About a month ago we needed to go to
Kampala to buy some tents to sleep in for when we are at bush
churches. So we hired a 14 passenger taxi to take us. As we pilled in
what really would be a 9 passenger van in North America (but there
was extra fold down seats to make it a 14 passenger van) we inhaled
the scent of wet dog and cat and sat down on the worn seats where
bars and springs protruded and got ready for our ride.
After finding tents we went to a
grocery store to stock up on the essentials (beans and peanut butter)
and Kathleen and I decided to splurge and share some milk and cheese.
After shopping and stopping at Nando’s for lunch we headed back
home.
On the ride home my stomach started
feeling a little weird but as soon as we got back I started feeling
really nauseated and I threw up several times until I just had
nothing left. We tried to figure out what it was and just put it down
to eating so much dairy after not having it in awhile that my
gallbladder was probably freaking out.
That night after I finished throwing up
KC started throwing up and she had a fever. The next morning I was
feeling better just extremely tired but KC still had a fever so she
walked down to the clinic (15-20 minutes away) and found out that she
had malaria. The next day KC had to go back to the clinic to get the
2nd of 5 shots and I still wasn’t feeling 100% so my
team suggested that I go with to get checked out just to make sure it
wasn’t something else. (I really didn’t think I had anything.) As
we were walking we were joking about how nobody would be able to trup
malaria, and how it was bazaar that someone got malaria so soon
because at this point we had only been in Uganda for two weeks and
the incubation period is 8 days and we are all on prevention pills.
Anyway after what seemed like the
longest walk, we arrived at the clinic and I waited to see the doctor
who then sent me to get tested for typhoid and malaria which
consisted of a blood test in my wrist (which resulted in a 1″ by 3″
bruise on my wrist the next day) and a urine sample.
Even though I had already experienced
many Ugandan squatty potties, for some reason I assumed that I would
have a toilet for the urine sample but I was very wrong. KC led me
outside down this corridor between two buildings to the squatty. If a
squatty isn’t bad enough the vessel I had to give the sample in was
tiny with an opening smaller than a dime. I’ll leave it at that and
just say that it wasn’t a pleasant experience.
After dropping off my sample we just
had to wait an hour for the results. As we sat in the hallway in
front of the doctor’s office the lab technician came in and dropped
off the results on his desk but the doctor was on break. While we
waited for the doctor it was really tempting to go read my results
myself sine I was so sure I didn’t have anything.
When the doctor came back from break he
welcomed me into his office to give me the results. We often joke
about how Uganda clinics have no HIPPA (health privacy act). As the
office door was wide open and KC, Kyle and Jess who were with me
along with two other Ugandan patients sat a meter away the doctor
informed me that I not only had malaria but an infection too.
Everyone started laughing as we realized you can trump malaria.
Afterward the nurse led me into a small
room to get my first of three days of treatments. I sat on the bed
and looked at the wall that had multiple posters and signs all stuck
up by band aids. (one sign read “remember: the customer is not the
enemy”) As the nurse was preparing the syringes two more nurses
came in to chat so there was five of us crammed in this small room.
First of all they gave me an antibiotic
through a port in my hand with three small syringes because they did
not have a big enough syringe for the dose I needed. Then the nurse
asked me to turn over so she could give me my malaria shot in my bum.
She gave me a shot and then started cleaning the other cheek for
another shot and I freaked out and said “Stop, why two? Why do I
have to have two? KC only had to have one”. She then informed me
that the first shot was a pain killer and the second was the malaria.
(including our leaders who left in December) have had malaria. We are
all on prevention pills and sleep under nets so it doesn’t make
sense except for the fact that we know a lot of them have been a
spiritual attack because they all happened while we were going
through some crazy times. It makes even less sense when you compare
it to our hosts who have been bringing teams for a month to two at a
time for ten years and have only ever had one case of malaria.
Tara, I am so sorry that all of you have had to go through sickness, probably some more than once. I am praying for good health in the coming days. Also want to thank you for the “Christmas Surprise” that you gave your teammates. I think that all appreciated your thoughtfulness and those of us “stateside” surely did. In Christ’s love, Britt’s Grams