Florafood is a combination of potent probiotics that will help keep your gut flora healthy by increasing your good bacteria and strengthening your immune system.
Those can all be found at wholesale prices at AIM.
Sure hope you feel better soon. Bless you for your compassion on those less fortunate!
Hi Lulu,
Hang in there girlie. Are you taking the probiotics we sent in the last box. I will see Michael at the health foods store and see what "quantum" therapy and do some research on the Para 90. Again, try to eat from the box of food we sent and stay away from the unpasturized milk unless you boil the snot out of it. Cows and goats drink the water, the water has the parasites, their milk may have them too.
EWWWWWWA. Tell Peter, it was nice to know him but he is "outta there.
Love, Momma
Chère Petite Sarah-
Sorry it has taken me so long to leave a comment, but I do read your blog posts religiously; and most of them leave my sides aching from laughing so much.
When the laughing subsides, and I think about the lengths to which you're going to help people you don't even know, it's pretty humbling, to be honest. Selfless acts like that are incredibly rare.
So I just wanted to leave a comment to let you know how awesome it is that you're doing something to change lives for people who don't have the opportunities that you and I have had in life.
I'll do my best to comment more often from now on. Don't worry-the rest of the comments won't be nearly as sappy as this one. :)
Take care, get well, and enjoy some goat head while you can...you probably won't be able to find it over here.
Avec toute mon amitié,
--Joostan
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